Wall of Early Morning Light | A3 Multi-pitch on El Capitan

United States / California / Mariposa County
UKClimbing.com

Quick Info

Grade A3
Type Aid Climb
Pitches 24
Crag El Capitan
Country United States 🇺🇸
Rock type Granite
History
First ascent Warren Harding, Dean Caldwell (23rd October-19th November 1970)
Recorded repeats 2

Quick Info

Grade A3
Type Aid Climb
Pitches 24
Crag El Capitan
Country United States 🇺🇸
Rock type Granite
History
First ascent Warren Harding, Dean Caldwell (23rd October-19th November 1970)
Recorded repeats 2
24 pitches.

References

[1] [https://climbing-history.org/library/8192/comment-on-the-two-ascents-of-the-wall-of-morning-light](https://climbing-history.org/library/8192/comment-on-the-two-ascents-of-the-wall-of-morning-light)

Contributors
50 contributions since 8th October 2025.
37 contributions since 9th March 2025.

Pics + Vids

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Ascents

4 successful ascents recorded.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First ascent. With Dean Caldwell.

References

[1] Mountain 13 (1971), page 8

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Fp_gpsULI
First ascent. With Warren Harding.

References

[1] Mountain 13 (1971), page 8

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Fp_gpsULI
Don Lauria Alternate Leads | ground up 30th January-5th February 1971
Second ascent.
Second ascent.

Robbins started the route with the aim of erasing it by chopping the bolts and rivets, considering the 330 holes drilled by the first ascent party to be excessive. After two pitches, Robbins stopped chopping the bolts and rivets because (according to Lauria):

the quality of the aid climbing was much higher than he had ever expected of Harding or Caldwell and, of course, it was also taking us an awful long time to chop all those goddam bolts. [1]

TM Herbert's view of the ascent:

What was this most important event I witnessed in February? It was not a climb which raised American climbing standards, but rather it was the elimination of a climb which had lowered the standards. This winter Royal Robbins and Don Lauria chopped the first 300 feet of bolts out of the bolt-ladder route on El Capitan, while completing the second ascent in five-and-a-half days [2].

References

[1] Harding, Warren (1990). Downward Bound: a Mad! guide to Rock Climbing. Birmingham, Alabama: Menasha Ridge Press. pp. 165–167.

[2] https://climbing-history.org/library/8192/comment-on-the-two-ascents-of-the-wall-of-morning-light