S U P E R T O P O S

S U P E R T O P O S

Warning! 

Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport in which severe injuries or death may occur. Relying on 

the information in this book 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 book is neither a professional climbing instructor nor a substitute for one. It is not an 

instructional book. Do not use it as one. It contains information that is nothing more than a 

compilation of opinions about climbing the Big Walls in Yosemite Valley. Those 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 book 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 book. This book 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 descending 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 book may be erroneous and use your own judgement when choosing, approaching, climbing 

or descending from a route described in this book. 

DO NOT USE THIS BOOK 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 BOOK CONTAINS ONLY THE AUTHOR’S OPINION ON 

THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED. HE MAKE 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 BOOK IS LIMITED 

TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE BOOK. 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 BOOK. 

COPYRIGHT © 2000 SUPERTOPO LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DUPLICATION PROHIBITED.

PREFACE 

SuperTopo Mission 

• Help climbers ascend and descend routes quickly, 

efficiently, and safely by creating the most accurate 

and informative climbing topos ever published. 

• Advocate routes that follow natural lines while 

discouraging routes that are heavily bolted, 

enhanced or unsustainable. 

• Capture the mystery, adventure and humor of 

climbing by publishing the histories, anecdotes and 

outrageous stories of each route. 

• Promote hammerless climbing by publishing the 

most up to date rack info as well as hammerless 

ratings for each pitch. 

• Stress the importance of climbing in good style 

and promote stewardship of the environment. 

Visit SuperTopo.com 

Throughout this book you’ll notice,“For the latest route 

information, visit www.supertopo.com.” Our website 

is the definitive resource for the latest SuperTopos— 

including expanded and updated detail on every route 

in this book and many more routes. The SuperTopo 

website includes: 

• The latest info on every route in this book and 

many more 

• Color SuperTopos and color photos, formatted for 

printing on your inkjet or laser printer 

• Detailed pitch-by-pitch climbing info and photos 

for many climbs 

• Additional SuperTopo products such as our 

Climber’s Dream-trip Series—selections of 

climbs in Yosemite and other great climbing areas 

in North America. Examples include: 

The Road to the Nose A 

series of climbs to help you 

prepare for your first 

attempt on The Nose. 

SuperTopos are included 

for each route as well as an 

overview written by Chris 

McNamara offering 

guidance on how to 

prepare for The Nose. This 

package also includes gear 

recommendations and 

contact information for 

climbing guides and 

instructional courses in 

Yosemite. 

In the Footsteps of Legends 

Repeat the great climbs of 

Yosemite heroes such as 

Warren Harding, Tom Frost, Royal Robbins and 

more by following the SuperTopos in this series. 

In addition to expanded climbing beta you’ll also 

find enhanced route histories in this series. 

Ultimate Roadtrip Series A series of roadtrip 

itineraries including all the required SuperTopos 

and beta to introduce you to the best climbs as 

you visit the most awesome climbing areas. 

A lot of information on our website is available 

completely free of charge—including free 

SuperTopos on the most classic Yosemite routes. 

Check it out. We hope you’ll also take time to check 

out our download-able SuperTopo products, such as 

the Climber’s Dream-trips above, available for 

online purchase. 

Visit www.supertopo.com before your next climb. 

The best and most current info on the route you are 

planning to climb is probably waiting for you there. 

Heck, visit us right now. 

FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM

Understanding the maps 

Topo symbols 

Right facing 

corner 

Ledge 

Bolt or 

rivet 

Left facing 

corner 

Straight in 

crack 

Groove 

Slab 

Belay 

station 

Pitch 

length 

1 

130' 

Hook 

placements 

Face 

climbing 

Pendulum 

or 

Chimney 

Optional 

belay 

Tree 

or 

Roof 

False 

belay 

Bush 

Topo abbreviations 

KB = Knifeblade piton 

LA = Lost Arrow piton 

ow = offwidth 

lb = lieback 

p = fixed piton 

Overview graphics 

Road 

Hooks 

The standard set of hooks includes: 1 each bat 

hook or talon, cliff hanger, pointed cliffhanger, 

grappling hook or fish hook. 

Bivouacs 

Bivies are rated as “great”, “good”, “ok” or “poor.” 

Route evolution 

Keep in mind when reading first ascent accounts 

that much of the routes may be drastically 

changed. For example, the Triple Cracks pitch on 

the Shield now takes large angles, not the 35 rurps 

placed on the first ascent. 

