How long does El Capitan take to climb?
4 min read
Asked by: Kim Anderson
El Capitan, known as El Cap, is a 3,000-foot-high granite edifice that draws thousands of climbers to Yosemite each year. Climbers typically take around four to six days to reach the top, using a variety of routes.
What is the fastest climb of El Capitan?
And last year, Honnold became the first to do a free solo ascent of El Capitan. The two climbers are known for pushing the limits, and on June 6, they broke the speed record up El Capitan—climbing the famous granite slab in 1 hour, 58 minutes, and 7 seconds.
How long did it take the first climbers to climb El Capitan?
The first ascent was in 1958 after 47 days of effort by Wayne Merry, Warren Harding and George Whitmore, with over various partner. The first free route on El Capitan was the West Face in 1979 by Ray Jardine and Bill Price.
How hard is El Capitan to climb?
While El Capitan houses some of the most challenging big wall climbs in the world, it offers a wide variety of route difficulty, ranging from beginner (5.6) to expert (5.14) grades.
Can you climb El Capitan in a day?
While it is possible to hike up El Capitan as a day hike, the trail tends to be a popular backpacking route for campers. It is recommended for even advanced day trailblazers to start their hike before sunrise to avoid difficult travels during dusk on the way back down.
How many have free soloed El Capitan?
A few dozen men have “free-climbed” El Capitan, but only three – Tommy Caldwell, Honnold and the late Brad Gobright – have gone up the route Harrington achieved, known as Golden Gate.
How old was Alex Honnold when he climbed El Capitan?
Freerider: On May 3, 2017, Honnold became the first climber to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite. He climbed the 30-pitch 5.12d called Freerider that was established in the 1990s by the Huber brothers. In 2007, Honnold climbed Freerider in one day at the age of 21. His solo only took three hours and 56 minutes.
How much does it cost to climb El Capitan?
Guided Climbs Rates
| Climb | Duration (hours) | Price (1 person) |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme Day | 10+ | $550 |
| Grade V | 3 days | $2,300 |
| Half Dome | 5 days | $5,300 |
| El Capitan | 6 days | $7,000 |
What is Alex Honnold salary?
approximately $200k annually
Alex Honnold is worth just over $2 million dollars – which is impressive for someone in the rock climbing sport. His average yearly income is approximately $200k annually. The average climber will only earn about $15,000 a year from the sport alone.
Who has soloed El Capitan?
Alex Honnold
In June 2017, American Alex Honnold made the first free-solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite. Honnold, known as one of the world’s most accomplished climbers, soloed Freerider 5.12d/13a in three hours and 56 minutes after starting at 5:32 a.m.
Is it legal to free climb El Capitan?
The park will issue an unlimited number of free permits to climb the big walls, such as El Capitan and Half Dome, on overnight trips, creating a system that rangers hope will allow them to collect data on climbing trends for future planning.
How do mountain climbers poop?
Climbers use either ‘poop tubes’ or sealable bags to store their redundancies when climbing on big walls. Climbers don’t crotch over the edge of their portaledge and let their poop fall down. Of course, this would litter the climbing area, making a mess out of the wall.
Can you walk down El Capitan?
The El Capitan Trail is a 15 mile hike in Yosemite National Park that drops you off at the top of El Capitan, offering stunning views of Taft Point, Dewey Point, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and North Dome. The hike is difficult but rewarding, offering views that can hardly be matched anywhere else.
How do rock climbers come back down?
Rock climbers get back to the ground by either descending the ropes they used to get up the rock (rappelling or lowering) or by hiking down a different, less steep, side of the rock.
Can you camp at the top of El Capitan?
While Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point Road are beautiful, nothing compares to the Yosemite backcountry. We were excited to camp on top of El Capitan, but waking up to a fresh dusting of snow turned this trip into one for the ages.
