Topo Excerpted From:

Road to
The Nose
A training guide for climbing the
best big wall route on the planet.
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 Road to The Nose
S U P E R T O P O S

Published by
SuperTopo
2 Bradford Way
Mill Valley, CA 94941
www.supertopo.com

Copyright 2001 by SuperTopo LLC

Version 1.1 All rights reserved.

No part of this file or guide may be duplicated in

any form, or by any electronic mechanical or
other means, without permission in writing from
the publisher.

Topos and text by Todd Snyder, Greg Barnes and

Chris McNamara.
History by Steve Roper and Chris McNamara.
Project Management by Sarah Felchlin.
Design by Mike Ousley, Ousley Creative and
Sarah Felchlin.
Edited by Sarah Felchlin, Steve McNamara, Randy
Spurrier and Chris McNamara.
General mischief by Randy Spurrier.
Special thanks to the many volunteers who helped
to test these topos.
Warning!

Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport in which severe injuries or death may occur. Relying on
the information in this guide may increase the danger.

When climbing you can only rely on your skill, training, experience and conditioning. If you have
any doubts as to your ability to safely climb any route in this guide, do not try it.
This guide is neither a professional climbing instructor nor a substitute for one. It is not an
instructional guide. Do not use it as one. It contains information that is nothing more than a
compilation of opinions about climbing the routes described. These opinions are neither facts nor
promises. Treat the information as one man’s opinions and nothing more. Do not substitute these
opinions for your own common sense and experience.

Assumption of Risk
There may be errors in this guide resulting from the inadvertent mistakes of the author and/or the
people with whom he consulted. The information was gathered from a variety of sources, which
may not have been independently verified. Those who provided the information may have made
mistakes in their descriptions. The author may have made mistakes in his conveyance of the
information in this book. He cannot, therefore, guarantee the correctness of any of the
information contained in the guide. This guide was published by the author. No independent
publisher checked the contents. The topographical maps, the photo-diagrams, the difficulty ratings,
the protection ratings, the approach and/or descent information, the suggestions about equipment
and other matters may be incorrect or misleading. Fixed protection may not be where indicated,
may be absent, or may be unreliable. You must keep in mind that the information in this guide
may be erroneous and use your own judgement when choosing, approaching, climbing or
descending from a route described in this guide.

DO NOT USE THIS GUIDE UNLESS YOU ASSUME THE RISK OF ITS ERRORS OF REPORTAGE OR OF
JUDGMENT AND OF ITS OTHER DEFECTS.

Disclaimer of Warranties
THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER WARNS THAT THIS GUIDE CONTAINS ONLY THE AUTHOR’S OPINION ON
THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED. HE MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE, AND IN ANY EVENT, HIS LIABILITY FOR
BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR CONTRACT WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT OF THIS GUIDE IS LIMITED
TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE GUIDE. HE FURTHER LIMITS TO SUCH PURCHASE PRICE HIS LIABILITY
ON ACCOUNT OF ANY KIND OF NEGLIGENT BEHAVIOR WHATSOEVER ON HIS PART WITH RESPECT TO THE
CONTENTS OF THIS GUIDE.

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
Contents

Introduction
By Chris McNamara

Chapter 1: Overview of Your Road to The Nose

Where to Start Training
Your First Outdoor Aid Lead
Resources
Understanding the maps
Yosemite overview map
Ratings
Chapter 2: Five Routes to Practice Aid Climbing
La Escuela C1
Pacific Ocean Wall C1
North America Wall 5.7 C2
El Cap Tree C2
Dihedral Wall A1 or C2+
Chapter 3: Five Long Free Climbing Routes
Freeblast 5.11c or 5.8 C1
Higher Cathedral Rock, Northeast Buttress. 5.9
El Capitan , East Buttress 5.10c
Serenity Crack to Sons of Yesterday 5.10d
Snake Dike 5.7
Chapter 4: Five Classic Big Wall Routes
Washington Column, South Face 5.8 C1
Leaning Tower, West Face 5.7 C2
Skull Queen 5.8 C2
The Prow 5.9 C2
Half Dome, Regular Northwest Face 5.9 C2
Chapter 5: Ready for the Big Stone?
The Nose 5.9 C1
The Final Pitch