Bike path 

Park service trail 

Climber approach 

or descent trail 

Parking area 


Yosemite Valley 

COPYRIGHT © 2000 SUPERTOPO LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DUPLICATION PROHIBITED. 

Legend 

Road 

Bike path 

Park service trail 

Climber approach 

or descent trail 

Parking area 

to Hwy 120, 

west entrance, 

Hwy 140 

to south 

entrance, 

Hwy 41 

one way 

Bridalveil Fall 

parking 

one way 

to Tamarack Flat 

Southwest 

Face 

path 

to falls 

chimney 

descent 

Leaning Tower 

standard 

approach 

El Capitan 

Meadow 

Cathedral Rocks 

El Capitan 

Southeast 

Face 

to Yosemite Falls Trail 

and Camp 4 

East Ledges 

descent 

Zodiac talus 

approach 

raps 

Manure Pile Buttress 

parking 

one way 

Merced 

River 

Camp 4 

N 

one way 

Yosemite 

Lodge 

Continued on 

next page

El Capitan 

Approach 

For all routes on El Cap it is 

recommended that you start 

on the main trail described 

here. There are other trails that 

may be more direct to your 

route, but they will also be 

more strenuous and covered 

with talus. 

From the main road at 

El Cap Meadow, pick up the 

distinct trail that starts 50 feet 

west of the 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 feet in front of the 

toe of the Southeast Buttress 

and the start of the Nose. 

From here, the trail diverges 

to skirt either the base of the 

Southeast Face or Southwest 

Face. It’s about a quarter mile 

and a 10- to 15-minute walk 

from the road to the toe of the 

Southeast Buttress and the 

start of the Nose. From there, 

it is an additional 20 to 30 

minutes to reach the start of 

Lurking Fear or Zodiac. 

Portaledge party on Belay 10 of Aurora. Photo by 

Greg Epperson. 


East Ledges Descent 

EL CAPITAN 

wild white dikes 

on black wall 

STEEP 

cross drainage, move 

down 40', then exit 

to shoulder 

WALL 

edge 

A 

4th 

150' 

A, B 

4th 

B 

135' 

100' 

B 

90' 

B 

120' 

or 5.5 

C 

155' 

C 

5.6 East 

Ledges route 

165' 100' 

200' 

165' 

A, B 

C 

Area overview 

55' 

150' 

Complete Yosemite Valley overview on pages 36–37 

to Yosemite Falls Trail 

and Camp 4 

B 

100' 

5.2 

to Tamarack Flat 

3rd 

Southwest 

Face 

El Capitan 

Southeast 

Face 

East Ledges 

descent 

Zodiac talus 

approach 

raps 

enlarged 

at right 

Manure Pile Buttress 

parking 

When trail meets 

drainage, cut across 

to trees and follow trail 

to Manure Pile buttress 

parking lot 

drainage 

standard 

approach 

one way 

El Capitan 

Meadow 

path 

to falls 

Cathedral Rocks 


National Park Service 

1 Lurking Fear 

2 Dihedral Wall 

3 Cosmos 

4 Excalibur 

5 Salathé Wall 

6 Flight of the Albatross 

7 The Shield 

8 Muir Wall 

9 Triple Direct 

10 The Nose 


to 

East 

Ledges 

raps 

Galen Rowell/Mountain Light 

A East Ledges descent 

10 The Nose 

11 Tribal Rite 

12 New Dawn 

13 Reticent Wall 

14 Wall of Early Morning Light 

15 Mescalito 

16 South Seas 

17 Pacific Ocean Wall 

18 Sea of Dreams 

19 North America Wall 

20 Wyoming Sheep Ranch 

21 Atlantic Ocean Wall 

22 Iron Hawk 

23 Native Son 

24 Aurora 

25 Tangerine Trip 

26 Lost in America 

27 Zenyatta Mondatta 

28 Shortest Straw 

29 Zodiac 

30 Lunar Eclipse 

31 Eagle’s Way 


The Nose 

VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1 or 5.8 C2 

EL CAPITAN 

Long, sustained and flawless; the Nose may be the 

best rock climb in the world; it is certainly the best 

known. At 5.9 C1 this route is technically easy but 

don’t be fooled. The Nose, like all El Cap routes is huge 

exposed and terrifying. 

