The Most Difficult Route up El Capitan, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the route up El Capitan you think is the most difficult!

Updated on May 1, 2024 06:25

Climbers from around the globe flock to Yosemite National Park, drawn by the iconic El Capitan. Here, the sheer vertical faces pose a formidable challenge, daring the skilled and the brave to find their paths upward. The difficulty of each route varies, leading to debates among the climbing community about which paths truly test the limits of endurance and skill. Having a clear, community-driven ranking of these challenging routes provides a valuable resource for both new and experienced climbers. It assists them in choosing which paths to tackle based on real-time feedback from their peers. This site empowers its users to contribute their experiences and insights, shaping an accurate ranking that evolves with new achievements and shared stories.

What Is the Most Difficult Route up El Capitan?

1

65
votes

The Dawn Wall

The Dawn Wall - considered the most difficult route up El Capitan, it involves climbing over 3,000 feet of vertical and overhanging rock faces. It took Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson 19 days to complete in 2015.
2

30
votes
Magic Mushroom

Magic Mushroom is a challenging and rarely climbed route up the southeast face of El Capitan, featuring long pitches of aid climbing and difficult free climbing sections.
The Magic Mushroom is a highly challenging route up El Capitan, a vertical granite monolith in Yosemite National Park, California. The route takes climbers up the vertical face of El Capitan, offering a mix of intense free climbing and aid climbing sections.

Difficulty: Extremely difficult (rated at 5.14c/d)

Length: Around 33 pitches or 2,900 feet (884 meters)

Style: A combination of free climbing and aid climbing

Protection: Traditional gear placements and bolts

First Ascent: Completed by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson in 2008
3

21
votes
Elucidate · CC BY 3.0

The Nose

The Nose is one of the most iconic routes up El Capitan, it involves climbing 2,900 feet of vertical and overhanging rock faces. While not as difficult as The Dawn Wall, it remains a challenging climb due to its length and technical difficulty.
The Nose is a legendary and iconic rock climbing route up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. It is considered one of the most difficult and sought-after routes in the world. The route follows a prominent massive stone nose-shaped feature on the lower section of El Capitan, hence the name "The Nose". Climbing The Nose requires a combination of endurance, technical skill, and mental fortitude.

Grade: VI 5.14a

Length: 2,900 feet (880 meters)

Number of Pitches: 31

First Ascent: Completed in 1958 by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore

Style: Big wall climbing, mostly aid climbing with some free climbing sections
4

19
votes
The Shield

Jim Bridwell

The Shield is a rarely climbed route up the southwest face of El Capitan, featuring difficult and technical climbing sections.
The Shield is one of the most difficult routes up El Capitan, located in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a demanding climb that tests the limits of both stamina and technical skill. The route follows a prominent arête on El Capitan's southwest face, requiring climbers to navigate a variety of complex features and challenging terrain.

Difficulty Grade: VI 5.13a A2

Length: 2,900 feet (880 meters)

Number of Pitches: 26

First Ascent: 1972

Style: Big Wall, Aid Climbing
5

11
votes
Tangerine Trip

Jim Bridwell

Tangerine Trip is a challenging route up the southeast face of El Capitan, featuring difficult aid climbing and free climbing sections.
The Tangerine Trip is considered one of the most challenging routes up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. It is a mythical and legendary climb that demands a high level of technical skill, endurance, and mental fortitude. The route follows a complex and intricate line up the southwest face of El Capitan, offering breathtaking views, exposed granite features, and sustained difficulty throughout.

Difficulty Level: 5.12 A2

Length: 3,000 feet

Vertical Gain: 2,900 feet

Number of Pitches: 26

Rock Type: Granite
6

19
votes
Zodiac

Zodiac is a technical and challenging route up the southeast face of El Capitan, often requiring aid climbing and featuring difficult free climbing sections.
The Zodiac is one of the most difficult routes up El Capitan, a famous granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. It is a technical and challenging climb that demands a high level of skill and experience. The route follows a continuous line up the sheer southwest face of El Capitan, offering breathtaking views along the way.

Difficulty: 5.13+/A2

First Ascent: 1972

Length: 16 pitches

Vertical Gain: 2,000 feet

Type of Climb: Big wall
7

4
votes
Mescalito

Mescalito is a challenging and rarely climbed route up the southwest face of El Capitan, featuring difficult and technical climbing sections.
Mescalito is considered to be one of the most difficult routes up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. It is a steep and challenging line that requires advanced climbing techniques and exceptional physical fitness. The route follows a prominent central streak on the southwest face of El Capitan, offering minimal protection and limited natural features to aid in the ascent. Mescalito presents climbers with an array of technical pitches, involving off-width cracks, thin face climbing, and challenging aid climbing sections.

