Discussion Topic |
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More Air
Big Wall climber
slc
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 7, 2003 - 11:48pm PT
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What's you're favorite bivy ledge?
I'd also like to hear from those of you who have found cool ledges on less popular routes or in other areas, like Zion or the Black canyon. My favorite bivy is Long Ledge atop pitch 31 on the Salathe, due to it's great location above the headwall.
Thanks
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JG
Trad climber
CO
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The bismark on Mescalito is a great ledge.
There is a good bivy ledge on desert shield in Zion where you can unrope.
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yo
Sport climber
Fresno, CA
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Bismark, El Cap Tower and El Cap Spire, obviously, are tops. They're all cush. There's this ledge halfway up the West Face that's cool too, it has this curve to it so it's like a lazy boy. But it has an evil mouse too. I've never been there but I hear Lay Lady is rad, all grassy and unropeable. I don't know, sheer hanging bivies are cool, just looking over the portaledge into space, but there's really something to having something solid underneath ya while you sleep. Easier on the psyche. Check out Piton Pete's photos of Frosty's Claustrophobic Bivy on rc.com--it's like this 10 by 10 slot, only a foot high. It's perfectly flat but you can't roll over. Places not to sleep: Sous le Toit, my partner and I "slept" there and it's a solid two ass cheeks but not much more.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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The Direct on Half Dome has a couple nice ledges with outstanding views. Those ledges on the Nose are unbeatable if you don't have to share them. Same with the Salathe.(can't speak about Long ledge though. Got off route above the Block and had to aid the headwall in the dark. Wound up missing Long Ledge completely due to Skinner's variation. Shared a nonledge with three other people. Sucked, and sucked more)
Peace
Karl
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steelmnkey
climber
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Over The Rainbow Ledge is awesome.
Rainbow Wall, Red Rocks
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Ben Rumsen
Mountain climber
Sacramento, CA
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Wino Tower ledge on New dawn / Wall of the E. M. Light. Not the most comfy, but when I was there ( 1982 ) Warren Hardings wine bottle was still poking out of a bush in the corner - classic!
The Ledge on Dihedral Wall is pretty classic too ( but not all that comfy ).
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Mike
climber
Orange County CA
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EC Spire, Peanut Ledge, Bismark, Big Sur, The Igloo (for uniqueness), Cyclops Eye, Island in the Sky. The unnamed ledge atop Leaning Tower is an unexpected surprise and a great bonus bivi.
The necks of the wine bottles were still on Wine (Wino) Tower in '99, Guido.
Frosty's is unique, but no kick-it potential...the Round Table has it all over Frosty's, and is relatively unknown. A wind-blocked corner with a perfect seat in the back of it for soaking up the sunset (while the bags hang off the anchor 10 feet away).
Hall of Shame: Tapir Tear-ass, Cramp 4 on the Nose, Calaveras, Matatlan & Easy Street on NA.
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BrentA
Gym climber
estes park
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Valley:
Although low on the route (atop P.2?) the flat block on Native SOn is cool. I was way psyched to stand on Peanut Ledge on teh Zodiac way back when. Lay Lady wasn't as rad as it looked (IMO). Mammoth is ill, and I spent a whole day getting ripped on Chickenhead (the canoe was cool too, but not as big)
Zion: haven't climbed as much here...but atop P5 of Moonlight I had a nice session and lunch break, the rocker block was cool too, but a little low to bivi.
RMNP:
Yellow Wall BIvi ledge is nice, but I wouldn't really want to bivi. Dunn/Westbay pillar is good if you are a party of 1.
BCNP:
Fantasy Island (hallucingen wall)- hidden from view and nice when you get there. Cuddle the Swine on teh right side of North Chasm View is delux for 2.
Best bivi ever was a hanging deal below the head seam on Aurora up highish. The cape wild bivi on Scorched Earth would have been ill too, but we didn't camp there.
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clustiere
Big Wall climber
prescott az
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over the rainbow ledge rainbow wall, and ahwanee (LT). Elcap tower is the shizat. Thanksgiving is alwayse nice (so close). Ledge at the base of the last pitch of monkeyfinger (TS).
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Sam Shannon
Social climber
the middle of nowhere
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Chickenhead Ledge needs a portaledge but it feels good to be able to untie after spending a week to solo up to it.