First ascent history 

After missing a chance to make the first ascent of 

Half Dome, Warren Harding knew there was only 

one other accomplishment that could surpass it—the 

first ascent of El Capitan. Because no technical rock 

climb of this scale had ever been attempted, Harding 

employed expedition tactics of using supplied camps 

linked by fixed ropes. In addition, the Park Service 

mandated that the climbers use fixed ropes so that a 

rescue would not be necessary. On July 4, 1957, six 

days after the first ascent of Half Dome, Harding and 

his team began their historic journey. 

After reaching Sickle Ledge in three days, the 

team pulled off two wild pendulums and faced the 

next obstacle, a series of 300-foot long, 2–3" wide 

cracks. Standard pitons that large did not exist, but 

Harding had come prepared. He had four enameled 

stove legs that Frank Tarver had scrounged from a 

Berkeley dump. Leapfrogging the 9" monsters up the 

continuously wide cracks, the team made it to 

within 100 feet of Dolt Tower before descending. 

The climb was a huge tourist attraction, and 

traffic became so tangled that the Park Service 

ordered a halt to the project until fall. Even under 

the best of circumstances climbers were viewed as a 

nuisance by the Park Service—“Somewhere between 

hippies and bears,” noted Wayne Merry, a member 

of Harding’s team. Despite the lack of warm feelings 

for the project, the Park Service lifted the ban as 

promised and Harding’s team pushed up to Dolt 

Tower before descending for the winter, leaving fixed 

ropes attached to the wall. Fixed ropes reduced the 

fright of being on such a colossal wall, but because 

they were made of manila and left swaying in the 

wind for months on end, the ropes presented a 

danger in themselves. Steve Roper describes a close 

call: “Wally Reed had just begun prusiking up a 

section of rope when suddenly he plummeted back 

onto a ledge. The rope had broken. Luckily the ledge 

was a fair-sized one and he didn’t roll off.” 

In May 1958, Harding 

and the team reached the Boot 

Flake, a feature that mysteriously 

floats on the wall with no visible means of attachment. 

Each pin placement caused the whole feature to groan 

and expand. On top of the boot, seeking the next crack 

system, Harding unleashed the wildest pendulum ever 

done, now renowned as the King Swing. 

By fall the route was pushed up to Camp IV, and 

both climbers and the Park Service wanted to wrap 

things up. Harding had been the leader from the 

start, and as problems arose and partners bailed, it 

was his determination that kept the project alive. Of 

the eight climbers who contributed to the first 

ascent, only Harding was involved for the duration. 

On November 1, 1958, the team, now consisting 

of Harding, Merry, Rich Calderwood and George 

Whitmore, prusiked to their high point at 1,900 feet 

and launched their summit campaign. The Great 

Roof, although appearing from the ground to be the 

crux of the route, was easily dispatched, and the 

climbers moved steadily up to Camp VI. At this 

point Calderwood suddenly dropped out, leaving 

Whitmore to move loads and Harding and Merry to 

swing leads up the spectacular upper dihedrals. 

After enduring a storm on November 10, they 

reached a small ledge 180 feet below the summit. Above 

them loomed a blank and overhanging wall. At 6 p.m. 

the next day Whitmore came up the fixed ropes, which 

now spanned 2,800 feet of the wall, and delivered a fresh 

supply of bolts to Harding. What followed was described 

by Steve Roper in Camp 4 as “the most famous single 

episode in Yosemite’s illustrious climbing history.” 

For 14 hours, from dusk till dawn, Harding 

endured the unimaginable pain of hand drilling 28 

bolts in a row by headlamp. At 6 a.m. he stood 

exhausted but triumphant on the summit, greeted by 

hordes of friends and media who created a huge 

commotion unlike that prompted by any previous 

climb. Scaling El Capitan had required 45 days of 

climbing over 18 months and had consumed 125 bolts. 

The triumph shook both the climbing and non-climbing 

worlds and would change big wall climbing forever. 

The term “impossible climb” would never again be 

used as easily. Within a few years the rush was on to 

climb in Yosemite. 

