The Route

While climbing Rappel Chimney and Hidden Chimney we were very aware of the west wall of El Capitan, our neighbor immediately to the east. The wall above the gulley is nothing like the huge walls of El Capitan around south and east. In fact, it looked pretty easy. There was an apron rising out of the gulley, then a broken area, then a final gulley to the summit. We decided to give it a try.

The Upper Gulley

LW65Jul-16

The Apron

The apron started with some smooth slabs rising out of the gulley, then steepened into short verticals interspersed with ledges. One of these pitches was difficult. I placed a bolt. During that operation I banged my finger and fainted. When I came to, I did not realise where I was. I could see small grass like plants. Then I realised where I was, on my knees looking straight down the cliff. Those little plants were the giant pines on the valley floor. We reached the open area about noon. There was a small seep under a boulder. An excellent lunch of salami provided a name for the ledge.

Pictures

For the first time we could get a really good view of the upper parts of Ribbon Cliff.

Upper Cliffs From Salami Ledge

MH65Jul-17

The Walk Out

Max's wife Waltraud and Andrzej's wife Ina met us on the summit. They had brought a bottle of brandy.

Max had been suffering during the climb from a wrenched knee he had sustained stepping off a ladder. He had taken a number of codeine pills to control the pain. He decided a little whiskey was just what he needed. The euphoria of a first ascent on El Cap, the codeine, and the brandy had an unfortunate effect. Max leaped over logs and danced on stumps all the miles out to the car. This was pretty funny at the time, but later we learned he damaged his knee quite badly.

 

LW65Jul-22