Big wall aid climbing involves climbing extremely high rock cliffs (normally 300m to 1000m) using aid climbing techniques.

Aid climbing is a rock climbing technique where the climber uses anchors and equipment to assist with progression up the rock face.

Big wall routes can take several days (or longer) and require the climbing team to live on the route (eg eat and sleep) often using portable ledges (portaledges).

Particularly on multi-day routes, big wall aiding is an enormous mental, physical, logistical and technical challenge due to the amount of equipment required and the practicalities of living on a cliff face for several days.

In Australia, the Gorge at Mount Buffalo, Victoria is the premier area for big wall aiding. This is the location of arguably Australia's most well known aid route ‘Ozymandias'.

Internationally, Yosemite Valley, California with its 1000m granite cliffs is the ultimate destination for most big wall aid climbers.

Although many traditional multi-day big wall routes have been ‘freed' by expert climbers, aid climbing is still the usual method for ascending these routes and is still a significant challenge to most climbers.

Aid climbing techniques enable an individual to climb routes they cannot free climb but the technical knowledge, skill and physical fitness required is high and all team members must be competent aid climbers for the team to be confident of their safety and success on the route.

AAA has conducted several Big Wall exercises including in Yosemite Valley in 1996 and 2000. Tragically, during Exercise Big Wall 2000, Andrew Morrison was killed during the ascent of the South Face of Washington Column.

The executive summary of the BOI report is here.

AAA has the equipment and experienced climbing leaders to assist you to get into big wall aiding.

For more information about getting into big wall aid climbing, contact the Committee.