Beta for the Grand Wall (Split Pillar and the Sword)

[curvenut]

Hi,

I am planning to check this project on my list.
But I would like to tips / beta / cue on those pitches The Sword and the Split Pillar


Thanks for your help !

[curvenut]

I mean
"I would like SOME tips / beta / cue "

[gnarnaphobe]

bring doubles for the pillar unless like like 3m run out between your cams, for the sword the the crux is fairly low, out of a stem you reach to a sloper and pull to a jug...

Have fun!

[Optimally-Primed]

Pillar.
place a green camalot up high, come back down, shake out. go up, layback like hell till you can get your left foot out on the left face for a rest. handjam for a long ways (easiest part)... using 2x or 3x gold camalots. Save your blues. When it gets wider and arches right, place your blues and keep jamming. Right arm forearm jam, left hand on the edge. Good feet in the crack. Bump each piece once. Then the jug, the rest, and meandering up the end. Squeeze chimney the end (face Squamish).

Sword. Need a #4 to protect the 5.8 start. I don't bother... get a blue in after 5m. Crux beta: *left* hand thumbs down finger jam in the obvious slot, (optional to place a purple metolius above it), pull up, stem out, right hand sidepull on the crack (crux moment), stem like crazy, left hand over the sloper ledge into a bomber lock, then bump again into the second lock. right hand into the first lock and grovel. Easy up the corner. Don't fill a finger lock before stepping out left but do study/mark where the gear would go. Step onto the arete, place gear in the marked spot, reach left, feel for a good sidepull, gulp, move your left foot out to a so-so jam, then commit. 2 moves to an big jug. Easy up the juggy flakes/crack. Eventually reach back right and place gear. Continue to use the face crack as long as possible (stemming), while placing gear in the fingery corner. Eventually, it's time to woman up. Stop thinking about gear. Stop thinking about the left crack. Stop thinking about the exposure. Start thinking about the chains. And sprint!

[staven]

I'm going to print this out and tape it to my forearm.

[squamish climber]

Eventually, it's time to woman up. Stop thinking about gear. Stop thinking about the left crack. Stop thinking about the exposure. Start thinking about the chains. And sprint!

Short, colourful and to the point --that has to be some of the best written beta I've read in while. You almost need to give a spoiler alert before reading it. Thanks for the info

[curvenut]

Thanks for all the betas !
The crux of Sword seems to be very tricky.

Is the Sword more pumpy than The Pillar ?

[scrubber]

Definately not.

The low crux on the sword is tricky, but not too pumpy. The high crux is more a matter of your head telling you that you're scared and it's really exposed. The Beta of just reaching into the corner and placing a couple of pieces while still on the jugs of the face crack is good. Once you pull back into the corner you only have about 2m to climb, but if you stop to try and place gear you will melt down pretty quick. Best to just gun it for the silver bucket at the top. (loop of chain between two bolts)

Here's a funny story regarding the chain. Shortly after the ledgendary ropes on the bolt ladder were replaced, that anchor had your standard two short chains. However, some folks were so pumped when they got there, that they would slowly slip link-by-link down the chain while trying to get themselves clipped into the anchor and end up taking the big wipper. Someone had the bright idea to join them so that any buffoon like me could get there, lurch for the chains, and casually clip in while one arm is hooked through the loop.

More beta:
-If you've made it that far, you may as well just finish it off. (one rope vs. two rope argument... you can't rap off the grand with one 60 or 70m rope, but you can climb up it...)
-If you are going higher, combine the Sword into the bolt ladder above. That hanging belay at the end of the sword is miserable. "But I don't have enough slings!" you say, well you only have to leave a dray on every third or fourth one. They're close enough that you can stand on the previous one, while pulling on a draw on the one it front of your chest, and clipping the next one above your head. Your partner will have the slings necessary to second it from cleaning the Sword down below.
-Perry's Lieback is pumpy, and the hardest part feels like reaching down between your feet to clip the bolts. If you're feeling wussy you can drop the grade a few notches by stepping on the bolts.
-The Flats pitch will test your management of rope drag. You don't want to do the original way out right at the grassy ledge. instead go up left a bit onto the next slab, then traverse across it up and right to a REEEEEACH just below the station.
- The last pitch feels burly because you're tired. The feet are better than they look as you traverse out right under the flake. Again watch your rope drag. Lots of people get cams stuck under the flake as they blindly stuff them in. Be careful or I will be adding your cam to my rack too.