Avg time to climb route: 4 hours
Approach time: 30 minutes
Descent time: 30 minutes
Number of pitches:
5
Height of route: 400'
Overview
This wandering and adventurous climb leads to El Cap Tree, an 80’ ponderosa, the only major tree on El Capitan. Around 1950, Park Naturalists, intent on discovering whether the tree was a Jeffrey or a ponderosa, started climbing the steep wall. After placing a few bolts and pitons they retreated. In 1952 Allen Steck, Will Siri, Bill Dunmire and Bob Swift picked up where the naturalists had left off, and finished the route in two days. From El Cap Tree, Steck described the terrain above as “A real opportunity for future rock engineers!” Steck was probably looking at Iron Hawk, a route climbed 26 years later by Ron Kauk and Dale Bard.
Climber Beta on El Cap Tree
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El Cap Tree
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El Cap Tree
Source: SuperTopo Guidebook Staff |
Last update: May 6, 2018 |
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An adventurous 4 pitches of climbing. Photo: Chris McNamara
Other Routes on El Capitan
| The Nose, 5.14a or 5.9 C2 El Capitan
The Nose—the best rock climb in the world! |
| Freerider, 5.12D El Capitan
The Salathé Wall ascends the most natural line up El Cap. |
| Zodiac, A2 5.7 El Capitan
1800' of fantastic climbing. |
| Salathe Wall, 5.13b or 5.9 C2 El Capitan
The Salathé Wall ascends the most natural line up El Cap. |
| Lurking Fear, C2F 5.7 El Capitan
Lurking Fear is route number 1. |
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