The nose el capitan pitch by pitch. It spans 48 pitches and is approximately 2,900 feet tall.

The nose el capitan pitch by pitch. 'the Captain' or 'the Chief') is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. Get all you need to know for an epic ascent. Once considered impossible to climb, [1] El Capitan is now the standard for big wall climbing. 14a or 5. The Nose of El Capitan began capturing people’s attention well before the first ascent in 1958. Jun 24, 2015 · “The Nose” is arguably the most famous big wall climb in the world. 13 in 23 hours and 23 minutes, leading every pitch free. Every time, I find El Cap awesome and intimidating. Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, George Whitmore Nov/1958. At 5. We found the climbing from the top of the Boot Flake to the pitch before Camp 4 to be a pain because of all the traversing. This milestone Jun 27, 2022 · A crazy zoom-out video of Cathie and Julie right below El Cap Tower, about halfway up El Cap Getting stoked Julie and I have both always dreamed of climbing El Capitan, but we thought of it as something only “real climbers” do — it seemed like too big and intimidating of a project to seriously consider. Their path will take a little longer and involve a little more self sufficiency but in the end will take them to the same spot—the summit of El Capitan. Camp 5 is a better bivy. When climbed in a fully free style, the grade jumps to 5. The Freerider variation was pioneered by Alex Huber and then established free in-a Mar 14, 2016 · Climbing El Capitan via any route is a logistical challenge that requires careful planning and many choices have to be made in developing a strategy, such as what equipment to take, how far to climb each day and timing climbing for optimal conditions (e. Nov 13, 2019 · You may be able to zoom in on this image to show a series of about 2,000 individual overlay photos of Erik Sloan and Roger Putnam climbing on every pitch of The Nose route over a seven hour push from bottom to top. 9 C2, the Nose is considered to be the easiest full-length route on El Capitan, which makes it extremely popular and draws relatively inexperienced big-wall climbers. As it became clear that any face could be climbed with sufficient perseverance and bolt-hole drilling, some climbers began searching for El Cap routes that could be climbed either free or with minimal aid. The Texas Flake is not too bad. Gain valuable insights into route selection, gear essentials, safety measures, and insider tips from seasoned climbers. Climbing the route in traditional big wall style and in particular, climbing the Nose in a day (NIAD) is a popular rite of passage for climbers from around the world. However, sometime in late 2021, we started discussing climbing The Nose together, in Aug 22, 2019 · On a random hot weekday in early August 2019, having all of El Capitan to ourselves, Brian and I started up the first of 28 pitches of The Nose. It avoids the two 5. Until around 1985, the Nose route on El Capitan had fewer than 10 one-day ascents (from the ground, no fixing). From the base of The Nose, the granite wall in front of m more than filled my field o vision. May 8, 2025 · The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley is not only America’s most iconic big wall climb, but it’s one of the most sought after and famous in the world. Apr 23, 2024 · Doesn’t matter if it’s in the gym or outside, you have to start leading. We got to The Nose of El Capitan began capturing people’s attention well before the first ascent in 1958. It is much easier to retreat from the route with 60m ropes. Ticklists Parois-de-legende , Road to the Nose - SuperTopo , Big Routes , ICAS Climbing Club , Rich_Derek_to-do , Yosemite trip , The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland , Classic Yosemite Big Walls , Paroi de Légende (New & Old) Feedback Always Hide βeta Logged Ascents 232 users have logged Jun 15, 2006 · The Captain. 4 days ago · The Nose is set up for easy bailing from the last pitch all the way to the ground. Pitch 2: Straight forward C1, good pitch to dust off your aid skills and get ready for the 29 more to come. It heads up the prow of Yosemite’s massive El Capitan. First climbed by Warren Harding in 1958, and first freed by Lynn Hill in 1993, the historic granite big wall has for seven decades stood as a crucible for climbers worldwide. Many rescues and a few deaths have resulted from parties not being equipped with adequate storm gear. The piece, which has been read over 65,000 times, was based on two ascents of the Nose (as well as twenty or so other walls). Some sources call The Nose the best rock climb in the world: 3000 feet of granite, featuring pitch after pitch of 5-star crack climbing, with memorable pitches such as Stoveleg Crack, Boot Flake, The King Swing, The Great Roof, Pancake Flake, and Changing Corners. Partner American Len (lost his last name, but he lived in Marin County). Through a wide selection of climbs, Chris McNamara takes you on a step-by-step guide from your first aid climb to the summit of El Capitan. Freerider sits off to the left side of The Nose, El Cap’s premier buttress, and tops out at 3,300 feet/30 pitches above the valley floor. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's heroic 19-day battle for the first free ascent of The Dawn Wall represented a monumental milestone in the climbing history books. If you don’t want to spoil your onsight, then look away now! Topos Before I start, I should note that there are dozens and dozens of topos for the Nose, both FREERIDER (12d/13a, 32 pitches) You've seen it in “Free Solo,” Honnold climbed it before breakfast, how hard can it be? Freerider on El Capitan follows much of the classic route The Salathe, but with a four-pitch variation that avoids the sustained 5. Pitch 3: Nothing memorable Pitch 4: Really fun tension traverses. The route follows complex crack systems up the southwest face of El Capitan. This is not going to be placement by placement (most are the same anyway), or blow by blow, but more a heads up on what to expect. Now, as we Feb 27, 2021 · The Nose is an 8b+ Sport route at El Capitan in the United States. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet (914 m) from base to summit along its tallest face and is a world-famous location for big wall climbing, including the disciplines of aid climbing, free climbing, and Nov 22, 2016 · Climber Adam Ondra on pitch 14 of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite's El Capitan, prior to his successful second free ascent this week. The first ascent was in 1958 after 47 days of effort by Wayne Merry, Warren Harding and George Whitmore. 13 pitches on the Salathe Headwall with some 5. Two weeks later, Caldwell climbed The Nose and Freerider, another El Capitan route, in 23 hours and 23 minutes, leading every pitch without falling off. It marked the era of big wall climbing in Yosemite and is a true work of art; audacity and tenacity enabled the first ascentionists over a period of 47 days to invent and believe in this completely direct line up El Capitan. But the Nose also View down the face of El Capitan from the belay stance at the top of pitch 20 (also known as Camp IV). Sep 18, 2019 · Andy Kirkpatrick gives a pitch by pitch description of what to expect from the Nose on El Capitan includes some cool footage and photos. The next free ascent of The Nose didn’t come until 2014 when Jorg Verhoeven spent three days working on the send. Part 4 – Route Beta and Info for interested Nose climbers Party of 3 system Equipment tips Pitch by pitch useful info Hauling with a 2:1 Crowds, queues and traffic Sources of info, super high res photo link, topo sources Featured image above – Heading up to the Great Roof. Will Moss, 20, has become the first climber to flash El Capitan in less than 24 hours by having a no-fall ascent of the 30-pitch Freerider 5. The vertical drop from this point to the valley floor is about 2,000 feet. Camp 6 is a nice ledge but is a smelly, gross place. Not only was the route one of the last remaining lines on El Capitan to received a free ascent, but with two formidable pitches of 9a/5. The Nose route first went in a long day by the three-man team of John Long, Jim Bridwell, and Billy Westbay in 1975. This page contains some precise information useful for climbers attempting the Nose route on El Cap. Free Rider is currently the easiest and most popular way to say proudly "I have free climbed El Capitan". So Jul 17, 2024 · He and Seautelle formed a pact to climb The Nose of El Capitan, a grueling 31-pitch, multi-day gauntlet, in October 2025. It was impossible 1 day ago · Approach From El Capitan Meadow, pick up the distinct trail that starts 300 feet west of El Capitan Bridge. The longest pitch on the Feb 27, 2007 · For pitch by pitch info and topo's the "Yosemite Big Walls Supertopo" guide book is highly recommended. Feb 8, 2016 · The best pitch I had ever led in my life, tricky, wildly exposed, thin small gear, each aid move tenuous but workable, through the Valley sunset into a blaze of glory. Follow the trail to a large clearing. Most climbers will take different path to climbing The Nose. (You can't proudly say you have free climbed El Cap if you do the West Face or East Buttress because these routes are so far to the sides on much smaller The Shield is one of the best climbs on El Capitan. The first one is a little harder and longer than the second one. Nov 23, 2023 · The Nose (VI 5. The vertical drop from this point to the valley floor is about 2,000 feet (610 m). El Capitan (Spanish: El Capitán; lit. Being above your protection, comfort with taking falls when appropriate, and flawless clipping skills will serve as a solid foundation as you continue your journey. -The Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite, U. This