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
 Introduction

TThe first time I stood in front of El Capitan I

was terrified. From the base of The Nose, the
granite wall in front of me more than filled my
field of vision. I felt really, really small. Only the
Pacific Ocean rivaled El Cap in scale. I had no
thoughts of ever climbing this wall. It was
impossible in my mind.
Two years later, at 4 a.m. I stood, again, at
the base of The Nose. This time, in addition to
the terror I had brought before, I had a rack, a
few candy bars, a rope and a ropegun named
Mark Melvin. For 18 hours Mark mostly led
Looking straight at The Nose from El Capitan Meadow. Photo by
and I mostly followed up the most incredible Chris McNamara.
stretch of rock I had ever seen in my life. There
was no mistake: this was the most amazing prepare for The Nose. Read as many “how to”
rock climb on the planet. books as you can and most importantly, find an
I was lucky. A master took me under his expert to give advice and encouragement.
wing and taught me how to climb in the Many people think that The Nose is
supreme classroom. He dragged me up El impossible. Others think that The Nose is easy.
Capitan before I ever led a four-pitch climb. My goal is to show you that it is neither.
Since then I have climbed El Capitan over 50 Climbing The Nose is a huge undertaking that
times and The Nose four times. Every time, I is possible for anyone who is dedicated to it.
find El Cap awesome and intimidating.
Most climbers will take a different path to Good Luck,
climbing The Nose. 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. What follows
is a road map for that path. This guide takes
you through a graduated series of 14 climbs of
increasing difficulty to help you build skills, Chris McNamara
speed, endurance and comfort with big wall
exposure. A SuperTopo for all 14 climbs is
included, along with special tips and beta to
help you. Read this guide. Train, practice and

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 Chapter 1 Your First Outdoor Aid Lead
Overview of Your After you have mastered the fundamental aid
Road to The Nose techniques in the gym, the next step is to start
aid climbing single pitch free climbs that
require gear placements (do not aid on popular
free routes). Start on toprope where,
unencumbered by fear, you will be able to
explore a variety of aid placements. Fiddle
around with nuts and cams in as many
different ways as possible. Sketchy placements
O
On paper, at 5.9 C1, The Nose sounds easy. It’s
not. With over 31 pitches of steep, exposed and
that you would never dare place on a free climb
can make suitable aid placements. You will be
strenuous climbing, The Nose is an immense
amazed at what will hold body weight.
physical and psychological drain. Extensive
On your first aid lead you will discover a
climbing experience on long routes is
fundamental law of aid climbing: You are
mandatory. The failure rate is high. That said,
always moving slower than you think. You will
anyone who is deeply committed to training for
feel that you are moving at a moderate pace,
this climb can do it.
but your belayer and the clock will tell you
As you read below, refer to the SuperTopo
otherwise. Do not be discouraged. After you
for The Nose in Chapter 5.
have logged in 20 or more pitches, you should
Where to Start Training see the time required for your aid leads cut in
half. Also, be sure to clean some of your own
For many, training begins in the climbing gym.
leads, as you will learn more about the quality
The gym is the perfect place to learn the basic
of your placements and how difficult they are
jumar and aiding technique. Going bolt to bolt
to remove.
in the gym will allow you to work out your
With your leading and cleaning skills honed,
aiding system without fear or the complexity of
introduce the hauling and belay management
carrying a rack and placing gear.
elements. First experiment on the ground, then
On a wall that has lead bolts, set up a circuit
practice on a climb. Lead a pitch, set a belay,
where you lead the wall using aiders, set an
and haul the bag. This is one of the essential
anchor, rappel and then jumar up and clean the
elements of training. Most people retreat from
pitch. Repeat this circuit again and again and
The Nose not because they lack skills. Rather,
time yourself. Constantly look for ways to make
failure comes from not being able to efficiently
your systems more efficient and try to set as
integrate all the systems. Practice the
fast a time as possible for the circuit. It is
transitions from leading to hauling to cleaning
essential that you get the fundamentals of
a pitch by setting up an “aid course” either at
aiding and jumaring perfected because as soon
the gym or the crag. Keep track of your time on
as you add all the gear, logistics and 3,000 feet
the aid course and try to better your previous
of exposure, aid climbing gets more difficult.
time.
Many gyms may not allow you to practice
The essential next step is to take the above
aid techniques. If this is the case, improvise by
process to multi-pitch climbs and begin to
using a tree or building. My training for my
practice changing over the lead. The
first El Cap ascent consisted mainly of making
changeover is where most of the time on a big
over 70 ascents of my backyard tree.
wall is lost. Consider what it means to take 30

