Red rock end of Feb early march, and then Exum July, August

[tradmike]

So i decided to book the ticket and attempt to climb johnny vegas to solar slab in Red Rock, around the end of February.  I'm trying to think of the best way to go about this, should i Follow the trad plan or just the basic plan.  Also I have never climbed this kind of rock so if anyone has advice or tips on what I should focus on training wise that would be awesome.(I plan to read route descriptions etc to better tailor my training) Just trying to set myself up for the best chances.  Also IF starting the training plan this Monday are there certain phases i should make longer to have myself peak at end of feb.


Havent booked this ticket yet, but I'm also planning on Climbing the Exum next summer, and besides doing the normal training plan incorporating lots of cardio, to be in the best shape for the approach.  Should i train for both of these climbs at teh same time, or break them into two separate training cycles specifically focus on training for each climb on its own.


Thanks any advice is appreciated.

[tradmike]

Nothing anybody out there

[dan]

Hey Mike,

I've done that particular link-up and it's a great long day.
I'm not sure what your experience level is but I would suggest doing the trad climbing plan. I would start a trad cycle now, rest,
then start another cycle sometime in March.
Long routes require a lot of endurance and a high workload capacity, which the trad program emphasizes.
There are lots of other good moderate routes in red rocks, so book that ticket and have fun!
If you want more specific beta, PM me.

Dan

[LVDUDE]

This climb is on the easy end of 5.7. Its also a slab so focus on technique over strength. If you dedicate two full seasons to this trip I would plan on trying something a little harder. Maybe unimpeachable groping? Its all bolted = easy to bail. Or better yet dark shadows, that thing has some of the best rock in the park and is surprisingly steep for a 5.8 Enjoy!

[Charlie S]

With those climbs, I wouldn't worry specifically about which training program to follow. Johnny Vegas and Solar Slab will likely come down to your anchor building efficiency.

Your planned style for Exum will dictate your strategy. Are you going for the Lower, Upper, or Full Exum? In a day from basecamp? From the car?

My brother and I did The Grand via Wittich Crack (so really only 1 pitch of technical climbing) in a day in August. The Full Exum is a lot of climbing and you will have to be extremely swift to pull it off in a day. Cardio, pain tolerance, and efficiency will likely be the limiting factors.

Just a datapoint: We did The Grand car-to-car in 16.5 hours. We spent a lot of time navigating from the lower saddle to the upper saddle. It was our first time on the mountain.