The best ledge on El Cap though is one you'll never bivy on unless you choose to after topping out. The 'Porch' on El Cap is just to the right of the topout on the Dawn Wall (approximately 150' East of the Nose topout). Tie your rope off to a tree and put yourself on w/ a clove hitch or munter then check out the view of the entire SE face of El Cap! Life is good.
Sam
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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Frisbee Ledge on Hairline, Mt. Whitney. Wind funnels frisbees thrown from the summit onto this ledge. First time we got there, we found 5 frisbees. The year after, there were several more.
Weakened Worriers Ledge on Windhorse.
El Cap Spire.
Flying Buttress on Steck Salathe
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More Air
Big Wall climber
slc
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2003 - 12:52am PT
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In Zion, the top of the 7th pitch of Monkeyfinger & the top of the 7th pitch of the Lowe route are cool bivies for 2 - if your not climbing those routes in a day. The top of the 7th pitch on Swoop Gimp sleeps about 5 - Party Time!
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spacemonkey
Big Wall climber
sweden
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Apr 10, 2003 - 03:14am PT
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The Hilton Ledge on the Trollwall. (Not many left since the great rockfall of "98"...)
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wallkid
Big Wall climber
cayucos ca
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Apr 10, 2003 - 01:54pm PT
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Dinner ledge southface washingtons column
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Apr 10, 2003 - 02:02pm PT
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How are those ledges on the LA Direct?
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funkness
climber
So,Ca.
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Nov 17, 2004 - 11:15pm PT
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The Bismark is cool....
(Click to enlarge)
Actually we bivied on the next ledge up, better portaledge set-up and better view.
Chickenhead Ledge is one of my favs...
(Click)
The Continental Shelf on the P.O. is probably mt most favorite, kinda slopy, but such an awesome location and way spacious!
Other good ones..
Big Sandy
Ahwannee
Isle in the Sky
Dinner
The Igloo
Peanut
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Nov 17, 2004 - 11:35pm PT
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For me, probably the same as a few others here, Peanut, Bismark, Big Sandy if it wasn't such a scene,
But I think my fav was Eagle's Nest ledge on Electric Ladyland. It's just a small triangular thing, but prefectly flat and totally smooth. It sits at the apex of the arch the route sits in and is fully protected from the weather. While there's only room for one on it, the splitters over it in the corner make for the perfect free hanging bivy. Your ledge (or hammock in my case) never touches the wall. When we got there the previous party had left a reefer taped to the wall. Even 11 months later we got a good buzz off it.
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TheHip
Trad climber
Squamish, BC
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Nov 18, 2004 - 01:00am PT
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Memorial Ledge, Stawamus Chief. Not on a wall route, but a nice place to spend the night.
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Southern Man
climber
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Nov 18, 2004 - 08:07am PT
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Big Sandy on the RNWF of Half Dome. The lowest section of the ledge is the best, just don't roll over.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 18, 2004 - 09:09am PT
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"How are those ledges on the LA Direct?"
Perfect!
Every four pitches or so there is a big flat ledge suitable for untieing and making coffee. Why do it in a day if you can take four?
Jay
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Gunkie
climber
I don't get mad, I get stabby -- Fat Tony
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Nov 18, 2004 - 01:34pm PT
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My vote is for Big Sandy Ledge on Half Dome. We were all by ourselves on the wall in early May (1992), the moon was full and the air was clear. The view was incredible.
I'd say the same thing about El Cap Towers, but we shared the ledge(s) with 8 people (us 2 on the Nose, a party of 3 on the Nose, and a party of 3 on Tribal Rite). Cool spot, but more crowded than a summer Saturday night in Camp 4/Sunnyside with the toilets way too close.
When it gets right down to it, any ledge on any wall is better than sleeping in the valley or on an airport floor. I'd say all wall climbers are a bit jaded when it comes down to bivy locations.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 18, 2004 - 01:46pm PT
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What an awesome and fantastic reply by funkness!
Funkness! Can you please email me at peterzabrok@cogeco.ca and show me how the heck you did the coding for your post?? It is absolutely amazing! I can't figure out the coding round this place, and would greatly appreciate your help.
I would love to put together in this thread a similar post on "off the beaten path" bivi ledges on El Cap. I've done quite a few routes that are rarely climbed, and I'd love to share some photos. Places like Timbuktu Towers and Lay Lady Ledge, the Round Table and Frosty's Claustrophobic Bivi.
I don't have any webspace at the moment, so if someone could volunteer to host a few photos for me, I'll scan up some slides that you've never seen before, in two different sizes like funkness has done, and write a post. Please contact me at the email above.
