When Alex Honnold climbs El Capitan, he’s often setting speed records. Here he
sprints with every last ounce of energy to slap the summit tree and check his watch.
Half Dome
Far up the Valley sits Yosemite’s other iconic monolith, Half Dome. Alex Honnold made
climbing history when free soloed the 2000 foot wall in 2008, meaning he climbed it
without gear to protect him from a fall.
When Alex Honnold encounters stretches too difficult to free solo - climbing without
any safety gear - he grabs hold of pieces of nylon left behind by other climbers to
keep moving quickly.
Exposure
From the final headwall, the exposure below is gut-wrenching: 3000 feet of air
beneath a climber's feet.
Summit Is Near
Almost at the top! The final headwall is the last obstacle on the route.
To pass a section known as the Changing Corners - one of the most difficult sections
of The Nose - Lynn Hill uses oppositional pressures to stay glued to the wall.
Cheater Sling on Bolt
Short pieces of rope dangle from these bolts - making it easier for short climbers to
reach the protection point.
As if he's clutching the side of a dinner plate, Alex Honnold grabs hold of the flake
to climb up. Other times, he jams his entire hand inside the 2-3 inch wide crack.
Pancake Flake
A granite flake as thin as a pancake was formed when the left side of the wall
overlaps the right, creating perfect handholds.
Upper Pancake Flake
As the crack above narrows, the difficulty increases as it's harder to find a good
place for the climber’s hands and feet.
The Great Roof is one of the most challenging obstacles on the entire route. The tiny
crack that runs along the back of the roof means it can only be climbed using the
tips of the fingers.
Footholds
Lynn Hill's feet are pasted onto a sheer wall. She uses strength, technique and
superhuman body tension to stay on the rock.
Pancake Flake
Above the Great Roof lies an easier section called the Pancake Flake, where the gap
in the rock widens enough for climbers to put their hands in the crack.
Chalk Bag
Climbers dip their hands into chalk bags clipped onto their waist to keep their
fingers dry and ensure a good grip on the rock.
Great Roof
One of the most recognizable features on El Capitan, The Great Roof is easily seen
from the ground.
To skip over a section without any holds, Alex Honnold does the “King Swing.”
Swinging across this part of wall allows him to reach a vertical crack system far to
the left.
The Meadow
Far below, tourists in El Capitan Meadow squint to spot the climbers high up on the
wall above.
King Swing
Alex Honnold needs to swing far enough to latch onto the rock edge at the skyline.
Boot Flake
To set up the King Swing, Alex Honnold first climbs to the top of The Boot Flake, a
giant, thin chunk of granite above. He then rappels down to the bottom of his rope
and swings across.
Few climbers in the world feel more comfortable hanging from the side of a cliff than
Alex Honnold.
Texas Flake
Seen from the ground, the flake roughly resembles the state of Texas.
Tight Shoes
Like ballerinas, climbers wear tight shoes - they’re usually a few sizes smaller than
their street shoes. It helps them better feel the rock. Any chance they get, climbers
slip them off to give their aching toes a rest.
Rappel Station
Rappel rings attached to bolts can be used, along with a rope, to descend from a
climb. These retreats can happen due to bad weather, injuries, or an understandable
loss of nerve.
Safety Protection
While climbing mostly free solo, meaning alone and without safety gear, Alex Honnold
wears a safety harness so he can occasionally secure himself directly into bolts or
other protection on the wall.
North America Wall
As seen from the ground, this dark gray colored diorite rock forms a crude shape of
North America.
This side profile of Texas Flake (so named for its shape of the Lone Star State)
shows how three sides of this giant chunk of granite are detached from the wall.
Chimney Maneuver
Alex Honnold employs a “chimney technique” to ascend the Texas Flake, using his
entire body to shimmy his way up the shaft.
Orange Streak
The granite of El Capitan is home to a complex array of geological formations. This
orange streak is likely a small iron oxide stain.
Bolts
Climbers clip their ropes into carabiners that are attached to the bolts. A single
bolt is designed to hold 5000 pounds.
Climbing El Capitan, the view across the valley is of Middle Cathedral Rock, a 2000
foot cliff.
Anchor Bolt
Metal anchor bolts inserted into into the rock wall secure the hanging cot known as a
portaledge. Each bolt is strong enough to hold up a car.
Pee Bottle
Climbers must be careful to keep the route clean. When nature calls, #1 is best
relieved in a bottle.
