Yates Speed Wall Ladder Review

Likes
The Speed Wall has the same great spreader bar as the Yates Big Wall Ladder. The beefy plastic spreader bar up top does two things: it keeps the steps open so you can get your foot in easily and it keeps the aider from squeezing the sides of your foot. The steps are relatively close together so that you can rest with two feet in the aider when selecting gear. Then, when you reach up to place a piece, you stand just on your one top foot. This is important especially for people who are moving from using four aiders to just two. The construction is bomber; we have yet to hear of a pair wearing out.

When Chris McNamara teaches aid climbing he finds that most people have a much easier time with these because of the intuitive ladder style design and generously sized steps. He now only teaches with ladder style aiders.

Dislikes
The downside to this aider is the weight and bulk, which are the trade off for the aider being so comfortable and durable. It is not as heavy as the Big Wall Ladder, but it is still pretty heavy. For a free climbing-intensive aid wall like The Nose, this aider is bulky and heavy when clipped to the side of your harness as you make free moves. Also, it is more likely to get stuck in cracks.

Best Application
We recommend this aider when doing more aid-intensive big walls, as opposed to walls that have a lot of free climbing such as El Capitan's Nose.

Personal Stories
Chris Mac used these a lot after Ammon McNeely showed them to him then gave him a pair ("Thanks Ammon!"). Up until that point, Chris was a diehard user of the standard aider-style or etrier-style. But after using these for one wall he was a convert to the Yates. Chris says, "I have used them for every aid-instensive big wall I have done in the last five years."

Value
This aider is a pretty good deal only a little more expensive than the Metolius Aider and Aid Ladder.