Routes : North America : United States : California : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : El Capitan : Southwest Face: El Capitan : Salathe Wall
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Salathe Wall - A2 popular
Average Rating : 5.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 30
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (24)
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Aid
This route easily goes clean - hammer ONLY for cleaning. Cam hooks useful, especially on Headwall
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Description:
Salathe Wall is unquestionably the finest natural line on El Cap. Many consider this to be a better route than even the Nose, with moderate free climbing down low that becomes progressively harder the higher you get. The first ten-pitch section up to Mammoth Terraces is known as Free Blast, a popular outing at 5.11b. From Mammoth you will normally find ropes in situ extending down from the base of the Heart to the ground. While a handful of parties have sent the route free at 5.13b, most mortals will aid at least half of it. Hollow Flake Ledge and Long Ledge are great bivis with enough room to unpack and camp in comfort, but it is the spectacular bivi atop El Cap Spire that is Salathe Wall's hallmark. You won't have to fight the crowds up here, though - the scary 5.9 offwidth of the Hollow Flake, which is too wide to aid even with big cams, keeps away the riff-raff.Note: If you are riff-raff, it is recommended you hire a Rope Gun.
Submitted by: passthepitonspete on 2006-03-26
Views: 6887
Route ID: 4505
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24 Ascents Recorded
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Read all 24 ascent notes
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5.10d A2+ |
| Safety Rating | PG13 |
| Exposure |  |
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Hang Dog ascent by:
Epic
hauled freeblast (dumb). slept on lung ledge. hollow flake and ear pitches were amazing / slightly horrifying. got hit by a softball sized rock on the shoulder and thought I broke my collar bone. took pain killers and kept going. Slept on el cap spire. amazing! honnold and caldwell flew past in the night. head wall was incredible. most exposure i've ever seen. slept on long ledge. took a 40ft aid whipper and shredded my hand. hiked to east ledges where my partner dropped the haul bag 400 ft or so. whoops. lost all the trad gear. our buddy was not waiting to pick us up. walked back to camp 4. i was sofa king tired. took a week off.
Added: 2014-03-05
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5.9 A2 |
| Safety Rating | PG13 |
| Exposure | |
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| Scenery | |
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Onsight ascent by:
lots of work
did this over a couple warms days and even then it was a crowded! worth it in the end though. couple of the aid sections were dicier than i expected. have some hooks or a beak handy
Added: 2011-10-04
| Ratings | |
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| Difficulty | 5.10b |
| Safety Rating | G |
| Exposure | |
| Rock Quality |  |
| Scenery | |
| Fun Factor | |
:)
Did it in 2 days + 2h
Added: 2010-02-26
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5.9 A2 |
| Safety Rating | PG13 |
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| Scenery | |
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Red Point ascent by:
#1
Best route in the World.
Done it a few times now.
Definitely works you more than the Nose.
If I could free climb, all of my time and energy would go into this one.
Done it a few times now.
Definitely works you more than the Nose.
If I could free climb, all of my time and energy would go into this one.
Added: 2009-10-11
| Ratings | |
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| Difficulty | |
| Safety Rating | G |
| Exposure | |
| Rock Quality | |
| Scenery | |
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Salathe Wall
Expect a cold wind high on the route. We froze on the last day. Pitch 32, the one above Long Ledge, is missing a key fixed pin, which has changed the grade from 5.8 C1 to 5.10R. My wife took a 30 footer, then got back on and finished the pitch. Probably a good idea for someone to wail in a nice fixed pin there, since the current situation is out of character with the rest of the route.
The cracks on this route are unreal. It's twice as long and twice as good as the NW Face of Half Dome. If I were a better free climber, I would make it my life project to free climb this route.
The cracks on this route are unreal. It's twice as long and twice as good as the NW Face of Half Dome. If I were a better free climber, I would make it my life project to free climb this route.
Added: 2008-06-07
