El Cap Free Route's

What is the easiest El Cap free route?

Freerider (VI 5.12+) A variation to the Salathe that avoids it's crux headwall. The next easiest is Golden Gate (VI 5.13-) linking the lower Salathe into Son of Heart.

Does West Face of El Cap (5.11c) not count?

It counts Greg. People tend to forget what a breakthrough that was. Plus it's a great route with some real scary run out face climbing right off the bat. A great climb.

east buttress

Good information about Long Hard Yosemite routes can be found here:

stanford.edu/~clint/yos/lon…

I have to agree with Jed on this on.

While the West Face is a proud route, it's really in a separate category when compared to the new climbs. The East Buttress is to the West Face what the West Face is to the Salathe or Corazon, etc. It's just totally in a different league and, IMHO, not what people think of when they think El Cap free route.

Too bad. I've done the West Face. I'm never gonna do any of the others. Maybe if my kids get really honed I can jug behind them, but that's as close as I'm going get.

BTW, the easiest of the new routes is Freerider, 5.12d.

Fat Dad wrote:I've done the West Face.

Wow. I've found a whole new level of respect. :)

PS-adhesion contracts unenforceable? Ha! The world RUNS on adhesion contracts!