Information About ™El Capitan |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT EL CAPITAN | |
| cliffs | |
| natural monoliths | |
| sierra nevada | |
| yosemite | |
| climbing areas | |
| climbing routes | |
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El Capitan is a 3,000 foot vertical rock formation in the Yosemite Valley , which is very popular with Rock Climber s. The name "El Capitan" was a translation from the Native American name "To-to-kon oo-lah", which was named after "To-to-kon", a Chief of the natives of the area {Link without Title} . The top of El Capitan can be reached by hiking out of Yosemite Valley on the trail next to Yosemite Falls , then proceeding west. For climbers, the challenge is to climb up the sheer granite face; there are dozens of named Climbing Route s, all of them long and difficult. CLIMBING HISTORY The most prominent part of El Capitan, the "Nose", was first climbed in 1958 by Warren J Harding , Wayne Merry and George Whitmore after 47 days of actual climbing spread over seventeen months. The team used rope, Piton s and expansion bolts to make it to the top, using Aid Climbing much of the way. The route was repeated in 1960 by Royal Robbins , Joe Fitschen , Chuck Pratt and Tom Frost , who took seven days. The first ascent of the Nose in one day was accomplished in 1975 by John Long , Jim Bridwell and Billy Westbay . Efforts during the 1960s explored the other faces of "El Cap", including the North America Wall on the southeast side. As it became clear that any face could be conquered with sufficient perseverance and bolt hole drilling, some climbers began to eschew the use of bolts and attempted to find El Cap routes that could be climbed either Free or with a minimal use of aid. Even so, the West Face was not free climbed until 1979 ( Ray Jardine and Bill Price ), the Nose was first freed by Lynn Hill in 1993 . It did not see a repeat until 2005 when Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden "team freed" the route. Weeks later Tommy would free the Nose in 12 hours, then free it again in a one day link up of the Nose AND Freerider routes, becoming the only person to free El Cap twice in 24 hours. ]] ]] BASE JUMPING El Capitan has had a controversial history regarding , 1999 , BASE jumper and stunt woman Jan Davis died while making an illegal protest jump in support of lifting the park's ban.[http://www.yosemite.org/newsroom/clips1999/october/102399a.htm] BASE jumpers continue to fight the National Park Service in court for equal access as a matter of fairness.[http://www.vertical-visions.com/nps.php] TRIVIA Subject of the song 'El capitan' by the Scottish Indie band Idlewild REFERENCE
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