Aid 

A = aid using hammer 

C = hammerless aid 

Mandatory free 

A5/C5 

A4/C4 

A3/C3 

A2/C2 

Pitch 

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 

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 

5.8-5.9 • • 

≤5.7 • • • • • • • • • 


The Nose 

EL CAPITAN 

AS I HAMMERED IN THE 

LAST BOLT AND 

STAGGERED OVER THE RIM, 

IT WAS NOT AT ALL CLEAR 

TO ME WHO WAS 

CONQUEROR AND WHO 

WAS CONQUERED: I DO 

RECALL THAT EL CAP 

SEEMED TO BE IN MUCH 

BETTER CONDITION THAN 

I WAS. 

WARREN HARDING 

Other history 

In 1960, Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Joe Fitchen made the second 

ascent of the Nose. This significant ascent, the first continuous ascent of El Capitan, 

proved that an enormous wall could be climbed without siege tactics, and it 

paved the way for the bold big wall ascents of the ’60s. Jim Bridwell, John Long 

and Billy Westbay made the first one-day ascent of the Nose in 1975. Their 15-hour 

dash laid the groundwork for the speed climbing that would grip the valley in 

later years. 

In 1981, Ray Jardine, the inventor of Friends, launched the first major attempt 

to free climb the Nose. Just below El Cap Tower the possible free route traversed 

30 feet on what Jardine hoped would be 5.11 terrain. He found the moves were 

actually much harder, so he used a cold chisel and manufactured 5.11. Jardine’s 

motive was his vision of “Numero Uno,” a route up El Cap that was moderate 

and accessible to the masses. 

In 1993, Lynn Hill approached the climb with a much different philosophy. 

After Jardine, many top climbers had attempted to free climb the Nose, but none 

was able to unlock sequences on the Great Roof or the Changing Corners. On her 

first attempt in 1993, Hill freed every pitch to Camp VI including the Great Roof— 

an incredible feat still unrepeated on lead. A few pitches higher on the Changing 

Corners pitch, a fixed piton lodged in a crucial finger lock blocked the free ascent. 

Returning to the summit a few weeks later with Brooke Sandahl, Hill removed 

the offending piton and worked the extremely technical moves. It looked like it 

would go! 

Hill and Sandahl returned to the base and began their ground up free ascent. 

Hill climbed the Great Roof first try and moved to the crux Changing Corners 

pitch. Here she employed “a bizarre sequence of moves involving delicate smears, 

stems, back-stepping, laybacking, arm bars, pinching, palming, etc.” Again, she 

sent the pitch first try and after four days of spectacular free climbing, Hill and 

Sandahl stood on the summit. The Nose was free. 

It is hard to top one of the great free climbing achievements of all time, but 

the next year Hill herself found a way. Starting at 10 p.m. on a September 

evening, Hill spent the next 23 hours climbing every pitch free, making the first 

one-day free ascent of the Nose. 

Strategy 

The Nose requires a fast and light strategy. Although many parties climb the 

route in more than four days, hauling that much food and water is not pretty. 

The route has little mandatory free climbing, but it will be more enjoyable and go 

faster if you can free 5.10. The Nose is the most popular route on El Cap, so 

prepare to wait in line for two days at the base. Most parties spend the first day 

hiking loads to the base and fixing to Sickle Ledge. Fixing gives a head start but 

increases the logistics of the climb. If you aim to do the route in two nights, bivy at 

El Cap Tower and Camp V. If you are aiming for three nights, bivy on Dolt Tower, 

Camp IV and Camp VI. The ASCA and others have replaced almost all lead and 

belay bolts. 

Retreat/Storm 

The Nose is set up for easy bailing from the last pitch all the way to the ground. It is 

much easier to retreat from the route with 60m ropes. In a storm the upper part of 

the wall, especially Camp VI, receives lots of runoff. Many rescues and a few 

deaths have resulted from parties not being equipped with adequate storm gear. 

Reference: Sierra Club Bulletin, Vertical World of Yosemite, Camp 4, Defying Gravity, Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, 

Big Wall Climbing, Climbing in North America, Downward Bound, 1993 and 1994. 


The Nose continued 

VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1 or 5.8 C2 

EL CAPITAN 

8 140' 

Rack 

nuts: 2 ea (offsets useful) 

micro nuts: 1-2 ea (offsets useful) 

cams: 3 ea .5-1" 

2-3 ea 1.5-3.5" 

1 ea 4.5" 

5.11c or 5.7 C1 

tension traverse 

5.9 

or C2 

.6- 2" 

5.10 

or C2 

90' 2 

Entering The Stovelegs 

A is the original route and the 

most popular. B and C are 

fast and good ways to pass 

slower parties. 