Poop Can
All human waste must be deposited in a sealed container and carried up (and off) the
climb. El Capitan is classified as a wilderness area, with strict rules about keeping
it clean.
About halfway up the 3000 foot route, El Cap Tower makes a comfortable ledge to stop
for the night.
Cooking
Lynn Hill helps prepare a simple dinner of pasta with pesto sauce. Food is fuel, and
tomorrow is another big day of climbing.
Portaledge
Big wall climbing is known as vertical camping. Climbers rely on hanging beds known
as portaledges to provide a good nights rest suspended above the abyss.
Cell Phone
Alex Honnold takes a break to check email. While cell phone coverage on the Yosemite
Valley floor is spotty, the signal up on the wall is great!
Tommy Caldwell
<a href="#el-cap-tower-camp-night/athletes/Tommy">Tommy Caldwell</a>,
best known for his climb of El Capitan's Dawn Wall route, joins Alex Honnold and Lynn
Hill for a night on the wall.
To climb the Stovelegs, Alex Honnold uses a climbing technique known as “jamming” -
sticking his hands and feet directly into the crack.
Bolts
This line of bolts marks the original route, as first climbed by Warren Harding in
1958. Climbers nowadays prefer to ascend the cleaner, more elegant Stovelegs to the
right.
In 1958, Warren Harding and two friends completed the first ascent
Warren Harding
Warren Harding was a hard-drinking iconoclast who made the first ascent of El
Capitan, via The Nose route, in 1958. His ascent, a remarkable feat for the time,
took 18 months.
Equipment
60 years ago, climbing gear was rudimentary and heavy. To go up a wall like El
Capitan, hundreds of pounds of equipment, food and water were required.
Shoes
Before sticky rubber climbing shoes were invented, climbers had nothing but heavy,
lug-soled boots.
While most climbers use ropes to protect them, Alex Honnold climbs nearly all The
Nose "free solo". Only his hands and feet, and unrivaled skill and nerve, keep him
attached to the wall. The equipment and rope he carries help him get through the most
difficult sections.
The Sentinel
Looking across the valley to the east, the sun hits The Sentinel, another iconic
monolith that Alex Honnold climbed without a rope. The television coverage made him
the most famous climber in the world.
Alex Honnold
<a href="#alex-first-pitch/athletes/Alex">Alex Honnold</a> is one of the
world's greatest climbers. He holds the speed record for The Nose, and is best known
for climbing massive rock walls with no ropes to protect him if he falls. He says he
knows himself well enough to keep himself safe.
To climb El Capitan, Lynn Hill relies on an array of spring-loaded “cams” which are
placed in cracks in the rock. She attaches the rope to the cams so the gear catches
her if she falls.
Knot
Lynn Hill ties in to the end of the rope using a double bowline knot. While many
climbers prefer a figure eight knot, either work if tied correctly.
The Summit
The summit is 3000 feet above. While the first ascent took 18 months, Lynn Hill set a
new record in 1993 when she climbed the Nose with only her hands and feet in less
than a day.
Lynn's Shoes
Climbers use tight shoes with sticky rubber soles to help adhere to the tiny bumps
and slippery edges of the rock face. Footwork is key!
Partner
As Lynn Hill climbs, her partner belays. This means he feeds out rope so she can
climb, while at the same time being alert to pull the rope tight and catch her if she
falls.
Lynn Hill
<a href="#lynn-racking-at-base/athletes/Lynn">Lynn Hill</a>, is one of
the greatest climbing legends of all time, renowned for becoming the first person -
man or woman - to make a free climb of The Nose in 1993. Previously, all climbers
relied on equipment inserted into the rock to move up the wall.
Climb the famous Dawn Wall with Tommy Caldwell and take a peek into Alex's home on
wheels.
Pitch 15 of The Dawn Wall
The world's hardest climb
The Belay - traversing pitch
Tommy Caldwell’s belayer is ready to catch him if he falls. On the most difficult
pitch of the Dawn Wall, Tommy must climb sideways in a long and strenuous traverse.
Tommy's Hand
Notice what’s missing? In 2001, Tommy Caldwell sliced off his index finger in a table
saw accident. But that didn’t stop him from doing the hardest climb in Yosemite’s
history.
Shadow Line
The Dawn Wall, or the Wall of the Early Morning Light, gets this apt name because it
catches the first light as the sun breaks over the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Bolt
The route continues traversing towards this bolt, which Tommy Caldwell depends on to
keep him safe if he falls.