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
 R O A D T O T H E N O S E

minutes to change over the lead instead of 15. Duane, Daniel, 2000. El Capitan: Historic
The Nose has 31 pitches and 15 minutes lost at Feats and Radical Routes. Chronicle Books, San
every belay means additional days worth of Francisco, CA.
climbing and possibly missing a key bivy ledge.
Roper, Steve, 1994. Camp 4: Recollections of a
Guides
Yosemite Rockclimber. The Mountaineers,
This guide gives tons of information on general Seattle, WA.
training tips for The Nose. It does not give tips
for basic aid or free climbing technique. To Roper, Steve and Allen Steck, 1979. Fifty
learn those skills, explore the following Classic Climbs of North America. Sierra Club
resources: Books, San Francisco, CA.
The Yosemite Mountaineering School is the
only organization legally allowed to teach aid Rowell, Galen, 1974. Vertical World of
climbing in Yosemite. Yosemite. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA.
www.yosemitepark.com/html/mountain.html
Additional Nose Information
The Yosemite Mountaineering School is also
the only organization legally allowed to guide The “route beta” page for The Nose on the
people up The Nose (a three-day ascent will SuperTopo website has a host of resources for
run you around $3,000). The Nose including:
I found a friend to teach me aid climbing - links to first ascent accounts on the web
instead of using a professional guide. If you - photo gallery
take this option, be sure that your friend is - up-to-date beta from climbers
qualified to teach you. - additional links on the web
Books and Videos
Find all this info at:
My favorite “how to” book for aid climbing is www.supertopo.com/routebeta
How To Rock Climb: Big Walls! by John
Essential Yosemite Beta
Middendorf and John Long (Falcon Press). My
favorite video is The Video Guide To Aid You will find a wealth of Yosemite information
Climbing hosted by Don Reid. These two and links on the SuperTopo website. We
resources will give you a great overview of the encourage you to check the website as it will
skills you will need on a big wall. Other aid have more current beta than we can include for
climbing books include: Climbing Big Walls you here. However, we’ve included a summary
(ICS Books) and Mountaineering: The Freedom of all you need to know in this introduction.
of the Hills (The Mountaineers). For the latest info, visit:
www.supertopo.com/yosemite
Historical Resources
There you will find essential beta on:
The Nose has one of the most fascinating • Climbing safety
histories of any big wall climb in the world. It is • Getting there
a crime to climb the route without first reading • When to climb
some of the epic tales of the first ascents. The • Road conditions—call (209) 372-0200
following are my “Top Five” historical resources • Staying in the park
for The Nose: • Food
• Climbing gear and climbing guides
Arce, Gary, 1996. Defying Gravity: High • Bears
Adventure on Yosemite’s Walls. Wilderness Press,
Berkeley, CA.

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Understanding the maps

Topo symbols

Right facing Ledge Bolt or

corner rivet

Slab
Left facing Hook
corner placements
Belay 1
station
Straight in Face
crack climbing
Pitch 130'
length
Groove Pendulum or

Optional
belay Tree or
Chimney

False Bush
Roof belay

Topo abbreviations

ow = offwidth
awk = awkward
lb = lieback
p = fixed piton

Overview graphics

Road

Bike path

Park service trail

Climber approach
or descent trail

Parking area

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
Aid Climbing Ratings
the final word in aid ratings.
Keep in mind that aid ratings are only one
measure of the difficulty of a wall climb. Weather,
the length of the climb, skill, physical condition
of the climber, the number of previous ascents,
approach and descent, and many other factors all
combine to determine the overall difficulty of a
wall. Pitch ratings also can’t include the dangers
of bad bolts and poor fixed gear. Bolt ladders on
Grade Ratings Tangerine Trip, which should theoretically be
“A1”, have scored many 30- to 50-foot falls when
Grade ratings give a sense of the overall
rivets broke. Big airtime has also been logged on
commitment required on a climb. Grades I and
the Groove pitch of the Shield when numerous
II refer to short crag routes. These ratings are
fixed pieces pulled. Don’t trust fixed gear and be
seldom used.
prepared if it should pull.
Grade III refers to half-day routes. Examples: Aid ratings are based on the number of
Royal Arches, Nutcracker. bodyweight placements in a row. How is a
“bodyweight” placement differentiated from a
Grade IV refers to full-day routes. Example: East
“bomber” placement? The only way to know
Buttress of El Cap.
for certain is to take a fall. The next best way to
Grade V refers to shorter big wall routes. Fast find out is to ask yourself, “Would I belay off
parties may only take a day, but most parties this?” If the answer is “no” then it is probably a
will spend two to three days on the wall. bodyweight placement.
Examples: West Face of Leaning Tower, Prow,
South Face of Washington Column. A0 Pulling on pieces for progress while in free
climbing mode. Generally no aiders are used.
Grade VI refers to longer big wall routes. All but
the fastest teams require at least two days and A1 or C1 Easy aid: all placements are bomber.
usually many more. Examples: Regular Little danger of falling except through pilot error.
Northwest Face of Half Dome, all routes on Most A1 pitches take from one to two hours.
El Capitan. Examples: many pitches on Half Dome’s Regular
Route, the Nose, and South Face of the Column.
Grade VII refers to extreme alpine big walls that
require at least 10 days of suffering on a huge A2 or C2 Moderate aid: one or two bodyweight
wall in poor weather in a remote area. placements over bomber gear. Five- to 30-foot
Examples: Great and Secret Show, Baffin Island; fall potential. Examples: many pitches on
Grand Voyage, Great Trango Tower, Pakistan. Zodiac, Prow, and Direct on Half Dome. Most
A2 pitches take one to three hours.
Aid Ratings
A3 or C3 Hard aid: three to five bodyweight
In the early ’90s the “new wave” rating system placements in a row. Thirty- to 50-foot fall
was introduced to wall climbs in Yosemite Valley. potential. Examples: many pitches on Pacific
Although it was originally touted as being more Ocean Wall, Mescalito and Ten Days After.
precise than the previous A1-A5 system, it is Most A3 pitches take two to three hours.
now clear that the new wave system only
A4 or C4 Serious aid: Six to eight bodyweight
brought more confusion to the ratings process.
placements in a row and a 50- to 80-foot fall
This book ignores the new wave system and
potential. Examples: many pitches on Sea of
reverts to the system introduced 30 years ago,
Dreams, Atlantic Ocean Wall and Native Son.
with a few modifications. That said, this new
Most A4 pitches take more than three hours.
system will have problems, and it is in no way

