Legends of Stone

El Capitan - Salathe Wall
VI, 5.9, A4. Royal Robbins, Chuck Pratt and Tom Frost, September 1961. Over a period of three weeks about nine days were spent on the first ascent of this excellent route. Ropes were fixed to 900 feet and 13 bolts were used. The first continuous ascent was made in 1962 by Robbins and Frost in four and a half days. At present, parties are taking three and a half to six days for the climb.
From the toe of the Nose walk up talus to the left for several hundred feet until a recess is reached. Climb not in the back of the recess but on cracks to the right. Two pitches of mixed free and aid leads to a sling belay below a roof. Nail this to the right, then proceed up to a small belay ledge. The 4th pitch is mainly aid and leads to another small belay stance. Nail up an increasingly difficult crack until it ends, then move left (5.8) to a bolt ladder. From its top move to the right on friction (5.9), then climb to a tiny belay ledge. Pitch 6: proceed up another bolt ladder, then move left (5.8) and up to a good belay ledge. Mixed climbing leads up a pitch to a belay in slings beneath a large roof – the Half Dollar. Turn this on the right, then climb the long corner to a good belay ledge. The 9th and 10th leads are free and end at Mammoth Terraces, 1,000 feet above the ground.
From a tree at the west end of the ledges, rappel 145 feet onto ledges at the base of the Heart. The next pitch is complex: climb up, then left, make a pendulum left, then climb up and right to good belay ledges. The next lead, the 12th, is easy. Next comes a difficult and spectacular section. Work up a bit, the pendulum to a crack far to the left. A 120-foot long lieback/jam leads to Hollow Flake Ledge. Three long pitches of mixed free and aid lead up obvious, dirty cracks. Pitch 17 is the Ear; chimney up, then out, then up again (5.8) to a small ledge at the base of a very steep wall. Nail this 150 feet to a ledge on the left. A short 5.9 jamcrack leads to the Alcove, a block-filled terrace. Pitch 20: ascend the spectacular four-foot wide slot behind El Cap Spire. From here nail a perfect crack 70 feet to a ledge, then climb a 5.9 flared chimney to a belay ledge. Above, a nail up leads to a broad, sloping ledge. The 23rd pitch is solid nailing and ends on a small ledge. Above is the ugliest pitch of the route and has been described as “black, slimy, dirty, overhanging and rotten.” At this point, nail upward 100 feet, then work up and left around the Block.
From the top of the Block climb a short 5.8 pitch. On the fourth ascent a much more direct route was found past the next section and will be described here. Nail a black flake, then tension-traverse to a small ledge on the left. Nail A3 cracks up and left to Sous Le Toit Ledge. {see below} Pitch 27: climb a 5.7 jamcrack, then nail easy cracks to a sling belay. Above, stay in the corner an nail an A4 crack to a belay in slings just beneath the formidable Roof. Wild but fairly easy aid leads over the Roof onto the 95º headwall above. Belay is slings 30 feet above the Roof. Two pitches of moderate lead up the headwall to a long, narrow ledge on the right. The 32nd lead begins from the far right end of this ledge. Using thin pitons, nail upward, then free climb up and left to a good belay spot. A mixed pitch leads more or less straight up to a sloping area. One more pitch follows: using aid, gain entrance to an overhanging 5.9 crack. Shortly above its top the summit slabs are reached. Good bivouac sites are found on top of pitches 10, 13, 20, 24, and 31. Hardware: 60-65 pins, from rurps to a 4” bong.

Salathe: A coincidence of course, but Royal mentioned at last nights lecture, that it was a shame the original pendulum to Sous le toit is no longer done, because he felt it was a really good one. So guess what? The Yellow team, from yesterday, actually did the original pendulum!! I have never seen it done in all the years I have been shooting!! They were headed to the Roof as I departed. They have only a large pack for baggage.
Original pendulum to Sous le toit ledge!