While it starts with a powerful, thin and technical finger crack, most of your time will be spent with the widening fist crack above. For those with small hands, the upper section will be off-width, but for those with larger hands, enjoy! The crux is right off the ground and pro is thin early on. Watch you ankles falling right off the ground: the base is littered with rocks.
Location
On the west side of El Cap, about 100 yards up the hill (left, facing the cliff) from the toe of the Southeast Buttress (start of The Nose). Look for a small clearing at the base just to the left of a large dihedral with a gaping off-width crack ("Ahab" 5.10b). The climb starts up a thin finger crack, then widens on the otherwise blank face above
Protection
One or two small pieces for the beginning, and a bunch of big ones (#2-#5 Camalots) for the widening upper section. Rap rings on top. Note: requires 2 rope rappel. nuts: 1 set thin-med.; cams: 1 ea 0.5"-4.5", extra 2.5"-3.5"
By Chris Miller Administrator Dec 28, 2006 rating: 5.10a
Nice route with a bouldery start to widening crack with another cruxy section of wider crack up high.
It's nice to have at least two #4 Camalots (or equivalent) unless you feel super solid on the wider bit, or wish to slide your single big piece up the crack with you.
The upper section of this pitch is totally sandbagged unless you like off-width climbing -- I found it to be much harder than the bottom. Definitely bring two #4s, or run it out at your own peril.
Did this yesterday. Just to clarify, the upper half of the crack is mostly fists to off-fist, i.e. old style camalot #3.5/new style #4. Doubles in this size should be plenty. There are a few fixed pins on the right in a seam through the wide section, but they've seen better days. Pro: nuts, singles to #2 Camalot, doubles to #3.5. Maybe save the #2 for the small roof/overlap just below the anchor.
Agree with the post above: didn't find any off-width on this one. The crack takes fists and really good feet all the way up, and for me didn't require the heinous struggle that comes with true OW. If it were 1" wider...
Done this in the spring time 2006. The start was hard, but blst right through it. the O/W was a little tough. Slide my #4 cam up until I couldn't anymore. Would like to return again to climb this. Now that my O/W technique has improved.
I have huge hands, so I never really considered the upper part as part of the crux, for me it was just getting off the ground. I fell on a #2 metolius cam, right about where the crack opens up enough to jam. I believe two ropes for the rap off the other side, nice and airy. Left side of Moby DIck looks Heinous for the grade.
P.S. I don't remember there being huge boulders stacked at the base of the route! But that was 10 years ago.
El Capitan Base Routes
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