Routes : North America : United States : California : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : El Capitan
El Capitan
Climbing Sections:
- East Buttress of El Cap (1)
- East Ledges (2)
- El Cap Base Routes (22)
- La Cosita (5)
- Southeast Face: El Capitan (37)
- Southwest Face: El Capitan (17)
About El Capitan:
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Located in Yosemite National Park. Climbers from all over the world come to climb 'The Captain', the largest monolith in America. Whether you're making a sub-24-hour speed ascent or doing a two week solo excursion, El Cap is where it's at. "The Big Stone" is where great climbers (and not-so-great climbers) of the contemporary era have come to initiate or refine their big wall skills. Modern big wall climbing was invented here, and today nearly all new big wall developments originate in Yosemite. Virtually all of the ascensionists of the world's longest, hardest and most remote big walls cut their teeth on El Cap's granite. Here you can enjoy predictably good weather, and have comfort in knowing that a rescue is usually only a toll-free 911 cell phone call away. |
| Nearest town or city: | Yosemite Valley |
| Directions: | There is no shuttle bus service to El Cap, so you'll either need to drive or hitchhike. Once you get to El Cap, there are four places you can park, from left to right. Farthest west there is a pullout on the north side of the road where you can access such climbs as Lurking Fear and the West Face. Hike straight up to the face from here. Most walls are accessed from the central trail which leaves right from El Cap Meadows and goes up to The Nose. Although longer than the direct approaches on either side, the trail is a much more mellow experience for those laden by monstrous pigs. You can park in the Meadows, or just east of the bridge. It's also possible to park at a pullout beneath the Southeast Face directly opposite a big bend in the Merced River. There is a very steep but much shorter way up to the Zodiac area. Farthest east is the day-use picnic area at the start of the trail to Manure Pile Buttress. This is where the trail from the East Ledges descent ends. I don't believe you can park here overnight. Hiking Instructions: Put on your pig, place one foot in front of other, and start humping. Note that the pain you experience on the approach may be substantially less than that which you encounter on the wall! |
| Latitude, Longitude: | 37.73190, -119.63699 |
| Access Issues: | |
| Camping: | Pay |
| When to Climb: | Autumn |
| Quantity of Climbs: | Lifetime |
Topo Images
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Forum Discussions (See all 16 posts )
| Subject | Author | Replies | Last Post | |
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Easier Free Routes on the Cpt'n | kirkiboi | 1 | Dec 08 2009, 2:27 AM |
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Lurking Fear | mbg | 1 | Aug 13 2005, 8:21 PM |
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Lost World, El Capitan, Yosemite | ghiz | 0 | Oct 19 2004, 6:53 PM |
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Tangerine Trip | sierramike | 5 | Sep 03 2004, 10:22 PM |
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Soloing Mescalito - 8/11/04 | lazide | 15 | May 25 2005, 10:09 PM |
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Zodiac Beta | dagawebb | 1 | Jun 30 2004, 12:39 AM |
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Pics from ElCap | skiclimb | 17 | Feb 22 2004, 7:22 PM |
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1.5 or 2 inch holes on El Cap | silkyerm | 1 | Nov 29 2003, 6:16 PM |
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Water Tank Going In On El Cap Summit? | dominator | 48 | Jan 16 2004, 8:48 PM |
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100th El Cap Route | elcapbuzz | 8 | Sep 02 2003, 8:27 AM |
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East Buttress of El Cap | markd | 11 | Aug 18 2002, 4:41 PM |
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Beta for Ahab? | rickoldskool | 3 | Aug 21 2002, 3:32 AM |
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Do you have info on Salathe' | yobbo | 9 | Aug 20 2002, 10:52 PM |
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Possible Epic in Progress On Pacific Ocean Wall? | jmlangford | 5 | Apr 23 2002, 4:30 AM |
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WELCOME TO EL CAP! | passthepitonspete | 20 | Oct 29 2001, 7:13 PM |