5.9 or C1 

Sickle Ledge 

OK bivy for 2 

3 100' 

rope eating 

flake! 

100' 4 

80' 6 

5.9 bulge 

or C1 

120' 5 

4th 

5.9 or C1 

Dolt Hole 

100' 7 

5.8 or C1 

5.12a 

Fix four 50m 

or three 60m 

ropes to ground. 

There are bolt 

stations every 

50m. 

A 

B 

belay 

takes .5-3" 

5.9 lb 

or C1 

C 5.10d or 

5.9 A0 var 

5.6 

loose 

four more 50m 

raps to ground 

The Stovelegs 

5.8 

hands 10b move 

90' 17 left or C1 

don’t go 

right up 

here! 

5.10c 

or C1 

.6-2" 

90' 

Eagle Ledge 

10a lb or C1 

.6-3" 

90' 

5.9 face 

5.11c fingers 

or C1 

5.9 fist 

or C1 

two short swings 

or one long swing by lowering 

about 15' below Boot 

10a ow 

or C1 

5.12a 

4.5" 

King 

Swing 

Jardine 

Traverse 

50' 

many 2-4.5" 

OK bivy for 1 

16 130' 

Boot 

Flake 

C1 

Texas Flake 

5.7 

13 100' 

100' 14 

5.10c hands 

or C1 

.75-3.5" 

15 110' 

5.8 chimney 

(easiest on 

west end) 

5.9 or C1 over 

chockstones 

5.9 or C1 

El Cap 

Tower 

plush bivy 

for 4-6 

Salathé 

5.11a 

130' 1 

5.10 

or C1+ 

5.10d or C1 

.5- 3" 

5.11b or C1 

5.10c fingers 

or C1 

platform 

Approach: From El Cap Bridge 

walk west 1/8 mile to a trail 

that leads to the Southeast 

Buttress of El Cap. From here either 

follow A, the recommended route 

or B, the fast but exposed route. 

Dolt Tower 

bivy 2 comfy, 4 okay 

140' 11 

5.10c ow or C1 

4.5" 

5.10b fist 

or C1 

4" 

3.5" 

5.8 fist or C1 

3" 

belay 

10 130' takes 1-3" 

12 100' belay 

takes 1-3" 

5.8 or C1 

5.7 

squeeze 

From Dolt Tower do eight 50m raps 

to the ground on chain anchors. 

First three raps are within ten feet 

of the Stovelegs. The last five raps 

are out on the blank face east of 

the route. 

Pine 

Line 

5.7 

A 

5.5 

T O E O F S. E 

4th 

exposed 

4th 

B 

. B U T T R E S S 

loose 

5.8 or p 

C1 gully p 

5.9 lb 

2-4.5" 

1-3" 

9 70' 

5.10 ow or C1 

4.5" 

The Stovelegs 

8 


The Nose 

VI 5.13+ or 5.9 C1 or 5.8 C2 

EL CAPITAN 

80' 

23 110' 

5.11c or C1 

shuttle gear 

to tree 

120' 31 

5.5 

Great Roof 

5.13+ 

or C1 

10a lb 

or C1 

5.7 

Pancake 

Flake 

22 120' 

5.12c boulder 

problem crux 

C1 

steep 

5.12a var. 

5.11b var. 

haul here 

for less drag 

1-3" 

28 100' 

5.8 hands 

or C1 

5.11d 

or C1 

70' 30 

5.10d or C1 

27 150' 

100' 20 

5.11c or C1 

1-3" 

p 

5.10a 

or C1 

rap 

route 

5.9 

or C1 

5.7 

Camp IV 

poor bivy for 2 

5.10a var. 

19 120' 

OK bivy 

for 1 

rap route 

(angle east, two 

raps to 

Dolt Tower) 

.5-2" 

21 110' 

5.7 

5.12 or 

5.10 A0 var. 

50m from 

50m to 

5.10b 

or C1 

19 

22 

60m from 22 

60m to 

optional belay 

.5-2" 

5.10d 

or C1 

18 120' belay 

takes .5-2" 

.75-2.5" 

Camp V 

sharp 

17 110' 24 

if retreating from 

between 17 and 18, 

rappel down 

Jardine Traverse 

fixed 

1-3" 

1-3" 

5.10c 

or C1 

5.10d lb or C1 

5.10d 

28 

alcove 

29 130' 

good bivy for 2 

best hauling 

many nuts 

good bivy 2 

5.7 

.75-2.5" 

5.11 AO 

var. 