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 A I D C L I M B I N G R A T I N G S

A5 or C5 Extreme aid: more than nine provoking and often more time consuming.
bodyweight placements in a row. Eighty-foot Examples: the Nipple Pitch on Zodiac
plus fall potential. Most A5 pitches take more (C3+(F)), Shield Roof (A2+), and Pitch 5 of
than four hours. Examples: most El Cap routes, the South Face of Washington Column (C1+).
such as Reticent Wall and Nightmare on
California Street, put up in the ’90s. Many people wonder why aid ratings change
over time (e.g. a route that was A5 in 1970
“C” This pitch goes hammerless without might be A3 today). The reason is that all
relying on fixed gear. It is highly unlikely that routes go through a life cycle in which pin
you will need a hammer on these pitches. placements become more solid and the
Examples: all pitches on the Nose, Regular strongest copperhead placements are found
Route on Half Dome, and the South Face of and left fixed. Also, bolts are added both as
Washington Column. “chicken-bolts” and because rock features fall
off. To give a general understanding of this
“A” This pitch generally requires a hammer to
process I have provided the metamorphosis of
place pitons or copperheads. Examples: all
a typical Yosemite A5 route:
pitches on the Reticent Wall and many pitches
on Native Son, Lost in America, Zenith and Sea
of Dreams. Ascents Rating Route condition

“F” comes after a “C” rating and denotes a 1–5 A5 Little fixed gear. Fragile features.
pitch that relies on fixed gear in order to go
6–20 A4 Half the heads are fixed. Some
hammerless. Ninety-five percent of the time,
features pull so bolts are added. Pin
pitches marked with “F” will go hammerless,
placements are more solid. A few
but to be safe, put a hammer and a couple of
chicken rivets added. Belay bolts
copperheads and pins in the bottom of the
added.
haulbag in case fixed gear is missing.
Examples: many pitches on the Leaning Tower, 21–40 A3/A4 Most heads are fixed. Most fragile
Prow and Zodiac. features and loose rock are gone.
More belay bolts and chicken bolts
“R” Dangerous fall potential because of the
added.
possibility of hitting a ledge, swinging into a
corner or running the rope over a sharp edge. 41+ A3 Route reaches “equilibrium” as all
Examples: Black Tower pitch on Zodiac (A2R heads in crux and sections are fixed
or C3R) where a fall is possible onto a ramp, and pin placements beat out to
Pitch 13 on the Reticent Wall (A5R) where the take hammerless gear.
leader must do numerous hook and head
moves above a ledge.
Because some routes within the same grade are
Note: Just because a pitch does not have an “R” harder or easier than other routes in that grade,
or an “X” rating does not mean you can’t become I have listed all the routes in order of overall
injured or die on that pitch. difficulty in the appendix.
“+” indicates a tricky or strenuous section.
Found on either strenuous terrain (roof or
deep corner) or an unusually tricky “boulder
problem” aid move (expanding flake, huge
reach). Pitches marked with a “+” are thought

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
El Capitan

A
As Denali, Mt. Rainier and the Grand Canyon
dominate and define their respective national parks,
so does El Capitan loom, tower, and rule over the
entrance to Yosemite Valley. You can pick any
synonym for “dominate” and it will still work.
Overshadow. Domineer. Intimidate. Overwhelm.
Not enough such words exist in our language to
properly decribe the effect this cliff exerts on
climbers and tourists alike.
– Steve Roper 6

