How to Climb El Capitan in Yosemite

Not long ago, El Capitan was considered an impossible mountain face to climb. Today, however, the situation is quite different. With more than 70 known routes and dozens of climbers tackling the face each day, "El Cap," as climbers call the face, is one of the most desired mountain climbing accomplishments in the world.

Instructions

    • 1

      Plan your route. The first decision to make is whether to climb the western or south wall of the mountain. Each offers dozens of climbing routes, though the south face is warmer, sometimes too warm, because it faces the afternoon sun. Check out the different routes and their difficulty level to find the right way up El Cap.

    • 2

      Think about the time of year. Most climbers who have done El Capitan recommend going in spring or early fall. Unfortunately, these are Yosemite's peak tourist months, where vacationers, hikers and climbers pour into the park. Winter offers more dangerous and challenging climbs while climbing El Capitan in the summer can be extremely hot, especially on the south wall.

    • 3

      Gear up. You should plan a climb that will last between four and six days, which is the average amount of time that it takes to climb El Capitan. There have been climbs as fast as two hours and as slow as 200. So there is clearly lots of leeway to vary the climb. However, if it's your first El Capitan climb, plan for as much as a six-day climb, which will mean gearing up for that many days of climbing and camping.

    • 4

      Respect "the Nose." The Nose is El Capitan's most formidable and respected geographical feature and one of the most recognized features in all of Yosemite. Sitting low on the face and between the two main walls, the Nose, which resembles a human nose, was once considered to be the truly impossible part of an impossible climb. You should decide if you want to completely skirt the Nose, cut across part of it just for the sense of accomplishment it gives or take the Nose head-on for an extraordinary climb.