Funkness' post is PRECISELY the kind of high-quality stuff we need round this place! There has been too much other crap around here lately. Let's return Supertopo to a great source of big wall climbing information. Start me up! I'm psyched!
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andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
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Nov 18, 2004 - 01:52pm PT
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i like the fixed grill near desert shield in zion(disco inferno?). i want to go back up there and have a cookout.
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More Air
Big Wall climber
S.L.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2004 - 08:31pm PT
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Yeah, I agree your photos are awesome!
Thanks Funkness
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Reverend Jim
Trad climber
Iowa
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Nov 19, 2004 - 12:27pm PT
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Poncho's Villa on El Gran Trono Blanco, the Giraffe.
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crotch
climber
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Nov 19, 2004 - 02:03pm PT
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You've outed yourself Reverend! ;-?
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Nov 19, 2004 - 02:31pm PT
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the huge ledge at the top of the tower, before the exit moves... great bivy site. Also, Wino Tower, Big Sandy, and, come to think of it... anywhere my portaledge is hanging
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Jay
Trad climber
Fort Mill, SC
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Nov 19, 2004 - 09:31pm PT
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Only been on a few walls and hardly any without a nilon porto but the Ahwannee ledge has got to be the coolest natural bunkbeds ever. Comfy and clean with a nice guard rail on the upper bunk. Could have used some room service up there but the mother birds weren't delivering that night.
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funkness
climber
So,Ca.
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Nov 19, 2004 - 11:38pm PT
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Here's a couple more..
Big Sur on the N.A.
Better view of the Bismark..
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 20, 2004 - 11:23am PT
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Big Sur is a superb ledge, and unfortunately that photo doesn't do the place justice. There is a really swell place to sit about where the photo was taken from. There is also a "basement apartment" down and behind, a perfect spot to hang another ledge or two. Big Sur rocks! We stayed there three nights while fixing pitches on the Sea, we loved it so much. I remember Nick and I took turns fixing solo, so we could each have a day off. One night we opened this bottle of cabernet that we had rigorously chosen from the Yosemite grocery store [it was the cheapest brand!] and were delighted to discover that it was actually good stuff. Ya gotta love California, eh?
I remember when we left Big Sur, I solo linked P17 and P18 while Nick hauled. At one point you have to make ten hook moves in a row! Woo-hoo! NTB but DFU! No doubt I prusiked down some hooks on Screamers for pro, which you can only do while soloing.
The highlight of our holiday on Big Sur had to be our Big Wall Keg Party which we shared with three other Yosemite characters you'd probably all know - one of whom jugged from the ground, and two of whom penji'd in from a neighbouring route. We dressed up as pirates and said, "ARRRR!" We duct taped Captain Hooks to our arms and said, "Arrr!" Even Wee-Wee had a Cliffhanger taped to his claw, and I made him an eyepatch out of duct tape. It was the full moon, and the Green Dragon came by beneath us each night. We shouted back and forth: "one, two, three - HELLO GREEN DRAGON!" I was practically in tears when one of those buggers grabbed my big wall crab, and threatened to throw him off the wall! Poor little guy, what an ignominious end THAT would have been. However he is made of fluff [like father like son] and might well have survived the plummet to live and climb another day. Fortunately he made it to the summit, complete with eyepatch, though I had to remove his hook for personal use.
It was desperately hot up there, the hottest temps I have ever experienced in May. Fortunately it cooled down after three days. I have nothing but happy memories from Big Sur. {burp}
For some stupid reason, I had bought an airplane ticket with a thirty-day limit, and when I phoned my travel agent, she told me I'd best make the time limit or I'd have to spend about a thousand bucks for a one-way ticket! Holy! There was no way we could finish in time, or so it appeared. So Nick pulled an all-nighter leading P24, and we radio'd up to one of the "pirates" - who had just topped out on the route next door - to fix us a rope to the top on the last two pitches!
Nick jugged up and fell asleep on the summit, and I solo Far End Hauled our pigs four hundred feet up the final two pitches. Nick ditched his stuff on the summit under his camo Rambo tarp [he was well-equipped with various Rambo accoutrements] and helped me carry down mine, and I made my airplane by the skin of my teeth - thirty days to the hour. I later mailed a money order to my pirate friend for helping us out, because of the time and inconvenience of leaving his ropes up there.
Sea of Dreams was one of my favourite walls ever, not just because the climbing is so superb, but because of the great times we shared.