Changing 

Corners 

Camp VI 

ok bivy for 2 

5.11b or C1+ 

110' 25 

move 

right 

5.7 

or C1 

ok bivy 

for 1 

1-3" 

5.10d 

or C1 

5.7 

or C1 

ok bivy for 1 

5.12d 

or C1 

5.9 hands 

or C1 

5.13+ 

or C1 

sharp edge 

cross at 

low bolt 

26 150' 

ok bivy for 1 

1.5-3" 

Glowering Spot 

3' x 3' ledge 

Keep 

Camp VI 

clean! 

23 

5.11a or 

C1+ awk. 


Wall Tips 

H2O Rations (per person per day) 

3 quarts: October–May 

4 quarts: May, June, September 

4+ quarts: July and August 

For carrying water, two-liter soda bottles work 

best. Two-quart Gatorade bottles also work. These 

bottles are sturdy on their own and wrapping 

them in duct tape is generally a waste of time and 

tape. To clip in the bottles, clove hitch a thin tie-off 

under the mouth of the bottle. 

Essentials 

Helmet The most crucial piece of gear on a big wall. 

Handy wipes To clean hands and face at end of 

the day. 

Small knife For cutting faded slings off fixed pieces. 

Gloves Use goat skin gardening gloves or 

standard leather gloves with the fingertips cut 

off, then reinforced with duct tape to keep 

seams from unraveling. 

Poop tube It’s the law. Sling some four-inch 

diameter PVC pipe and put screw lids on both 

ends. Standard four-inch triple wall drainpipe is 

a lighter and far less expensive alternative to 

PVC. It’s plenty bomber, cuts easily, and accepts 

standard PVC fittings. Go in a paper bag, then 

drop it in the “vault” with a little kitty litter or 

lime to mediate the odor. 

Shoes Most wall shoes made by climbing shoe 

companies are good; but realize that even the 

most durable shoes will get thrashed on a wall. 

The cheaper alternative is to buy used hiking 

boots. A liberal coating of Seam Grip on the 

seams and rand of your wall shoes will make 

them last much longer. 

GriGri 

Waulhauler 

Stuff sacks with clip-in loops 

Duct tape It holds the world together. 

Leeper cam hooks Save time and the rock; once 

you get over the initial fear of using them, you 

will wonder how you ever climbed without them. 

Bolt Kit 

Used for replacing bad anchor bolts or broken 

lead bolts. In general, you do not need a bolt kit 

on hammerless routes. Machine heads are no 

longer recommended for rivets because they are 

difficult to place properly; thus, they become 

unreliable on future ascents. They are also 

impossible to replace. After heads have rusted, 

they need to be chopped, and subsequently, new 

holes have to be drilled. The standard rivet in 

Yosemite is either the Rawl Drive or Rawl Spike 

¼" by one inch. 

Equipment list 

Bolt bag (or use chalk bag or stuff sack), hand 

drill, blow tube, test-tube brush (used to clean 

holes), crescent wrench, ¼" x 1¼" Rawl Drive 

bolts or Rawl Spike bolts, ⅜" x 2¼" stainless 

Rawl bolts (a.k.a five piece), or stainless Fixé 

bolts, ¼" and ⅜" drill bits. 

Note: Each SDS bit is generally good for 

8–15 holes. 


APPENDIX 

Big Wall Cuisine 

Breakfast 

Canned fruit (peaches, pineapple, fruit 

cocktail); applesauce; mandarin oranges; 

granola with instant coffee and dried milk; 

danishes; Fig Newtons; Pop Tarts. 

Lunch/Snacks 

Candy bars (that don’t melt); granola bars; 

bagels, plain with cream cheese or with PB&J; 

energy bars; “Power Putty” made from peanut 

butter, raisins, granola, honey, flour (just a little 

to eliminate stickiness); beef jerky; cheese (precut 

and put in zip lock bag); nuts; trail mix; 

dried fruit; Jolly Ranchers (if you are out of 

food you will love these); chocolate covered 

espresso beans. 