Grade: VI 5.9 A4

Length: 3,000 feet

Number of pitches: 27

First ascent: April 15-19, 1973

Estimated time to complete: 7-10 days
8

7
votes
Tempest

Tempest is a challenging route up the southeast face of El Capitan, featuring technical climbing sections and requiring aid climbing in some sections.
The Tempest is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft designed to meet the requirements of future air combat missions. It is being developed as part of a collaborative effort between the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and several leading aerospace companies.

Stealth Capability: Significantly reduced radar cross-section and infrared signature for enhanced survivability.

Supercruise: Ability to sustain supersonic speeds without using afterburners.

Data Fusion: Integration of data from various sources, sensors, and platforms for improved situational awareness.

Advanced Avionics: State-of-the-art onboard systems for enhanced performance and mission effectiveness.

Directed Energy Weapons: Capability to employ high-energy lasers and other directed energy weapons.
9

9
votes
The Salathe Wall

The Salathe Wall is a classic route up El Capitan, featuring difficult free climbing and aid climbing sections. While not as technically challenging as other routes, it remains a challenging climb due to its length and exposure.
The Salathe Wall is considered one of the most difficult and iconic routes up El Capitan, a prominent granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. It follows a striking and complex line up the southwest face of El Capitan, spanning around 3,000 feet of sheer vertical rock.

Grade: 5.13b

Type of ascent: Big-wall climbing

Length: 3,000 feet

Vertical gain: 2,550 feet

Number of pitches: 35
10

8
votes
Lurking Fear

Alex Huber and Thomas Huber

Lurking Fear is a challenging route up the west face of El Capitan, featuring difficult and technical climbing sections.
The Lurking Fear is a challenging route up El Capitan, located in Yosemite National Park, California. It is known for its sustained difficulty and technical climbing sections. The route was first climbed in September 1997 by Alex Huber and Thomas Huber, two renowned German climbers. It follows a complex and intricate line up the southeast face of El Capitan.

Difficulty: 5.13c

Route Length: 2,300 feet

Number of Pitches: 23

Type of Climbing: Big wall, trad, and aid climbing

Rock Type: Granite

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Ranking factors for difficult route up El Capitan

Technical Difficulty

This refers to the level of climbing skills and techniques required to complete the route. This includes factors like the steepness of the wall, the presence of overhangs, cracks, or small holds that are hard to grip, and the need for complex moves.
Protection

Assess the availability and quality of protection on the route. This could include the presence of bolts or other fixed gear, as well as whether the route can be protected with traditional climbing gear, like cams and nuts.
Route Length

The overall length of the route affects its difficulty, as longer routes typically require more endurance and commitment from climbers. Consider the number of pitches (sections of the climb that require the lead climber to stop and anchor the rope) and the total vertical gain.
Commitment Level

This refers to the level of mental and physical commitment required for the climb. Factors that influence commitment level include the amount of time and effort it takes to complete the route, as well as its remoteness and level of exposure – the extent to which a climber feels exposed to the vastness of the rock face and open air.
Sustained Difficulty

Consider whether the route has a series of difficult sections back-to-back, or if there are easier sections that provide opportunities for rest and recovery.
Quality of Rock

The rock's texture, composition, and stability can affect the difficulty of a route. Loose or crumbling rock can make the climbing dangerous and more difficult, while smoother, more solid rock can make certain moves easier and more secure.
Climbing Style

Different routes may be more difficult for climbers with different skill sets or preferences. For example, a route that is primarily crack climbing might be more challenging for a climber who specializes in face climbing.
Weather and Conditions

The difficulty of a climb can be influenced by the weather and conditions on the wall. For example, high winds, extreme heat or cold, and wet or icy conditions can make a climb more challenging.
Popularity and Crowding

A route's difficulty might be increased if it's crowded and climbers must wait in line or navigate around other parties.
Personal Experience and Abilities

Finally, take into account individual experience, fitness, and skill levels, since what might be an easy route for one climber could be a significant challenge for another.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult route up El Capitan. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or route is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

2056 views
192 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each route once every 24 hours. The rank of each route is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most difficult route up el capitan

El Capitan is a massive granite monolith located in Yosemite National Park, California. It is one of the world's most famous rock climbing destinations, attracting thousands of climbers each year. Rising over 3,000 feet above the valley floor, El Capitan offers a variety of routes for climbers of all skill levels. However, some routes are notoriously difficult and require exceptional climbing skills, strength, and endurance. The most challenging routes up El Capitan include The Nose, Salathé Wall, and The Shield. These routes are considered the ultimate test of a climber's abilities and have been the subject of many legendary climbs and stories. Climbing El Capitan is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are up for the challenge, it can be a life-changing experience.