Cheers,
Pete
P.S. "Ahwahnee bunk bed." {snicker x 2}
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Dapper Dan
climber
an 89' honda accord
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Jan 19, 2006 - 03:58am PT
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i hope to sleep on an El Cap ledge this season ya'll are lucky....
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TradIsGood
Trad climber
Gunks end of country
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Jan 19, 2006 - 07:02am PT
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Well all I get is the famous red-x on the funkness posts. But his discovery is a very nice trick. An extension of a Rajmit discovery (at least he is the first one I know of who posted clickable images on ST.)
For clickable images, you put the img tags inside the url tags:
[ url=" "][ img]url of image[ /img][ /url]. -- Rajmit's discovery, note nothing inside the url quotes.
Funkness puts the url of the large image in the url tag and the url of the small image inside the img tags.
Very clever and a useful technique!
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Chris W
Social climber
Eldo
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Jan 19, 2006 - 09:53am PT
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Sickle, Dolt Tower, El Cap Tower, Camp 5, Camp 6. Peanut Ledge, First ledge you come to on Lost in America. I heard the ledge before the Bismark rocks.
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junior
Trad climber
Modesto. CA
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Jan 19, 2006 - 10:08am PT
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The ledge in the middle of the harding bolt ladder between Mescalito and the Dawn, Big Sandy and The Contiental shelf.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jan 19, 2006 - 10:27am PT
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Some of my Fav's
Peanut on the Zodiac
Continental shelf P.O. (I like the way you can get behind it a lay on a flat sandy area)
Island in the sky P.O. (Killer location)
The top of the Leaning Tower
Big Sandy
Oh yea, my Fish double wide is always a favorite.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Jan 19, 2006 - 10:31am PT
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Ahwahnee was my first bivvy ledge and I turned 19 on it, so I guess it's number one.
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MSmith
Mountain climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jan 19, 2006 - 03:37pm PT
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Hard to beat Ahwahnee for a flat ledge undercut by an overhanging wall, but not enough room for two to sleep in comfort. The ultimate in comfort might be Thanksgiving with its flat, sandy, weather protected alcove/cave. Anyone been to the "100 man bivy" on Watkins?
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Jan 19, 2006 - 04:46pm PT
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1) Bismark Ledge - a nice with even a little rib to keep your water bottles from rolling off (when I was there a few summers back there was a small tupperware with a glass pipe and other important stuff for using it)
2) Island in the Sky -finally a ledge on that wall that you could unrope on
3) El Cap Spire - the delux, I always wanted to haul a rocking chair up there
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pc
climber
Eastside
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Jan 19, 2006 - 05:01pm PT
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Patrick, Mark, I agree, the Ahwahnee is great, with a king sized bed and breakfast at 8am ;)
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jan 19, 2006 - 06:07pm PT
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El Cap Tower and Camp 5 without humans and their waste products.
Chickenhead SUCKS. The view is great but its lump city.
The first fixed grill in Zion was on Love Ewe Ledge. One of the best unropable ledges.
The Virgin Berth on Touchstone is good with a gf.
Brandy Tower on the Minotaur.
Spent a night on Mt. Nemia (the highest "Mary") with awesome views across two adjacent 2000' walls.
When I put up Monkeyfinger in '78 we slept in the Monkeyhouse (so-so), but then discovered a better bivy just above.
When I did the second ascent I got to use it and remember toking up with one of my partners while the other, a mormon, pleaded with him not to smoke. The moron then threatened to photograph his friend if he didn't stop.
Later he seemed to forget this extortion when he posted on rc.com about what a madman I was threatening to hurl his camera.
Strangley enough that was AFTER starting this very thread talking about Monkeyfinger...more hot air indeed!
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Jan 19, 2006 - 06:47pm PT
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Whats the deal with the photos?
I just see X.
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Mike Dahlquist
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jan 19, 2006 - 08:16pm PT
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Walleye-
Is the Sidewalk the thing on the approach to Via Aqua?
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hobo
Trad climber
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Jan 19, 2006 - 08:27pm PT
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For me, the ledge at the top of the LT is the best. I remember sitting up there in the afternoon sun after completing my first wall, as content as one can be.
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billygoat
climber
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Jan 20, 2006 - 12:43am PT
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Yeah,
I gotta go with Over the Rainbow ledge on Rainbow Wall as well. The Vegas lights are out of this world.
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funkness
climber
So,Ca.