Approach
For all routes on El Cap it is recommended that
you start on the main trail described here. There 5
are other trails that may be more direct to your 4
route, but they will also be more strenuous and
covered with talus. 1
From the triangle at El Cap Meadow, pick up 2 3
the distinct trail that starts 50 feet west of the

Mark Kroese
sign directing drivers to Routes 120, 140 and 41.
Follow the trail to a large clearing. When facing
the wall, walk at 10 o’clock and pick up the distinct
climbers’ trail that eventually leads to a point 200 1 Sacherer Cracker 4 Salathé Wall
feet in front of the toe of the Southeast Buttress and 2 Little John, Right 5 The Nose
the start of The Nose. From here, the trail diverges 3 Moby Dick, Center 6 East Buttress (top shown)
to skirt either the base of the Southeast Face or
Southwest Face. of the bushes, scramble down 3rd class terrain for
It is about a 0.25 mile and a 10 to 15-minute walk about 100 feet to a ledge that is roughly
from the road to the toe of the Southeast Buttress perpendicular to “The Wild Dikes”. For rap route C
and the start of the Nose. From there, it is an (not recommended), wander down 4th class to a
additional 20 to 30 minutes to reach the start of East tree below a large flat ledge. For rap routes A and B,
Buttress. move down 15 feet of 4th class and then cut right
(south) across a 20-foot wide drainage gully.
Descent Walk/slide down the right side of the gully for 30-50
The East Ledges is the fastest and most convenient feet and then exit onto the right (south) shoulder
way to descend from El Cap leaving you at the and cruise down 40 feet to a ledge. For rap route A,
Manure Pile Buttress parking area, about one mile continue towards the edge and down a 20-foot 4th
from El Cap Meadow. The Falls Trail descent, which class section to a tree wrapped with slings. For rap
can be picked up from the summit of El Cap is long route B, head left and down 30 feet of scree then
and tedious, but may be a viable option if you are right onto 3rd class. Work right, through a bush, to a
caught in a storm or must descend at night and are four-foot by six-foot flat ledge with a small tree.
unfamiliar with the East Ledges descent. From the base of the rappels head east down
From routes that finish from the Salathé Wall and multiple 3rd class sections joined by faint trails.
east, hike east staying within 100 feet of the edge Eventually a defined climbers’ trail will emerge.
until you reach a 40-foot wide drainage, near the Follow it down to a wide drainage and cross to a
Zodiac top out. Follow the drainage until about 80 trail that parallels the east side of the drainage for
feet before the edge (Horsetail Fall) and enter the 300 feet before breaking off into the trees to the
manzanita on a well worn trail that eventually Manure Pile Buttress parking lot.
parallels a wall on the left all the way to the end of
the bushes. (Parties that do not find the wall on their
left will end up doing low angle rappels and 5th class
slabs to the start of the main rappels.) From the end

R O A D TO T H E N O S E
 East Ledges Descent, El Capitan R O A D T O T H E N O S E

wild, white dikes

on black wall

STEEP
cross drainage, move WALL
down 40', then exit
to shoulder

edge 4th
4th
A 120'
150' B or 5.5
100'
135' B
C 155'
90' 5.6 East
A, B Ledges route
B C

165' 100'
200' 165'

C
A, B
55'
Area Overview 150'
B 5.2
100'

to Tamarack Flat
to Yosemite Falls Trail Three
and Camp 4 Brothers
3rd
East Ledges
descent one
raps
El Capitan enlarged
at right
When trail meets drainage
drainage, cut across
Southwest Manure Pile to trees and follow trail
Southeast Buttress to Manure Pile buttress
Face
Face Zodiac talus parking lot
approach
standard
approach

