Lurking Fear | A2+ Aid Climb on El Capitan

United States / California / Mariposa County

Aid version of Lurking Fear (E9).

Named after the H P Lovecraft short story.

During an attempt at making the first ascent Dave Bircheff, Phil Bircheff and Jim Pettigrew were forced down due to a lack of appropriately sized hexes to protect some of the pitches.

To save the hassle of retreating with a haul bag they decided to ditch the bag with a make-shift parachute attached. Unfortunately the parachute was entirely ineffective and the haulbag exploed on impact.

References

[1] Erik Sloan. Yosemite Bigwalls Select: The Ultimate Guide. N.p.: Yosemite Bigwalls, 2021.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lurking_Fear

Contributors
40 contributions since 20th March 2026.
25 contributions since 27th March 2026.

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.


No grade suggestions for this climb.

Ascents

5 successful ascents recorded.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Phil Bircheff Aid May 1976
First ascent. With Dave Bircheff and Jim Pettigrew.
Dave Bircheff Aid May 1976
First ascent. With Phil Bircheff and Jim Pettigrew.
Jim Pettigrew Aid May 1976
First ascent. With Dave Bircheff and Phil Bircheff.
With Alex Honnold.

As part of the El Cap Triple in under 24 hours

References

[1] [https://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-63010]]

With Sean Leary.

As part of the El Cap Triple in under 24 hours

References

[1] [https://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-63010]]