[El Capitan] - The Nose

[chrtur]

Note: I hope it is fine with english just this one time

Long, sustained and flawless; the Nose may be the best rock climb in the world; it is certainly the best know. At 5.9 C1 this route is technically easy but do not be fooled. The Nose, like all El Cap routes is huge exposed and terrifying.......

In November 1958 the team of Harding-Merry-Whitmore changed the view of big wall climbing forever ad the term "impossible climb" would never again be used as easily, the scaling of El Capitan had required 45 days of climbing over 18 months, and today is on of the world's most iconic wall, see also issue 25 of Alpinist (http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/wfeature-alpinist-celebrates-el-capitant)

In September 2008, more or less on the 50th anniversary of the Nose, the team of the two Khmers (Christian and Olov) made it their way to the valley, with a plan to scale down one of the routes on El Cap.


(El Cap on a nice sunny day)

As the Nose requires a fast and light strategy, as you want to spend as few days as possible on the wall, together with being one the most popular routes on El Cap, so some tactics has to be involved. We aimed for the most common option with two bivys on the wall (at El Cap tower and Camp V), spending one day to fix the lines to Sickle Ledge and haul up the loads. Propably you could even aim directly for a single day ascent, must be planned very carefully for that in our opinions, and we wanted a nice big wall experience instead.

So we started to pack for the ascent; my first time bringing such much water on a climb (it is not that you can melt some snow on the wall, more like making bacon and eggs) together with the standard rack recommended by Supertopo:


(Packing gear in Yosemite Village)

- 32 l of water (at least 4 l per day and person)
- Micronuts, Offset nuts, Normal nuts
- Cams (3 each from blue Aliens up to blue BD Camalots, 1 Silver BD Camalots, 1 black Alien)
- One 60 m lead rope, one static 60 m haul line, one 25 m lower out line
- One hook
- Food (Ravioli cans, Fruit cans, Cliff Bars, Candy)
- Sleeping bags and pad
- Personal aid climbing gear (shoes, daisy, etries, hook, helmet, etc)
- Two green apples

With this amount of gear we could not get away with one 70 l of haulbag (we wanted some comfort in the wall as you do not have to suffer all the time) so we had to take two; actually one full 70 l and a second one just half full.

To our surprise we discovered that the valley was not as full with climbers as we had expected, and for several days in a row we did not even see a soul on the wall, strange?! We even did a smaller big wall climb higher up in the valley before going for the Nose and there we were alone for two days.... Hence, we had our go at the El Cap with no one else in sight at first!


(We are happy to start the Nose)

The first day we had to fix everything to Sickle ledge. Well, it took us about 2-3 hours fixing the ropes up there. This means that you climb the first official four pitches up to the ledge; fix the ropes to the ground; getting the haulbags in place; leave and sleep in Camp 4; and then start the next day early in the morning.

- The ledge can be fixed with either 4 50 m ropes or 3 60 m ones
- Leaving the ropes in place is no problems, you can give people a hint that you are waiting in line.
- Haul the bags that line as it is much easier.

(The second pitch with a small pendulum training)


(The third pitch and can be linked directly up to the ledge)


(The fix line to the bottom and easy hauling)


(A night in Camp 4)

However, we discovered one fixed rope up to the ledge, but no people nor haulbags? So, we knew that there was another group around, but not what they had in mind? We even went back later in the evening to check out if there were some more people coming up (also our bags and ropes). Luckily, nothing had changed during the day!

After a good night of sleep and nice dinner in american style, we jugged up the fixed lines of ours in the dark, we heard and saw nobody, we made a really funny discovery at the ledge.

There were two people from Venezuela sitting (or half sleeping) on the ledge getting prepared to start climbing. It was their ropes we had seen the day before and we really wondered why there were already up there?

Actually they had tried to sleep at the base during the night while a ranger came and woke them up, so they were forced to start climbing up in the middle of the night to the ledge, a nice start! For us, this was quite bad as now we had to wait behind them now (loosing time) and they had even planned for an extra day. We understood that after one hour just waiting for the leader to finish the first pitch, we were getting desperate or just running out of time.

