Routes as trad in Sierra Nevada

Pitch 5 : Anchorage Ledge

Pitch 14 : protected by fixed gear

Pitch 15 : The Traverse

Pitch 16 : The Dyno

Pitch 22 : Wino Tower

Pitch 28 : Ship's Bow

A fingertips crack. Small bumps for feet, ultra-technical movement and finicky gear (the largest piece is a ¾” TCU).

One of the hardest cracks in the world.

The route shares the first 5 pitches of Muir Wall, then continues straight up to the Mammoth Ledges. After the Gray Ledge, it shares 3 pitches with El Corazon and rejoins the original aid line. The final 4 pitches follow the old aid route Jolly Roger. The route to the left of The Nose was first ascended with the use of aid in 1972 by Hugh Burton and Steve Sutton and freed in June 2008 by Tommy Caldwell and Justen Sjong. with difficulties up to VI 5.14a / 8b+. A month later, drawing on a moment of utter inspiration, Caldwell then led all pitches free in a sub 24 hour push.

A link-up that combines 'Star Walls Crack' with the upper-crux of 'A Steep Climb Named Desire'.

Mini documentary Taste the Bronco

A bolted face leading into a roof crack and headwall climbed on gear.

This is the free variation to "Wet Denim Daydream".

The route is on the Northwest Face of the Higher Cathedral Spire and it’s first pitches (mainly) follow the original Grade IV/A4 route climbed by legends Royal Robins and Tom Frost.

1. 5.10 “Splitter”

2. 5.11 “Hand-Over-Fist Crack”

3. 5.12 “Chimney of Horrors”

4. 5.13d “The Guillotine”

5. 5.12 “Royal Ramp”

6. 5.11 “Fissure Ben”

7. 5.13 “KJ Layaway”

8. 5.12 “Guano Arch”

9. 5.12 “Twelve Karat”

10. 5.?

11. 5.12 “Jorgeson Roof” – Likely the “high quality horizontal hand crack” described by Rob Miller

12. 5.9 “Summit Squeeze”

A fantastic dihedral.

A variation of 'Muir Wall'. It takes a line up the centre of El Cap following parts of the 'Muir Wall', 'The Shaft' and 'The Shield', but also includes some 5.13 climbing of its own.

Free variation of 'North America Wall' with one short rappel down a completely black eight-meter blank section.

A free variation to 'North America Wall' that links with 'El Niño' and avoids the rappel completely.

Gaze in awe at this severely overhanging crack requiring difficult stemming and powerful finger locks. This used to be the last aid pitch of 'The Fracture'[20650981] until it was freed in 1979 to become the second recorded 5.13. Thin pro to 1.5".

Pro to 1".

A overhanging finger crack.

'El Corazón' is a combination of 'Salathé Wall', Albatross, 'Son of Heart' and 'Heart Route' plus some new established variations to link the freeable sections of the existing routes. Besides placing some new bolts on belay stations, no single bolt was placed for the new route. Pitons and Bird Beaks, which were placed during the first ascent for the necessary new variations, were left as protection for the free climb.

Mini documentary Taste the Bronco

https://huberbuam.de/files/hb/content/topos/HB-Topo-Yosemite-Golden-Gate.pdf

Amazing thin crack and steep face climbing. One of the best climbs at the leap. Led with one fall in 2005 before was shut down by the snow. Car Accident stopped me from ever finishing the route. Great First accent for the inspired.

Mini documentary Taste the Bronco

Pro: small nuts, RPs, and TCUs.

The route follows complex crack systems up the southwest face of El Capitan. Essentially it is the Salathe wall with a few variations used (pioneered by Alex Huber) to avoid the numerous 5.13 crux pitches first freed by Paul Piana and Todd Skinner in the mid 80's.

The first 10 pitches of this route are often independently completed as a separate route and is known as Freeblast 5.11.

The Free Rider technically climbs the 5.13a boulder problem pitch but it is also an option to do the Salathe’s Teflon Corner at 5.12d.

*June 3, 2017 - First free solo ascent on El Capitan, and world's hardest multi-pitch free solo by Alex Honnold. Time: 3 hours, 56 minutes

1. 5.10c Don’t stop at first anchors.

2. 5.11b Tricky traverse and roof pull straight off belay then easy.

3. 5.10c

4. 5.11b/c The crux of the Free Blast. Fairly easy climbing with tricky gear up the flaring crack leads you to a sustained section of hard but well protected slab.

5. 5.11a More face climbing than the previous pitch.

6. 5.9 Link this with pitch 7 and have the second start simul-climbing when you run out of rope.

7. 5.10b The half dollar.

8. 5.7 The second will also have to start simul-climbing on this pitch. This pitch ends on Mammoth Terraces.

9. 5.10d The down climb to Heart Ledges.

10. 5.11c The move off Heart. Desperate for one sequence past a bolt. Don’t stop at the first anchor, go all the way to the second up on Lung Ledge.