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Jan 20, 2006 - 01:04am PT
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My pics got the red X (and I don't have an edit button), so here's a repost...
Bismark: Chikenhead:
Continental Shelf:Big Sur:
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Jan 20, 2006 - 02:01am PT
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Not so sure about Half Dome Direct.
A friend of mine was bivied there.
Furriners on Big Sandy air mailed him a big brown paper bag parcel. Aromatic next few days.
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Chris W
Social climber
Eldo
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Jan 20, 2006 - 04:26am PT
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When we sleeped on those ledges, Ron. There was no people and they didn't stink. I was impressed. And in AWE of the views. Speechless!!! I will send you a photo.
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426
Sport climber
Buschville, TN
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Jan 20, 2006 - 11:19am PT
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The bivy about 110' to the left of the Muir-near the start of the dihedral- (it's acutally on the free var., cutting over to the top of Shield) is probably if not "the", one of the most spectacular ledges. It's about 15' long, 4' wide and perfectly flat, no knobs or slant on that thing at all, easily big enough for 2 'regulation' size dudes.
Anyone been on that thing? Some rarely done aid line comes up through there...curious about the name of the ledge(?)
I love the usual suspects like the Biz, the Alcove (over EC Spire, if you can believe it), etc, but that one on (I guess 'off' is more correct) the Muir stands out.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jan 20, 2006 - 04:18pm PT
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"Poncho's Villa on El Gran Trono Blanco, the Giraffe."
Now that's one obscure bivvy ledge (that I named). Small but sweet, with a very lonely view over Laguna Salada (the salty dry lagoon).
I loved the location and vibe of Chickenhead Ledge, and found a spot that wasn't too bad for Z's.
All time fav might be The Ship's Prow on BLMB on Watkins, South Face. Transcendental view, fine air, big enough to wander around. Too bad it was 150 degress when I was there . . .
JL
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Claude
climber
where I'll end up
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Jan 20, 2006 - 04:26pm PT
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come on folks. the most spicey ledge i's been on is the porch swing at the beginning of "South Central" on the column. The best seat and lounge with the best view and perspective ever. the sleep is not the most comfortable by any means, but having a cigar and a glass of wine on the porch swing rules!!!!
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Jan 20, 2006 - 06:01pm PT
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Another vote for Grand Terrace on the DNW Face of Half Dome. Much nicer than Big Sandy. We took off our harnesses and strolled. Three of us. Slept on flat sand behind a rock berm without tying in.
Best was on Keeler, a pitch below the Red Dihedral. Flat, with a berm about 7 feet square. We took a sleeping bag and draped it over us. The walls turning orange at dawn was all time.
I belayed on Pancho's Villa. It's flat all right, but with only room to sit and enough left over for the haul bag. There's a nice flat 9- by 3-foot ledge on Pan Am though, top of the 7th.
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426
Sport climber
low ground, twixt the rivers
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Jan 21, 2006 - 11:35am PT
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I could see the Keeler being killer, there's a couple of those lovely flat porches on that thing.
How cold was it with the 'alpine' bag?
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Jan 21, 2006 - 03:34pm PT
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I had a Peter Storm sweater and a stocking cap, there was no wind, and I slept like a baby.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Bump for some better content.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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SLR, my condolences on yer early Alzheimer's. ;-)
The Dance Platform on The Chief, at least when the hut was there.
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The Call Of K2 Lou
Mountain climber
North Shore, BC
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Awesome topic! Sure beats the usual front-page blather (politics).
Kudos for digging it up from the depths.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Missed this one first time around.
I'm with lots of other folks:
Peanut
Island in the Sky
Chickenhead: bumpy as mentioned, but it feels great getting there and knowing the hard work is behind you. Kind of an 'ah' moment. I have a shot of Cancer Boy and I celebrating with tequila shots and stoggies if I can ever got those slides scanned.
Continental Shelf is nice. Slopey, but nice that you can stuff in the slot behind it without losing it. Makes it pretty worry free. Plus I always liked the name.
Ahwahnee is pretty chill too. So big, you can really relax and enjoy the vibe.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I miss the wretched stink of Camp 6
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Every ledge a gift, but favorite? Spire or GTFO
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Top of Lower Brother is pretty grand (it's narrow enough to feel like a ledge):
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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^^^^^ WTF? A Caltrans project on the Cap'n? Who knew?
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Captain...or Skully
climber
Boise, ID or the fricken Bakken, variously
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He's wearing that so Tom won't bitch about his dark clothes.
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