We then did a very wise decision (we did not yet see anyone more coming up) to go down and make a new fresh start the next day (we could then start first for sure and just be climbing alone). However, when going back to the car we saw this other group heading up!!

Instead of a relaxing day we went back and forth to the Meadows in order to check out the progress of the new group, we even discovered a third one heading up!? Still, we had made a wise decision since we noted the slow progress of the group from Venezuela (climbing slow in the heat was not what we wanted to do) and even the new groups were fortunately not very quickly! It took them about 7-8 hours fixing all the gear to Sickle ledge and we monitored everything....

Hence, we talked with them directly when they (an austrian group and very friendly) were coming down and told them that we were first in line and we agreed on that all together. Still, there was this second group which was still up there with a ledge, not coming down, and that worried us very much in the evening.

Hence, next day again an early start and when we arrived at the base we saw some headlights in the dark going up where the fixed ropes were! We ran like crazy up from the car and started to jugging up like crazy as we discovered that is was the third group from the day before.

Actually, one of them had made a huge mistake, when we were going up on the second fixed rope, we discovered that he was on it! I think we woke up all the bears nearby while shouting quite heavily at him.

It solved for sure the problems of who was to be first starting to climb from the ledge, they did not say that much......

We could finally start and did the first pitch in the dark and goal for the day was set on El Cap tower!

- Start as early as possible even climb the first part in the dark.
- You can make it out of the corner with 62 m rope (move the stand) on the first pitch from the ledge.
- If you can free climb in the Stovelegs cracks it saves a lot of time.
- With one BD 4 you are at limit when leapfrogging after Dolt Tower and you can link these two pitches directly.

(Entering the Stovelegs)


(The lower part of the Stovelegs)


(The higher part of the Stovelegs)


(Getting towards the Dolt Tower)


(Our haulbags with lower out line)


(Directly after Dolt Tower)


(Getting towards El Cap Tower)


(Almost at the finish of the BD 4 leapfrogging part)


(The bivy spot at El Cap tower)

For us the day had gone perfect with not problems at all, we arrived very early at El Cap tower so we decided to fix another two pitches for an early start the next day, up to the Boot flake. We had even catched up with the group of the day before so in the end we could only fix the ropes up to the Texas flake as the the other group were occupied with the King Swing.

Therefore, we went back to the bivy spot, had some very good ravioli, fruits, candy and a lot of water. Then we went for an eight hours sleep!


(King Swing in the evening)


(Sleeping to much that night)

A new day (the longest according to the guidebook) with the goal of reaching Camp V. The first funny thing in the morning after reaching the Boot Flake was the famous King Swing.

After seeing Huber doing it, reading about it, we were thinking it would be amazing. Well, after passing it, we said to each other: It was nothing more than that?


(Getting closer to the top)


(The King Swing)


(The roof, the roof, the roof is getting closer.....)

To our surprise (a second time) the group ahead of us had made a bivy directly after the King Swing (it is a very small ledge for two people) and at this point we were directly behind them now.

But, it was a perfect spot for trying to pass them. We opted for a variation in the Grey Bands so that everything went very smooth and told them that they could pass us if we got to slow for them. We also told them that we could share some food in Camp V in the evening (we had a lot of stuff with us in the bags).

After the Grey Bands you reach the ground for the Great Roof and we can only say that if you manage to freeclimb that stuff you are an alien, it is not the case were you even get a finger inside, more or less a small tip of it...


(Last pitch before the Great Roof)


(Climbing the Great Roof)


(Coming up towards the Great Roof)


(Cleaning is not so trivial)

After the Great Roof comes the Pancake Flake and then a final pitch to the bivy spot of Camp V. Again we managed to be at the place in perfect time as the day before. We fixed another pitch above for a nice and early start, then having our final dinner on the wall. Even eating the two green apples for dessert (we strongly recommend bringing apples on the wall).

We shared the spot with the group from Venzuela that night, giving them several cans of ravioli (which they were very happy for) as we had brought to much.... You should not suffer to much on the wall!

- Use the lower out line a lot for the haulbags as it saves time.
- Small aliens (blue, green, yellow) are very useful for the roof.
- The Grey Bands is a good spot for passing, still a lot of loose rocks!
- Drink a lot during the day.
- Be first at Camp V.