11. 5.1 Essentially 4th Class scrambling to the start of the Hollow Flake.

12. 5.11d The Hollow Flake. Hard boulder getting in to the down climb then sustained 11+ down down down lower than you want to go. Traverse across the ledges then start shuffling up the 5.9 flake (right side in). A #6 protects the start but becomes unusable much sooner than you’d like and then only a #7 goes in. Do with this information what you will

13. 5.10a Unprotected 5.7 chimney off the belay then 5.10 cracks. Climb past the first belay and continue to the second.

14. 5.10c Excellent pitch! Don’t stop at the first belay on this one either. Climb all the way to the start of the Ear.

15. 5.10d Cracks to start then the 5.7 chimney that is the Ear. Face away from the mountain. A #7 is nice.

16. 5.11d The Monster. An 11d down climb guards the offwidth which is supposedly 11a. You can place a #0.4 sized piece to protect part of the down climb that the belayer can clean once you start shuffling (left side in). A #6 protects most of the pitch but a #7 is also nice to have for the middle third if you brought it for the Hollow Flake. At about halfway there is a bolt you clip and at the top there is a fixed piece. Shortly after the fixed piece a low angle ramp appears on the right hand side that you use to exit the monster. A #5 can give you some protection here but the climbing is easy.

17. 5.10a Short bullshit pitch of more wide to get you into the alcove.

18. 5.10a Cracks and chimney to the top of the Spire.

19. 5.11c A sandbagged tight hands pitch straight off the spire. Super classic and much better (though harder) than the 11a offwidth option.

20. 5.10b Easy corner.

21. 5.11cR Blind Reach pitch. Send your tallest bravest climber. Fairly easy climbing up to the obvious reach rightwards above questionable gear in a questionable flake. Try not to fall off. After the blind reach you can place a very very small wire otherwise it’s one more committing sequence to a decent #0.75 and easy to the anchors. You can also climb a 12a seam which is where the aid line goes and step right to the belay.

22. 5.13a The Boulder Problem. Three bolts and some small gear at the top. Decide which kind of ninja you are, he jumping one or the kicking one.

23. 5.11a The Sewer. Steep and often wet crack climbing and chimneying to the roof. Climb left and past the anchor to turn the lip for some steep hands above culminating in a tricky finger crack to the Block. Long!

24. 5.10d The Sous Le Toit. Creaky flakes and awesome exposure up this brilliant pitch. Enjoy the fantastic finale up the steep lie back crack.

25. 5.11c The first Enduro Corner. Kind of sandbagged but an excellent pitch. Steep hands to some power liebacking to some trickery etc etc. What more could you want. Can be linked into the next pitch for maximum style points at 12d.

26. 5.12b The second Enduro Corner. Work out how you want to climb the first half, clip a bunch of the fixed pieces, place a #2 or a #3 and punch it to the top. Heroic!

27. 5.12a The Roundtable. Radical steep jug traverse through the most exposed position of the route. A black totem protects the opening boulder than some fixed tat and other shenanigans. It’s very hard to hear your belayer from the end so have a plan for this. Yelling very loudly does work though. Climb this pitch with the haul line and use the tag for the lower out if you haven’t brought a massive lower out line.

28. 5.11c Steep tight hands to less steep reallllly baggy hands to a weird chimney to a hard #0.5s lieback through a roof. Classic and hard.

29. 5.11d The Scotty Burke. Amazing steep finger and hand cracks to a cool move to gain the offwidth. Shuffle upwards till you get to a bolt and spend some time reflecting on the fact that the offwidth gets 10b. Lieback past the bolt then start battling up one of the best pitches on the route. When you get to the hall of mirrors chimney section make sure you head to the right at the top otherwise you’ll get lost in no man’s land. It is also very hard to hear your partner from the top off this pitch so have a plan for this.

30. 5.10d Glory ring locks. An amazing pitch at the top of El Cap

31. 5.10d Awkward boulder through the roof past some fixed pins then a hard and awkward 5.9 squeeze to glory jugs. It’s a good idea to squeeze up into the chimney to clip the tat or place high gear and then slide back down to exit lest you get stuck. Take your helmet off.

32. 5.6 Wonder jugs to the top. Extend the final haul to the lip or you will cry. You might cry anyway.

The Westie Face is one of the best mostly-free routes anywhere. The movement is stellar, the protection just reasonable enough, the rock immaculate, and the position is simply brilliant.

Additionally the fact that it's relatively short and low commitment makes it easier to work than many of the other routes in the area. That being said it's quite sustained and only has one pitch that isn't 5.12 or harder.

Lastly, many of the pitches are a little heady to climb. This can be more or less true depending on the condition of the fixed gear.

See the aid route description for approach and traditional descent beta.

Perched way high in the canyon, its a second pitch. Thin crack on a slighlty overhung face. Really technical.

A thin crack leads up to two bolts before traversing left past a row of pitons to a 2-bolt top anchor above a ledge. Pro to 1".