one way
El Capitan
Meadow

Middle
Cathedral
Rock

Cathedral Rocks

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
 R O A D T O T H E N O S E

The Nose, El Capitan ordered a halt to the project until fall. Even under the
VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1★★★★★ v 1.1
best of circumstances climbers were viewed as a
nuisance by the Park Service—“Somewhere between
Time to climb route: 5 days hippies and bears,” noted Wayne Merry, a member of
Approach time: 10 minutes
Harding’s team. Despite the lack of warm feelings for
the project, the Park Service lifted the ban as
Descent time: 4 hours promised and Harding’s team pushed up to Dolt
Number of pitches: 31
Tower before descending for the winter, leaving fixed
ropes attached to the wall. Fixed ropes reduced the
Height of route: 2900’ fright of being on such a colossal wall, but because
they were made of manila and left swaying in the
Long, sustained and flawless; The Nose may be the wind for months on end, the ropes presented a
best rock climb in the world; it is certainly the best danger in themselves. Steve Roper describes a close
known. At 5.9 C1 this route is technically easy, but call: “Wally Reed had just begun prusiking up a
don’t be fooled. The Nose, like all El Cap routes, is huge section of rope when suddenly he plummeted back
exposed and terrifying. onto a ledge. The rope had broken. Luckily the ledge
was a fair-sized one and he didn’t roll off.”
History In May 1958, Harding and the team reached the
After missing a chance to make the first ascent of Boot Flake, a feature that mysteriously floats on the wall
Half Dome, Warren Harding knew there was only one with no visible means of attachment. Each pin
other accomplishment that could surpass it—the first placement caused the whole feature to groan and
ascent of El Capitan. Because no technical rock climb expand. On top of the boot, seeking the next crack
of this scale had ever been attempted, Harding system, Harding unleashed the wildest pendulum ever
employed expedition tactics of done, now renowned as the King Swing.
using supplied camps linked By fall the route was
by fixed ropes. In addition, the pushed up to Camp IV, and
Park Service mandated that the both climbers and the Park
WALLY REED HAD JUST BEGUN PRUSIKING UP A Service wanted to wrap
climbers use fixed ropes so that
a rescue would not be SECTION OF ROPE WHEN SUDDENLY HE PLUMMETED things up. Harding had been
necessary. On July 4, 1957, six the leader from the start, and
BACK ONTO A LEDGE. THE ROPE HAD BROKEN. as problems arose and
days after the first ascent of
Half Dome, Harding and his partners bailed, it was his
team began their historic STEVE ROPER
determination that kept the
journey. project alive. Of the eight
After reaching Sickle Ledge climbers who contributed to
in three days, the team pulled the first ascent, only Harding
off two wild pendulums and faced the next obstacle, was involved for the
a series of 300-foot long, 2–3" wide cracks. Standard duration.
pitons that large did not exist, but Harding had come On November 1, 1958, the team, now consisting
prepared. He had four enameled stove legs that of Harding, Merry, Rich Calderwood and George
Frank Tarver had scrounged from a Berkeley dump. Whitmore, prusiked to their high point at 1,900 feet
Leapfrogging the 9" monsters up the continuously and launched their summit campaign. The Great
wide cracks, the team made it to within 100 feet of Roof, although appearing from the ground to be the
Dolt Tower before descending. crux of the route, was easily dispatched, and the
The climb was a huge tourist attraction, and climbers moved steadily up to Camp VI. At this
traffic became so tangled that the Park Service point Calderwood suddenly dropped out, leaving
Whitmore to move loads and Harding and Merry to

Pitch
The Nose 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Aid A5/C5
A = aid using hammer A4/C4
C = hammerless aid A3/C3
A2/C2 C
A1/C1 C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
Mandatory free 5.8-5.9 • •
≤ 5.7 • • • • ••• • •

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
The Nose, El Capitan VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1★★★★★ R O A D T O T H E N O S E

