All Locations > California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley N Side > B. El Capitan > 2. Southwest Face

Wings of Steel

Name: Wings of Steel
Rating: 4.0

5.10+ YDS 6b+ French 21 Ewbanks VII+ UIAA 20 ZA E3 5b British A3+ R

Routes in 2. Southwest Face

L › R R › L A › Z

	Aquarian Wall T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C2+
	Controlled Burn T A4
	Dihedral Wall T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c C3-
	El Corazon T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c R
	Excalibur T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3
	Flight of the Albatross T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b A4
	Free Rider T 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c PG13
	Freeblast T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Golden Gate T 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Grape Race T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A2+
	Heart Route (Free) T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c V10 7C+
	Jolly Roger T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b A4+ R
	Lurking Fear T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C2
	Magic Mushroom T 5.14a 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a A3
	Mirage T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A4
	Mr. Midwest T 5.13 8a 29 X- 30 E7 6c PG13
	Muir Wall T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C3-
	Never Never Land 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3
	Nose, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2
	Quo Vadis T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a A4+
	Ready to Go T A5+ X
	Salathé Wall T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2
	Shield, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c A3 PG13
	Squeeze Play 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3
	Sunkist T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c A3+
	Triple Direct T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2
	West Buttress T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3
	West Face T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Wings of Steel T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b A3+ R

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Type:	Trad, Aid, 2000 ft (606 m), 13 pitches, Grade VI
FA:	Richard Jensen & Mark Smith (1982)
Page Views:	8,552 total · 135/month
Shared By:	James Frost on Nov 8, 2019 · Updates
Admins:	Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Latest updates on closures, permits, and regulations. Details

Please visit climbingyosemite.com/ and nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the latest information on visiting Yosemite, including permits, regulations, and closure information.

Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.

Description

"Most Controversial Route on El Cap". This route has a wealth of history surrounding it, conspiracies over whether the first ascent team drilled holes for hooking, whether or not they had any big wall experience, death threats towards them, etc. The first ascent took 39 days and went unrepeated for nearly 30 years. Not only was it seen as a botch job of a climb, it was too difficult for most of those who attempted the route. Most routes on El Cap have no more than 15 hook moves, this route has over 100. This makes it incredibly difficult and dangerous, and something that only Ammon McNeely and his team (as well as the FA team), could complete, which he did in 2011. If you decide to do this, be prepared for regular 30-50 foot whippers on the 1,000 foot king slab, and hooking on edges that seem physically impossible.