(Pancake Flake and it identical to the photo in Alpinist 25)


(Final part for the Camp V)


(Fixing a pitch after Camp V to Glowering Spot)

The last day and in total we had left four pitches (you can link a little there) with the famous Changing Corners and Bolt ladder. What is nice with this part of the climb is that is in the shadow for a long period of the day (facing southwest in corners) and we only got some Sun on the last pitch of the wall (topping out around lunch time). The view from the upper pitches down the route is amazing (even impossible to get on photos) and you must stop after the boltladder which has the best one!


(Down towards the route and Camp VI)


(The Changing Cornes)


(Final splitters)


(Easy hauling on the last day)


(Almost at the top and you can see the start of the route)


(The Bolt Ladder on the top)


(The view down after the Bolt Ladder)


(Olov is happy)


(Christian is happy)

Story 1

We had left about 9 liters of water at the top, we drank as much as we could and then left some for the others behind us, we knew they were short of water. The Austrians had gotten blocked behind the group that had used our ropes (they had also freaked out and gotten down after a while) and even not only that. One of the big bottles of water had leaked water so the Austrians had made a single push from Camp IV to the top (climbing long in to the night) with only one liter of water..... They were very, very happy for the water they found at the top! We got some beers for that some days later I can tell you!

Story 2

We could not find the proper descent (or we had a bad description if it) over the east ledges so in the end we had a nice and amazing 8 miles long walk down. I strongly recommend this descent as it is a amazing walk in the park!

Proposal 1

Next year for sure a new visit! Salathe Wall and Zodiac, interested? Just le me know!


El Capitan - The Nose 5.9 C1 - 2008

[giò]

ti aspettavo al varco...

scusate, ma ... puttanazza che roba!!!

non conosco una cippa di inglese, ma le foto sono eloquenti:
che roccia, che fessure, che pareti

mai salirò lì...pendoli...risalite su corde in traverso ... bivacchi su quelle cengette
dormite con la borraccia in mano???

bel colpaccio christian, il racconto in italiano me lo farai a voce

[homer_gio]

Ammazza...bel racconto e belle foto, ma soprattutto GRANDE IMPRESA!!

_________________
<<< ... Gio ... >>>
"Siamo nani sulle spalle dei giganti"

[espo]

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roccia fiocca birra e gnocca

[michelealebardi]

sticazzi che foto
e che vionaaaaa
peccato che non sappia l'inglese ma il racconto si può immaginare una figata

[vaquerito]

I don't understand

'sticazz
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ma il tuo poeta muore e l'alba non vedrà...
F.G.

[LorenzOrobico]

Uhuhuh! Onicers on El Capitan !!
Well done, Christian !!!
And a great report too...

So the question now is... which one is the best granite ? Orco, Bianco or Yosemite ??
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Ascolta e dimentica, vedi e ricorda, fai e capisci.
Visita il mio blog

[furbo]

cazzo tutti poliglotti qua dentro!!! Complimenti...

comunque se ho capito bene il succo del discorso... se vogliamo fare il nose per me e la giò l'unico modo è questo:


(Our haulbags with lower out line)


Non conosco l'autore comunque... compliments vivissimi's!! Photos spettaculars
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La disperazione più grave che possa impadronirsi di una società è il dubbio che vivere onestamente sia inutile

[espo]

[leo]

Bravini

Fortuna che non siete andati in Pakistan

[jack78]

Many compliments!
Beatiful!

...adesso capisco perchè vi allenavate su e giu Tacul
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Tutti i sogni possono diventare realtà se solo abbiamo il coraggio di inseguirli - Keep you dreams alive!

[dademaz]

grandissimo Chri...ero in trepidante attesa delle foto e del racconto! spettacolo!!!!

x l'anno prox...chissà magari...

ciao
Davide

[@le]

I miei più vivi complimenti per l'impresa, davvero di un altro pianeta per noi comuni mortali!!
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@le

[chrtur]

Grazie tutti!

Pakistan......? Chi sa….

Ps. Dico solo una cosa: Orco Valley rules.... (dobbiamo solo usare la etica nel Yosemite)

Alla prossima!

[espo]