swing leads up the spectacular upper dihedrals. lead. A few pitches higher on the Changing Corners
After enduring a storm on November 10, they pitch, a fixed piton lodged in a crucial finger lock
reached a small ledge 180 feet below the summit. Above blocked the free ascent. Returning to the summit a
them loomed a blank and overhanging wall. At 6 p.m. few weeks later with Brooke Sandahl, Hill removed
the next day Whitmore came up the fixed ropes, which the offending piton and worked the extremely
now spanned 2,800 feet of the wall, and delivered a fresh technical moves. It looked like it would go!
supply of bolts to Harding. What followed was described Hill and Sandahl returned to the base and began
by Steve Roper in Camp 4 as “the most famous single their ground up free ascent. Hill climbed the Great
episode in Yosemite’s illustrious Roof first try and moved to
climbing history.” the crux Changing Corners
For 14 hours, from dusk till pitch. Here she employed “a
dawn, Harding endured the AS I HAMMERED IN THE LAST BOLT AND STAGGERED bizarre sequence of moves
unimaginable pain of hand involving delicate smears,
drilling 28 bolts in a row by OVER THE RIM, IT WAS NOT AT ALL CLEAR TO ME stems, back-stepping,
headlamp. At 6 a.m. he stood WHO WAS CONQUEROR AND WHO WAS CONQUERED: laybacking, arm bars,
exhausted but triumphant on pinching, palming, etc.”
the summit, greeted by hordes I DO RECALL THAT EL CAP SEEMED TO BE IN MUCH Again, she sent the pitch first
of friends and media who BETTER CONDITION THAN I WAS. try and after four days of
created a huge commotion spectacular free climbing, Hill
unlike that prompted by any and Sandahl stood on the
previous climb. Scaling El WARREN HARDING summit. The Nose was free.
Capitan had required 45 days It is hard to top one of the
of climbing over 18 months great free climbing
and had consumed 125 bolts. achievements of all time, but
The triumph shook both the climbing and non-climbing the next year Hill herself found a way. Starting at 10
worlds and would change big wall climbing forever. p.m. on a September evening, Hill spent the next 23
The term “impossible climb” would never again be hours climbing every pitch free, making the first one-
used as easily. Within a few years the rush was on to day free ascent of The Nose.
climb in Yosemite. – Chris McNamara
In 1960, Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Strategy
Joe Fitschen made the second ascent of The Nose.
This significant ascent, the first continuous ascent of The Nose requires a fast and light strategy. Although
El Capitan, proved that an enormous wall could be many parties climb the route in more than four days,
climbed without siege tactics, and it paved the way hauling that much food and water is not pretty. The
for the bold big wall ascents of the ’60s. Jim Bridwell, route has little mandatory free climbing, but it will
John Long and Billy Westbay made the first one-day be more enjoyable and go faster if you can free 5.10.
ascent of the Nose in 1975. Their 15-hour dash laid The Nose is the most popular route on El Cap, so
the groundwork for the speed climbing that would prepare to wait in line for two days at the base. Most
grip the valley in later years. parties spend the first day hiking loads to the base
In 1981, Ray Jardine, the inventor of Friends, and fixing to Sickle Ledge. Fixing gives a head start
launched the first major attempt to free climb The but increases the logistics of the climb. If you aim to
Nose. Just below El Cap Tower the possible free route do the route in two nights, bivy at El Cap Tower and
traversed 30 feet on what Jardine hoped would be Camp V. If you are aiming for three nights, bivy on
5.11 terrain. He found the moves were actually much Dolt Tower, Camp IV and Camp VI. The ASCA and
harder, so he used a cold chisel and manufactured others have replaced almost all lead and belay bolts.
5.11. Jardine’s motive was his vision of “Numero Retreat
Uno,” a route up El Cap that was moderate and
accessible to the masses. The Nose is set up for easy bailing from the last pitch
In 1993, Lynn Hill approached the climb with a all the way to the ground. It is much easier to retreat
much different philosophy. After Jardine, many top from the route with 60m ropes. In a storm the upper
climbers had attempted to free climb The Nose, but part of the wall, especially Camp VI, receives much
none was able to unlock sequences on the Great Roof runoff. Many rescues and a few deaths have resulted
or the Changing Corners. On her first attempt in from parties not being equipped with adequate storm
1993, Hill freed every pitch to Camp VI including the gear.
Great Roof—an incredible feat still unrepeated on

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
 The Nose, El Capitan VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1★★★★★ R O A D T O T H E N O S E

8 140'

5.8 hands
two short swings
Stoveleg Crack or one long swing by lowering
about 15' below Boot
Entering Stoveleg Crack A 5.8 OK bivy for 1
A is the original route and the hands 90' 17 10b move 16 130'
most popular. B and C are left or C1
fast and good ways to pass
slower parties. 5.9 or C1 Boot
Dolt Hole Flake 5.10c hands
5.10c or C1
5.9 lb or C1
100' 7 p
B or C1
5.8 or C1 don’t go King
Rack 5.12a
right up Swing
C 5.10d or here!
nuts: 2 ea (offsets useful) 5.9 A0 var
80' 6 .6-2"
micro nuts: 1-2 ea (offsets useful) C1
cams: 3 ea .5-1" 5.9 bulge 5.6 .75-3.5"
or C1
2-3 ea 1.5-3.5" loose 5.8 lb
1 ea 4.5" 90'
Eagle Ledge 10a ow 15 110'
120' 5 belay 10a lb or C1 or C1 5.8 chimney
takes .5-3" (bolt on east end)
Texas Flake
Sickle Ledge .6-3"
4th 5.9 or C1 over
OK bivy for 2 chockstones
100' 4 four more 50m 5.11c fingers
raps to ground or C1
5.11c or 5.7 C1 Fix four 50m 5.9 or C1
or three 60m 90'
tension traverse
ropes to ground. 100' 14
There are bolt
5.9 stations every El Cap Tower
or C2 50m. plush bivy
3 100' 5.9 face Jardine 5.7 for 4-6
or 5.7 C1 Traverse
5.7 rope eating
5.10 flake! 50'
or C2 5.12a or 13 100'
5.9 A0
.6 - 2" 4.5"
5.9 or C1 5.9 fist
or C1
start right, many 2-4.5"
90' 2 then move left