jump in From discovering the best trad climbing routes to sleeping overnight on the big wall, read this complete guide about everything on El Capitan Grades at Yosemite. Split by a solitary thin crack, the six headwall pitches are among the most memorable and exciting on El Cap! May 25, 2024 · Explore the ultimate guide to climbing El Capitan with essential tips and insights into El Capitan routes. It's an awe-inspiring thing that first time you go to the Valley and stand at the base of El Cap, looking up. The Feb 14, 2016 · The Nose of El Capitan began capturing people’s attention well before the first ascent in 1958. The Route For reasons not hard to comprehend, El Capitan – an incomprehensibly massive granite cliff in Yosemite Valley – is threaded with hundreds of world class routes. From El Capitan Meadow cross the road and find one of the obvious approach trails which should lead to a clearing. El Cap isn’t going to have a top-rope on it for you. Water After initially immediately rejecting the idea after getting a text from Brian asking if I wanted to climb the Nose in August, it slowly May 22, 2025 · There has been a lot of action in Yosemite Valley this spring with several free ascents of El Capitan going down, including one historical send. S. Jan 6, 2023 · The Nose route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park is one of the most iconic and challenging rock climbing routes in the world. Watkins, Quarter Dome, Half Dome, Porcelain Wall, Mt. 14. It all began with Jim Bridwell’s groundbreaking achievement in 1975 when he completed the first-ever one-day ascent of The Nose, alongside John Long and Billy Westbay, in an impressive sub-18 hours. 12 pitches. I felt really, really small. The style of climbing and the pitch grading on Freerider Jan 30, 2025 · And two days later, Caldwell returned and climbed it all free in less than 12 hours. 8 free climbing. It spans 48 pitches and is approximately 2,900 feet tall. Oct 15, 2022 · The Nose is a rock climb that ascends the nose of El Capitan in Yosemite. Get route beta and reviews from other climbers regarding: El Capitan - The Nose 5. Only the acific Ocean rivaled El Cap in scale. View down the face of El Capitan from the belay stance at the top of pitch 20 (also known as Camp IV). I by no means considered myself a climber. This route is climbing at its finest. May 31, 2016 · Posted on May 31, 2016 by Erik — 1 Comment Climb the Nose of El Capitan in a Day = NIAD! Climbing The Nose of El Capitan is one of the greatest joys a rock climber can experience – well several days worth of the greatest joys as most folks spend, on average, four days climbing the route their first time. 9 C2 - Yosemite Valley, California USA. Some sources call The Nose the best rock climb in the world: 3000 feet of granite, featuring pitch after pitch of 5-star crack climbing, with memorable pitches such as Stoveleg Crack, Boot Flake, The King Swing, The Great Roof, Pancake Flake, Changing Corners, and Wild The Climb – Random Pitch Comments: Day 1: Pitch 1: Easy broken rock to a shallow right leaning crack/corner. 13 crux pitches first freed by Paul Piana and Todd Skinner in the mid 80's. Photo by Jun 13, 2017 · The Nose is a rock climb that ascends the nose of El Capitan in Yosemite. The Route The Nose is 3,000 feet tall, broken into 31 pitches to reach the summit of El Capitan. When facing the wall, walk at 10 o’clock and pick up the climbers' trail that eventually leads to a point 200 feet in front of the toe of the Southeast Buttress and the start of the Nose. Dec 26, 2024 · The Nose is perhaps the most famous climbing route on El Capitan, established by Warren Harding in 1958. How can you properly describe 3000 feet of beautiful granite loaded with awesome routes? El Cap is probably the most recognized chunk of rock in the world to rock climbers. The Nose of El Capitan, Yosemite, is one of the most long, beautiful, classic, and sought after, rock climb in the world. It's physical features are known not only to majority of rock climbers that fill up Yosemite Valley every year, but to tourists alike. This is probably one of the easiest big wall approaches you could ask for. The next pitch traversed hard right, and JY lowered from some abominable tatty slings that made us both sick to watch (hey Yosemite climbing community, why aren't we cutting down and replacing the death gear on El Capitan? although to be fair, I did not have on me webbing or cord to spare to fix this particular horror show). In 2014 I wrote a piece for UKC, a 5000-word monster, on how to climb the Nose on El Cap. Wha The Nose-in-a-day is quite likely the best one-day climb in the world. Mixed C1 and 5. Climbers come from across the globe to challenge themselves on the 3000 foot walls of El Capitan. Essentially it is the Salathe wall with a few variations used (pioneered by Alex Huber) to avoid the numerous 5. Free climbing View down the face of El Capitan from the belay stance at the top of pitch 20 (also known as Camp IV). g. In a storm the upper part of the wall, especially Camp VI, receives lots of runoff. As climbers we all have tick lists in our heads - their length growing shorter the further out from our own stomping ground, but the climbs on them growing bigger. We are Gunks climbers and never do chimneys. 