So when guys like Ueli Steck, Alex Honnold et al. climb the faces of El Capitan and Half Dome without rope, does that make them Class 4 ?
I was thinking of trying the Angels Landing hike this July, thinking it would be less scary than Half Dome. Now I am a little worried I might freak. Can anyone reassure me that its not that bad, considering I survived Half Dome with only a few bad dreams? Or should I look for another hike in Zion with less fear factor ?
Would a failure to reach the top of Angels Landing mean don't bother with the Whitney MR ?
Nah, it just makes them "hikers" and not "climbers"...
When I hiked up to AL and HD, I was pretty terrified of exposure (and still get that way sometimes!). I held onto those chains and cables with a death grip, but i went for it, forcing myself to breathe and concentrate on what I was doing. It was really hard to keep the fear at bay, but I did, and I was glad I did it. For me, it also helped that I was essentially solo on both hikes. That way, the only pressure I felt was from myself.
I think the exposure of AL feels entirely different than the MR, so I would say no to your final question, but that's from my own perspective. You may react completely differently once up there yourself.
-L
