 SuperTopo
is the brainchild of Chris McNamara. Seemingly
tired of inaccurate, vague and historically void big
wall topos, in 1999 Chris decided to improve on the
current state-of-the-art. The initial cut of
the SuperTopos - Yosemite Big Walls is quite an
outstanding achievement and sets a high watermark for
detailing big wall information.
Most everyone who attempts a big wall spends much
more time researching the wall of choice than actually
climbing it. The best sources for information on
walls came directly from the S.A.R. site in Camp
4. If you happened to be traveling from out of the
area, on a tight schedule or couldn't find anyone who
has done the route in question you were left to follow
your own devices. Old topos, older guidebooks and
trying to glean as much information through your
binoculars was as good as it gets. Often times
unexpected, easily solved while on the ground issues arise
while two days from the top and three days from the
ground. No one said you needed TWO #5 Camalots to
aid that 5.11 off-width crack on pitch 21!
There are plenty of folks out there that like the
added challenge of climbing into the relative
unknown. Good for them. For the rest of us,
information is power. In addition to the best big
wall topos ever developed, the guide includes with each
route a summary comparing the climb to others of similar
difficulty, first ascent history, route specific
strategy and retreat/storm details. A small but
handy drawing of the formation with the general route
positioning is included. A pitch-by-pitch matrix
is provided giving the user a head start on lining up
the pitches he would like to (not) lead. The
matrix gives the aid rating (hammer & clean) and free
rating of each pitch. An up-to-date gear list is
also included (of course). Most pitches on the
topos include gear needed (size), pitch length and pitch
linking detail. The bivys are also rated on a
subjective scale; great, good, ok or poor. One of
the truly important aspects of this guide is the
detailed approach/decent information for the various
formations. Maps and topos (in some cases) are
provided to help you get to and from the wall safely.
The John Dill (NPS Search and Rescue) "Staying
Alive" dissertation has been included. This
piece of Yosemite literature should be read periodically
by every valley climber or aspiring valley
climber. "Staying Alive" was first
published in the 1987 George Meyers & Don Reid
Yosemite Climbs guidebook and is as valuable today as it
was nearly fifteen years ago.
Another interesting addition are the climber
profiles. The climbers briefly profiled are
responsible for most of the climbs highlighted in this
guide. A section called "Wall Tips" is
good for the novice wall climber and "Big Wall
Cuisine" gives better ideas than the can of
pasta/can of fruit regimen. Another nice inclusion
is the listing of climbs from easiest to most
difficult. Environmental considerations and over
use concerns are voiced spuriously throughout the
text. Pay attention to what you leave
behind. The rock is a non-renewable
resource. Tread lightly.
A few small mistakes can be found but are mostly
cleared up on the SuperTopos web site, updates
& corrections.
Overall, Climber Online strongly recommends that any
aspiring Yosemite wall climber should purchase this
book. Even if you're just slightly interested in
wall climbing, this should be the book to own.
We're looking forward to the next releases of the SuperTopo
collection.
Where to get it: Amazon.com,
Mountain
Gear, REI. |