Dinner 

Pudding cups; smoked oysters or salmon on 

crackers; “Schippoopi Sandwich” built on a bagel 

with ground pepper, cucumber, bell pepper, red 

onion, Grey Poupon (from deli) and hot sauce 

(from Taco Bell); canned food such as ravioli, 

spaghetti, chili and hearty canned soups. Bread, 

bagels and tortillas make cold canned food a little 

more palatable. Tupperware is crucial to keeping 

soft foods from getting squashed. 


Selected Yosemite 

Reading List 

There are hundreds of books to read on Yosemite big walls. What follows 

is a partial selection of sources I have found especially useful. 

Ament, Pat, 1992. Royal Robbins: Spirit of the 

Age. Adventure’s Meaning Press, Lincoln, 

Nebraska. 

American Alpine Journal, Golden, Colorado 

(americanalpineclub.org). 

Arce, Gary, 1996. Defying Gravity: High 

Adventure on Yosemite’s Walls. Wilderness Press, 

Berkeley, California. 

Climbing Magazine, Carbondale, Colorado. 

(climbing.com). 

Duane, Daniel, 1994. Lighting Out: A Vision of 

California and the Mountains. Graywolf Press, 

Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

Duane, Daniel, 1998. Looking for Mo. 

Washington Square Press, New York. 

Harding, Warren, 1975. Downward Bound—A 

Mad Guide to Rock Climbing. Menasha Ridge 

Press, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 

Jones, Chris, 1976. Climbing in North America. 

University of California Press, Berkeley, 

California. 

Piana, Paul, 1998. Big Walls: Breakthroughs on 

the Free-Climbing Frontier. Sierra Club Books, 

San Francisco, California. 

Rock and Ice, Boulder, Colorado 

(rockandice.com). 

Roper, Steve, 1994. Camp 4: Recollections of a 

Yosemite Rockclimber. The Mountaineers, 

Seattle, Washington. 

Roper, Steve and Allen Steck, 1979. Fifty Classic 

Climbs of North America. Sierra Club Books, 

San Francisco, California. 

Roper, Steve and Allen Steck, 1999. Ascent: The 

Climbing Experience in Word and Image. 

American Alpine Club Press, Golden, Colorado. 

Roper, Steve, 1971. Climber’s Guide to Yosemite 

Valley. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 

California. 

Rowell, Galen, 1974. Vertical World of Yosemite. 

Wilderness Press, Berkeley, California. 

Scott, Doug, 1974. Big Wall Climbing. Oxford 

University Press, New York. 

Meyers, George, 1979. Yosemite Climber. 

Diadem Books/Robbins Mountain Letters, 

Modesto, California. 


APPENDIX 

About the Author 

Chris McNamara is addicted to El Capitan. He is one of the bestknown 

climbers on the Yosemite circuit and is the winner of the 

1999 Bates Award from the American Alpine Club as the nation’s 

outstanding young climber/mountaineer. He is also the founder 

and president of the American Safe Climbing Association and a 

student at UC Berkeley. 

Chris’ first El Capitan ascent was at age 15. A year later he and 

his brother Morgan became the youngest team, at 16 and 13, ever 

to climb El Cap. By the year 2000, at age 21, Chris had logged 

more than 54 ascents of El Cap, plus trips to Norway, Baffin Island 

and Ecuador. Climbing magazine once computed that 3 percent 

of Chris’ life on earth had been spent on the face of El Cap. His 

climbs include the first one-day ascents of Lurking Fear (solo), 

Dihedral Wall, Grape Race, Re-Animator and Muir Wall. He made 

the first clean ascent of the North America Wall 

and holds speed records on The Shield, Zodiac 

and Wet Denim Daydream. Chris has put up 

first ascents on Half Dome and in Zion, as well 

as doing the first Girdle Traverse of El Cap, a 

route that took five days, 75 pitches and 14,000 

feet of climbing. 

Chris founded the ASCA in 1997 during a 

year he took off between high school and college. 

The non-profit group has replaced more than 

1,500 anchor bolts on routes in Yosemite, 

Zion, and other climbing areas. Chris has 

replaced more than 450 himself. In addition 

to running the ASCA, Chris serves on the 

board of directors of the Access Fund. He lives 

in Berkeley, California. 

Mac proves no sleep, no steep: Recharging for another push up El Cap. 

Photo by Mike Ousley.

S U P E R T O P O S

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