When the rock is 1,500 feet tall or more--one long sheer face with precious few holds--readers are invited to let first-class big wall man Jared Ogden give them a leg up. He reveals the tools of the trade, including modern speed and free climbing tactics that have revolutionized wall climbing.
* Skills and strategies unique to big walls -- illustrated in full color
* Includes modern speed and free climbing tactics that have revolutionized wall climbing
* Key training exercises (practiced near the ground) and real life examples reinforce instruction

Dangling sweaty-palmed from a 3000-foot cliff for days on end, Jared Ogden taught himself to climb his first big wall by trial and error. Why should you have to do the same? Ogden, who has climbed El Capitan's Nose in less than twenty-four hours, wants to jump-start your education.

Whether you're a weekend warrior or a full-on wall addict, you'll learn the tools of the trade and how to use them; different leading and hauling scenarios and why some are better suited than others; multiple following set-ups for different terrain; how to choose your partners and routes; staying on route; how to live on a wall; the steps involved in doing first ascents; big wall style and ethics; and more. Ogden will have you racked and ready for prime big wall climbing destinations in North America including Yosemite, Zion, Rocky Mountain, and the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Parks; the Alaskan Range; and the Bugaboos of British Columbia.