5.11b or C1 Dolt Tower 12 100' belay

takes 1- 3"
5.10 bivy 2 comfy, 4 okay
or C1+
5.8 or C1
140' 11
5.10c ow or C1
130' 1 5.7
4.5" squeeze
5.10c fingers Approach: From El Cap Bridge
or C1 5.10b fist
walk west 1/8 mile to a trail or C1
5.11a (not that leads to the Southeast 4"
recommended) Buttress of El Cap. From here either
follow A, the recommended route From Dolt Tower do eight 50m raps
5.10d or C1 3.5" to the ground on chain anchors.
Salathé or B, the fast but exposed route. First three raps are within ten feet
5.8 fist or C1 of Stoveleg Crack. The last five
.5 - 3" 3"
raps are out on the blank face east
belay of the route.
10 130' takes 1-3"
platform

4th loose
Pine 5.8 or p 1-3"
Line C1 gully p
5.7 5.5
gully
large exposed 9 70' small stance
platform A 4th
5.9 lb 5.10 ow or C1
B 4.5"
Stoveleg Crack
2- 4.5"
8
TOE O F S.E. BUTTR E S S

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
 The Nose, El Capitan VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1★★★★★ R O A D T O T H E N O S E

80'

shuttle gear
to tree
23 110' 120' 31

5.11c or C1 5.5

haul here
for less drag
10a lb
or C1 Pancake C1 28 100'
Flake 5.12a var.
Great Roof
5.12c boulder 5.8 hands
22 120' steep or C1
problem crux
5.13+ 5.7
or C1
5.11b var. 1-3"

5.11d 5.10d or C1
or C1
70' 30 27 150'

21 110' 5.10c 5.9 hands

100m from 22 1-3" or C1 or C1
5.11 AO
var. 5.13+
50m to 19 29 130'
Changing or C1
Corners sharp edge
5.9 or C1 fixed
5.10d lb or C1 cross at
p 5.7 .5-2" 60m from 22 low bolt
60m to alcove
optional belay 5.10d
.75 - 2.5" or C1
100' 20
Camp IV
poor bivy for 2 Camp VI Keep
ok bivy for 2 26 150'
Camp VI
5.10d clean!
5.11c or C1
5.10a var. 1 - 3" 5.7
(not recommended) or C1
1 - 3" 5.7 ok bivy for 1
28 or C1
5.10a
or C1 .5-2"
60m haul to 16 ok bivy for 1
19 120' 55m haul to 21
5.10d 5.11b or C1+
rap 5.7
or C1 1.5 - 3"
route OK bivy
for 1 110' 25
18 120' belay Glowering Spot
5.12 or takes .5-2" 3' x 3' ledge
5.10b
5.10 A0 var. move
right
5.12d
or C1
many nuts
.75-2.5"
5.9
or C1 good bivy for 2
Camp V
sharp 5.7
rap route 17 110' 24
(angle east, two ok bivy
raps to for 1
sloping if retreating from good bivy for 2
Dolt Tower) ledge between 17 and 18, best hauling
rappel down 1 - 3"
Jardine Traverse

5.11a or
C1+ awk.
23

Topo by Chris McNamara

F O R C U R R E N T R O U T E I N F O R M AT I O N, V I S I T S U P E RTO P O. C O M
The Final Pitch

TThanks for buying this pack of SuperTopos. We

hope you enjoy it and the climbing adventure it
may help you experience.
Your purchase means a lot to us. We here at
SuperTopo are a collection of semi-starving
climbers who have set out to create a small
business dedicated to giving you, and climbers
like you, immediate access to the kind of
detailed information you can normally only get
from talking with a local expert. It takes a lot of
work to create each SuperTopo and we are
committed to making sure it’s done right.
We are on a mission to develop SuperTopos
for the best routes in the best climbing areas in El Capitan after winter storm. Photo by Chris McNamara.
North America. We hold ourselves strictly
accountable to a high standard, namely that
each of our SuperTopos offers the very finest On behalf of myself and the rest of the crew
quality route information obtainable anywhere here at SuperTopo, I want to thank you for
on each and every route we cover. If you find your support. Keep climbing and please tell a
any shortcoming in our SuperTopos, we ask friend about SuperTopo!
that you drop us a line at
[email protected] and let us know how Thanks again,
we can improve. We’re dedicated to offering the
best information about every route available.

If you found this pack of SuperTopos useful,

we’d like to ask you two favors:

• Please post a message about your experience Chris McNamara

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C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 0 1 S U P E RTO P O L L C. A L L R I G H T S R E S E RV E D. D U P L I C AT I O N P R O H I B I T E D.