Alex Honnold is a vegetarian, mainly for environmental reasons. Contrary to what some
people imagine, he swears it doesn't affect his athletic performance.
Bed
Alex Honnold sleeps in his van, allowing him to travel and live next to the best
climbing cliffs in North America.
El Capitan
Alex Honnold holds the speed record for climbing The Nose. In 2012, he and partner
Hans Florine climbed it in just under 2 hours and 24 minutes. The route takes most
people 3-5 days to complete.
Solar Power
The van is hooked up to solar power. Alternative energy projects are one focus of
Alex Honnold’s <a href="http://honnoldfoundation.org"
target="_blank">charitable work</a>.
Guidebook
Climbers rely on guidebooks, with their route maps and descriptions, to find the way
up the wall.
Yosemite National Park works to preserve and protect special places like El Cap.
Sarah Stock
Ornitholigist
Yosemite National Park
The peregrine falcon's return to Yosemite is an environmental victory.
Greg Stock
Geologist
Yosemite National Park
Over three million years, slow moving glaciers have shaped Yosemite's granite walls.
Jesse Chakrin
Educator
Yosemite Leadership Program
Jesse's team is dedicated to helping youth experience the park firsthand.
Ken Yager
Yosemite Climbing Association
Picking up a million pounds of trash is a team effort.
El Capitan, Yosemite
Welcome to The Nose of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park -- the most iconic rock
climb on earth. Tighten your harness and double-check your knot, to join Lynn Hill, Alex
Honnold, and Tommy Caldwell on a 3,000 foot interactive journey up El Capitan.
Special thanks to Yosemite
National Park for their assistance and collaboration, and for protecting and preserving
special places like El Cap.
The World’s most famous climbers pushing the limits in Yosemite
Alex Honnold
Lynn Hill
Tommy Caldwell
Yosemite Experts
Behind the scenes
Embed El Cap
More Street View
Yosemite Experts
People who have dedicated their lives to Yosemite National Park share insights into
their world.
Behind the scenes
A glimpse into how Street View was collected up a 3,000 foot cliff.
More Street View from Yosemite
Climb the famous Dawn Wall with Tommy Caldwell and take a peek into Alex's home on
wheels.
Embed Yosemite Street View on your website
Embedding the entire Trek
You can embed the entire Treks page into an Iframe by:
(It accepts the same GET parameters for configuration, which are applied globally.)
Embedding a single pano
You can also just show one 360 degree pano in an Iframe, with the audio/video and
informational content overlaid.
Each 360 degree pano is customizable. You can add or remove the informational content,
the audio/video, or anything else by changing the URL parameters
You can add some parameters to the URL to change these settings:
autopan=0 disables initial auto-panning
voiceover=0 disables the pano voiceover/video
autoplay=1 enables auto-playing of the voiceover
track after pano activation (doesn't do anything in this example)
athletes=0 disables the athletes' biography icon
hotspots=0 disables the hotspots within the pano
intro=0 disables the intro text and "Explore"
button
You can chain URL parameters using the ampersand character:
Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of
America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed
climbers in the world. A gifted but hard-working athlete, Alex “No Big Deal” Honnold
is known as much for his humble, self-effacing attitude as he is for the dizzyingly
tall cliffs he has climbed. He's the founder the Honnold Foundation, which seeks
simple, sustainable ways to improve lives world-wide Alex Honnold's Website
Lynn Hill
Lynn Hill is a living legend. Few have accomplished an athletic feat more than a
decade before anyone else - man or woman. In 1994, Lynn changed the definition of
what is possible in rock climbing with her first free ascent of the most famous big
wall climb in the world called The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, California.
To this day fewer than five people have free climbed the iconic route. Over her
career, she has won more than 30 international competitions, including five times at
the Arco Rock Master, the Wimbledon of competitive climbing. Recognized as one of the
best climbers of all time, she has been a guest at the White House and has stared in
numerous films, books and TV shows. Lynn Hill's Website
Tommy Caldwell
Tommy Caldwell's dad taught him to embrace fear and doubt and turn them into
inspiration. Given this attitude, Tommy has established some of the hardest routes in
the country and free climbed 13 routes on El Capitan in Yosemite. He believes
difficult journeys, with little chance for success, teach him the most. This attitude
is no better exemplified than by his by his first free ascent of Dawn Wall in January
of 2015, and his first ascent of the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia in February of
2014. Tommy Caldwell's Website