13 free climbing on the insanely steep Salathe Headwall. Jul 1, 2022 · Two weeks later, Caldwell climbed The Nose and Freerider 5. It is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and considered a classic around the world. In this style of climbing the route clocks in at 5. Day one the wind was so strong we couldn’t hear each other on our walkie talkies, I started getting psyched out on pitch 7 getting blown around on the belay station. A selective guidebook describing over 350 big wall routes in Yosemite Valley, covering Ribbon Fall, El Capitan, Camp 4 Wall, Yosemite Falls Wall, Rhombus Wall, Arches Wall, Washington Column, Mt. Jul 25, 2023 · Alex pulling on gear to help him ascend the Nose faster ©Tom Evans The history of speed climbing on El Capitan is a thrilling saga of human endurance and relentless pursuit. " The Shield refers to the 700' tall, smooth and slightly overhanging headwall near the top of El Cap. First Blind climber ascent: 1996, Erik Weyhnemayer et all ( Erik lead 5 pitches!) First one footed NIAD Craig Demartino 2011, (with Hans) Aug 22, 2016 · An immaculate 3,000+ foot vertical face, the Nose route on Yosemite’s El Capitan is widely considered the greatest rock climb on Earth. Apr 11, 2024 · Captions Captions English Climber on the link of pitch 12/13 of The Nose on El Capitan Sep 16, 2011 · Trip Report The Nose Of El Capitan -Party of three, Leave no trace by JSpencerV Friday September 16, 2011 11:25pm Background: Three years ago, I entered Yosemite Valley on a backpacking trip with friends, spotted El Capitan and knew that someday I wanted to climb The Nose. A. The Nose on El Capitan has to be one of the worlds most popular big wall climbs. The front of El Capitan I was terrified. 14d climbing, it is also considered the hardest big wall ascent in the world. . 14a) follows the 2,900 foot prow in the middle of Yosemite’s El Capitan. Don't follow this link if you don't want to spoil your onsight. First danish ascent of El Capitan via The Nose was Soeren Smidt in 1986. The route climbs 31 pitches up the most prominent feature on El Cap. 9/C2. Then in 2018, Keita Kurakami became the first climber to rope-solo free The Nose. Long, aesthetic, and immediately visible upon entering the Valley, it has all the makings of a classic line. Mar 30, 2013 · It's the NOSE- one of the most aesthetic rock climbs in the world! Splitting El Capitan in half, The Nose is composed of solid rock, splitter cracks of all sizes and a few bivy ledges that blew my mind. The Nose-in-a-day is quite likely the best one-day climb in the world. sadler24 on July 27, 2025: "El Capitan- The Nose 28 pitches: 2 nights on the wall, 3 days! We made it up the nose The most intense challenge I’ve ever done, that was an experience. Written by Tuan. You can survive a night at Camp 4. Jun 24, 2015 · Lynn Hill climbing the Changing corners pitch on The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite for Google Street View 3 days ago · 292 likes, 39 comments - laura. , Possibly the most famous climb in the world, The Nose is the route. This trip report will detail our first experience on El Cap and our strategy to climb the Nose in 3 nights. Sep 23, 2008 · The Free Rider is the Astroman of the new millennium. Broderick, Liberty Cap, Panorama Wall, Jericho Wall, FireFall Wall, Glacier Point, 9 O’clock Wall, Sentinel Rock, Lost Brother, The Cathedrals This pack of SuperTopos will prepare you for climbing El Capitan's The Nose or any big wall. Jul 21, 2014 · Andy Kirkpatrick shares beta, tips and techniques for any mortals who wish to climb The Nose on El Capitan, Yosemite. In the second part of this series (part one here), I’m going to go through the Nose pitch by pitch. I had n thoughts of ever climbing th s wall. I would advise against climbing the Monster during the hottest part of the day). 3000 feet of excellent climbing, with pitch after pitch of exposure and adventure. 4 days ago · Free Rider is a 4-pitch variation to Salathe Wall. 13. ver 50 times and The Nose four times. The majority of climbers on The Nose ascend it in a “free as can be” style, free-climbing the easy/moderate pitches and aiding through the more difficult sections. Jun 13, 2022 · The Nose (El Capitan) - Aid Climbing - Pitch 19 Great Roof Cragsocks 475 subscribers Subscribed The Nose is a big wall climbing route up El Capitan. Nov 13, 2019 · The Nose of El Capitan For climbers who want info and beta on the route skip to Part 4 – it’s at the end. czonb setiuo taqb bluhrod yiho dys egkg keol olqne gbfec