An old school classic, the NA Wall was the first route to be climbed on the Southeast Face of El Cap, and skirts the large diorite blob resembling North America. This also means that it follows a rather wandering line up through the black diorite. There is loose rock, sketchy free climbing, and some funky aid, but all in all, this is a great line which visits some amazing places on the wall. Big Sur Ledge, Cyclops Eye, and the Igloo are all good bivies. Be prepared for many penjis and lower-outs, and have your free climbing hat on for many pitches. It's a bit heady in spots.
Location
Southeast face of El Cap. Walk up from the Nose, past the Alcove, route starts from flat grassy area out of the trees.
Protection
2-3 baby sawed off angles for handplacing a few peckers hooks, bring big hook alien offsets cams to 5" Extra lower out line (minimum 150ft.)
This route's reputation for loose rock is a bit behind the times. You can find it, but the only time I felt like there was loose stuff of consequence was when we were dragging our bags across the bottom of the Cyclops' Eye with a party 1500' below. The adventuresome feel comes more from the wandering line and frequent switching between free and aid climbing amidst the vast architecture of the North America feature. And, I suppose, from the necessity of relying on the detritus of 40+ years of ascents for safety and progress- there's some funky old stuff up there!
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