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
5.10c Don’t stop at first anchors.
5.11b Tricky traverse and roof pull straight off belay then easy.
5.10c
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.
5.11a More face climbing than the previous pitch.
5.9 Link this with pitch 7 and have the second start simul-climbing when you run out of rope.
5.10b The half dollar.
5.7 The second will also have to start simul-climbing on this pitch. This pitch ends on Mammoth Terraces.
5.10d The down climb to Heart Ledges.
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.
5.1 Essentially 4th Class scrambling to the start of the Hollow Flake.
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
5.10a Unprotected 5.7 chimney off the belay then 5.10 cracks. Climb past the first belay and continue to the second.
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.
5.10d Cracks to start then the 5.7 chimney that is the Ear. Face away from the mountain. A #7 is nice.
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.
5.10a Short bullshit pitch of more wide to get you into the alcove.
5.10a Cracks and chimney to the top of the Spire.
5.11c A sandbagged tight hands pitch straight off the spire. Super classic and much better (though harder) than the 11a offwidth option.
5.10b Easy corner.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
5.10d Glory ring locks. An amazing pitch at the top of El Cap
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.
5.6 Wonder jugs to the top. Extend the final haul to the lip or you will cry. You might cry anyway.
