I've walked up to and looked at the e-ledges before. I didn't like them. But I decided a few months ago that I would cross them.
Okay, the time has come. This Sunday, I'll be taking the plunge (oooops, wrong wording.) If anyone has been up there, please let me know the conditions. I'm sure the creek and waterfall are a bit like a raging river and Niagara with all this snow-melt and water.
Also, any suggestions? I know DUG said it helped when he did it in the dark as he couldn't see them, but I'm going when the Sun is out. And yes wagga, I'll provide pics. The problem is, when you go over them once, you have to go back over them to get back to the Portal. This hike is just up to Lower Boy Scout and back.
We'll also be doing some simple rock climbing down in the Alabama Hills. We won't be doing technical Stacy type stuff, just some easy novice things. If anyone is up there, say hi. We'll be staying at the Hostel.

Can't speak to current conditions, but I personally would not do them in the dark on your first try. There's really only one small section at the very beginning that is somewhat near the edge, but it's not really that big of a deal as long as you don't fling yourself toward the drop-off. The rest is of it is fine.

CaT

Hi CaT..... I'm going in the morning, probably about 10:00 AM or so. I'm sure they'll be dry. I just don't like heights a whole bunch. Here's as far as I got last year. The trail p to the e-ledges is a blast! I'm going with these three people, my son Cy, my buddy DJ and his son Eric. My stepson Kaleb is also going.

With the exception of me prolonging the time it takes to get past the e-ledges, any ideas how long it takes to get to Lower Boy Scout from there?

I am with you Joe. There is a section I have seen many times of the E-ledges that just scare the crap out of me.I want a rope to get past that one section.

Seems like it took about 30 min to get from the ledges to Lower Boy Scout. Should be no problem, just one spot that puckers you up just a bit. Easy, but you can't blow it.

Can't wait to read this TR.....

GO Joe GO!

As you can see from the picture of the 3 guys on the ledges, you could probably safely walk two-wide along that section, which is the short part of the ledges I was referring to in my earlier post. It's like a very wide sidewalk, actually. Just walk straight, hug the wall on your left (or right, on the return trip), and you'll be fine. Length of time to LBSL from the ledges depends on your speed, etc. and varies from person to person. I think someone else said 30 minutes, which sounds about right, on average, although I've taken a little longer, but that's just me.

As for your fear of heights, I had the same fear when I first began wall-climbing a few years ago. Learning to do that and getting better at it over time, went a long way toward overcoming that. So ya just gotta do it to get past it. It's really all mental. Get that part down, and you can apply it to any similar situation.

CaT

Joe, I assume you have seen the videos I posted last year. Clock time from the camera are posted with each video. Taking the north-side "shortcut" approach, times are:

8:15 lv the MMWT at the North Fork
8:22 At the split: cross the stream, or stay on the north side
8:56 Start up the Ebersbacher approach
9:02 Done with the ledges
9:32 At LBSL

So you can see, it only took 6 minutes to completely clear the Ebersbacher Ledges. It took just a minute to cover that little northside ledge section before the EL.

The north side approach has one short section that is narrow, but the footing is bullet-proof, so walking it is easy. It is mostly your fear that you have to overcome. I'd hate to try crossing the stream... use trail runners, and just wade, especially the upper crossing before the ledges.

I sure hope you can make it this time!!!

Wade?(!) Now that sounds unpleasant.

It seems that I remember a few creek crossings on the MR (from start to LBL)Are they all going to be this fun?

I love those videos Steve. Thanks again for posting them. It is that one narrow section on NS6 that really gets to me.The rest looks plenty wide and doable.

I'll be up there next weekend and video what the current water crossing conditions are. Not sure how to post them if I don't put them on Youtube, so maybe Steve can help me with that.

Good luck Joe. I wish I have been getting in shape.It has been a tough year medically and been too easy to make excuses.I am glad to see you continuing with your climbing and conditioning. You and Gary and family should have a great summit later. Wish I was is shape to do it with ya.

dunno about two abreast. This is exact same spot, but you can see a little bit farther up the trail

Harvey that just looks scary up the trail.Unless there is a higher section that goes above what looks like a straight line then HOLY CRAP!!!!!

Rod, my friend Roland (seen in pic) tried to come up one winter when you walk on the snow over the tops of the bushes down in the creek. His son got altitude sick, so they did not summit. He came back with me for the summer route - as you see.

It is not that steep; the picture gives somewhat of a false impression of steepness. Mostly, the ledges are amazing in the fact that they almost seem like a trail (albeit, a narrow one) rather than a route. If one concentrates on the task at hand, rather than looking above, below etc, the whole thing is over in minutes. I thought that it was easier coming back, too.

yours truly .... follow the dotted line... one ledge leads to another

All the talk about these ledges certainly stimulates curiosity for those of us who have not been on them.

For those of you who have been both on the Ebersbacher Ledges AS WELL as the last half mile of the Angel's Landing trail in Zion National Park -- which experience has the higher pucker factor?

The section of the ledges with the 3 guys standing there in the previous pic was what I had in mind when I said this. Obviously, you can't do that throughout the entire ledges.

CaT

ledges for sure

Harvey.....I was really hoping you would say Angels Landing. Gary told me about Angels Landing, I checked out pics and thought he was nutty (again.) Pretty typical for Gary. I can't wait to see his Cathedral Peak images. That will be a brave photographer below him. I know I couldn't do that.

As far as Three abreast.....that would be great. Then my buddies could all go with me with me in the middle.

I saw some current images of the waterfall right before the ledges and that looks pretty crazy right now. I got wet there last year at the end of Summer. I can't imagine how wet we'll get this time.

As a note, Laura has a new (somewhat new) blog. Definitely worth a look.

Angel's Landing - Exposure is impressive but has lots of chains and cables to hold onto.

Did it with my kids when they were 14 and 12.

Angel's Landing is far scarier. There is plenty of room on the Ledges with rough granite for traction. Exposure on the Ledges are several hundred feet compared to +1,000 for Angel's Landing...not that it really matters considering a fall off the edge of either one would kill you.