Before it was freed, this was an aid route known as Scapegoat (5.8 A2). Top-rope this route by climbing 'Pan Dulce'[20649661] first.

Full story of the FFA by Scott Cosgrove

The Venturi Effect is a spectacular line, maybe the best of it's grade in the Sierra (or California, or the US...?) Continuously difficult, the bulk of the climbing is sustained 5.11, with plently of vicious, well-protected 5.12 cruxes. Do this route right now!

P1 starts at a thin flake with a bolt on the right side of the "Triangular recess". It's not the wider crack that forms the actual right side of the triangle (that's "Eye of the Storm"), but just to it's left. It's hard right off the deck, but hey, that's what you signed up for! 11+, link with 70m rope to the "Terrace" ledge, otherwise use an intermediate 2 bolt anchor which is recommended as it is problematic in terms of rope drag, gear, and providing a proper belay for the follower who will be doing the crux right off the ground with a lot of rope out

P2 From the right side of the "Terrace" Ledge (shared with Positive, Sunspot, etc), look for a piton in a thin horizontal crack. Traverse past this and into a vertical, flared crack. 11+, a bit spicy. Belay off fixed nuts just below the obvious corner.

P3 The stellar corner! Make some exciting moves up and left to gain the corner (5.11), and then battle you're way up it with every corner technique you've ever even dreamed of. Probably the best pitch, anywhere. 5.12 Belay at some fixed gear atop the corner.

P4 Up, past some committing lie-backing, and then step left and wander over to Positive Vibes. Climb it to the Bivy Ledge. 5.11

P5 A short, easy pitch to a two bolt anchor on a good stance. Start as for Positive, then bear right. 5.10-

P6 The start of the fantastic "Sheild" Pitches. You're aiming for a splitter with 2 bolts, which has bouldery 12a crux. Belay at the first 2 bolt anchor.

P7 A good long pitch, past one older 2 bolt station. Up high, there are plenty of new bolts, but the crux comes at the only old bolt (Crux is at only old bolt on the route, but there is good pro nearby.) (5.12) At the end of the a right facing corner, traverse left to a 2 bolt anchor.

P8 Up a flared, thin splitter, then past 2 bolts (5.12). Traverse the short roof on its right, and gain a overhanging splitter on the right side of the arete (killer position!) Climb up maybe 10-15' to a fixed nut, then make tricky (not so obvious) traverse right into a splitter on the face. Climb it, then pull crux thin slabby moves past two bolts to the belay (5.12)

P9 Climb up and clip a high bolt then DOWNCLIMB 20' (crux) before climbing back up left-facing corners into "The Venturi" a cool inset roof feature, past a few bolts (11+) Stem past the rooves (5.10) to gain the Crow's Nest ledge.

P10 Climb the obvious flared splitter to the ridgeline. (5.11+)

From here, either Rap (70m rope, easier with and 80m) or continue on the ridge to the summit for the last 2 red dihedral pitches.

Protection 2-3 sets of small cams, doubles to #2 Camalot, single #3. Full set of stoppers and small RPs.

This route takes more or less a strait shot through the center of the main face of Eagle Rock and requires some very thin face climbing skills.

Look for the marker piton at it's base. Begin by climbing the dirty right facing corner until you can make a short traverse right into a low angle arching crack. Place little gear here as it will produce rope drag as you climb higher. Climb up to a nice short ledge with a bolt. Hand traverse right before climbing back left up a ramp. Several bolts and some gear will bring you to a two bolt anchor out left under a big roof. Be mindful of rope drag, it's a long pitch.

Pitch two climbs a dirty awkward section through the roof then traverses right to a paper thin flake. Thin face moves through the crux lead to a mantle on a big knob, then knob climbing through the headwall to a two bolt anchor on a big ledge.

Pitch three climbs up and left to a big rock scar following a thin crack on the face. Eventually the crack arches out right and up past a few thin knobs on golden granite to the summit block. Traverse left under the block to the bolted anchor.

Bolted crux to 5.10 (small) gear finish

Lock and lieback up the thin finger crack to a 2-bolt top anchor. Tricky pro before the crux. Pro: brass nuts, offset nuts, and cams to 3.5", with doubles in the smaller sizes.

Top-rope this route by leading 'Dominion'.

Descend with a 70m rope from the rappel station to the right of the top anchor.

Thin pro.

Pro to 1". Bolted top anchor.

Dihedral extension of twitch

Louise Shepherd's impressive 1981 onsight was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

Solo up knobs and move right up an awkward OW corner. #3 or 4 Camelot useful. Step left to gain comfortable stance before blasting up perfect splitter fingers getting progressively more difficult until you pounce for the victory jug

Sent by Louise Shepherd in 1981 or 1983, one of the first Aussie female ascents at this grade.

Hand crack up to sustained overhanging thin finger crack with fixed draws. The hand crack protects with a 2.5" cam.

Pro to 4".