PRINT: Rock Climb Wings of Steel, Yosemite National Park

Wings of Steel

5.10+ A3+ R, Trad, Aid, 2000 ft (606 m), 13 pitches, Grade VI,

Avg: 4 from 2 votes
FA: Richard Jensen & Mark Smith (1982)
California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley N Side > B. El Capitan > 2. Southwest Face

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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.

Location

Go up the 1000 foot king slab on the southwest face. Join the Aquarian Wall on pitch 13 after the Pitch 12 Bathook traverse

Protection

Any and All hooks you can find.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

A3 Hooking on Talons on P2

Pitch 7 Belay on the First ascent. Brief natural section as a respite from the hooking.

King Slab on the First Ascent

Topo

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Connor Brass
Kansas City, MO

Has anyone tried to free this route? Jan 11, 2020

James Frost
Prescott, AZ

5.10+ A3+ R

Not to my knowledge. Somebody better call up TC Jan 12, 2020

Giancarlo Rhodes
Columbia, MO

This seems like an absurd route. I watched the movie and it looked awful and not fun at all. I don't get the inspiration of wanting to climb in this style. If you like hooking for days and taking 5-7 big falls a day? Sounds like masochism to me. Here's the movie trailer youtu.be/rvkqEB6SuBU if you're interested. Feb 19, 2020

Cole Pazar
Boulder, CO

Anyone done this route other than the FA party and Ammon McNealy and his GF? Mar 28, 2020

John R
Flatlands

We were there in 1982, when they were putting up the route. As they were low on the route, We yelled up, "What route are you on?', to which they replied , "A new route, 'Wings of Steel' ". Seemed they were on the first 3 pitches for days (maybe less?!). Never saw them finish the route. Later heard rumblings back at Camp 4 with pros and cons about the route........as a newbie Valley climber then, it was kind of cool to see someone try a FA on El Cap.......until we went bouldering with Lynn Hill and John Long! lol ! Apr 26, 2021

Mateo Myst
Bishop, CA

Also curious if it has seen a third ascent? Jan 17, 2024

Mike Heintz

The behavior exhibited by a few climbers, following (and during) the ascent of Wings of Steel is a dark, though not unprecedented, chapter in Yosemite climbing history. While the first ascent party endured threats and abuse from an outspoken contingent of locals, they carried on and completed the ascent. Afterwards, Jensen & Smith responded brilliantly by ascending the Sea of Dreams, which at the time was one of, if not THE hardest route on El Cap, finding it (at least the hooking) less taxing than on their own creation. Now, many years later I read that Wings has only had one repeat, and that the second ascent party found it extremely difficult.
There is a way to avoid this sort of unfortunate incident. If local climbers have concerns about the style a route “appears” to have been ascended, I suggest someone repeat the route BEFORE reacting. After all, if it's done in poor style repeating it should be easy, right? Years before, Royal Robbins established a dangerous precedent during the second ascent of the Wall of Early Morning Light, which he and Don Laura did with the intention of erasing it. The locals back then were also outraged by the perceived style they felt Harding and Caldwell climbed in. Robbins felt it was important that the route be removed on the very next ascent, otherwise that ascent would somehow “legitimize” it. This turned out to be very wrong headed thinking, as they had a change of heart about 300 feet up, after discovering the quality of the climbing was better than expected. They continued on from that point without inflicting further damage, eventually praising Harding's efforts. It would have been nice if he went back and repaired the damage done, or better yet, just climbed the route to evaluate it before reacting. If this approach had been followed on Wings of Steel, I think we'd have a whole different appreciation for the efforts of the FA party. Dec 14, 2024