Salathé Wall | E8/8a+ Multi-pitch on El Capitan

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All free bar 250' of climbing at approximately 5.12+

All free bar 250' of climbing of which 100' had already gone free (the Jungle Pitch, which was wet). 5.12d climbing was cutting-edge at the time and unprecedented on a big wall.

References

[1] Mountain #79

[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20170213064201/http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/yos/longhf.htm#salathe

[3] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198108700/

First free ascent and a psychological breakthrough: the first time a route on the main face of El Capitan had been freed.

Climbed alternating hard leads with second jumaring and with the headwall split into three pitches.

Huber claimed this as the first free ascent as he led all the hard pitches. However he avoided the pitch above The Ear (8a) instead taking the Monster Offwidth. He climbed the headwall in two pitches taking a belay at a hands-off rest.

References

[1] https://gripped.com/news/connor-herson-frees-5-13c-on-el-cap-its-not-the-salathe-if-you-do-the-monster-offwidth/

[2] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199606700/Freeing-the-Salath-The-Greatest-Rock-Climb-in-the-World

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/pietro-dal-pra-the-mountain-from-all-perspectives.html

Yuji attempted to onsight Salathé Wall falling only three times, once on The Teflon Corner and then twice on The Headwall.

I put so much energy into this project. Every single minute was great. If I had to pick my best climbing moment, then I'd choose the Salathe on-sight attempt in 1997. This is my fondest memory so far in my entire climbing career. [1]

Hans Florine:

We ascended the route in two days as [Yuji] fought to onsight the route. If I recall correctly we made it to the teflon corner and a little beyond the first day. The second day Yuji threw himself at the head wall. An effort like this has not been done even in recent times despite all the traffic and beta on the route. For 1997 it was way off the charts, only the past 27 years confirms that. [2]

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/yuji-hirayama-the-nose-big-walls-and-bouldering.html

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/DCTyllktwK7/?hl=en

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueiGMv4x6w&ab_channel=narutokintoki

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_3cISi-kA

A multi-year siege. The final ascent was completed 90 hours before the birth of his son Connor Herson.

Climbed via the original Todd Skinner and Paul Piana pitches (P19 rather than the Monster Offwidth).

References

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20170529112145/http://web.stanford.edu/~clint/yos/longhf.htm

[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20180212032339/http://www.jimherson.com/climbing/tr/salathe-free.html

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bmDTu05xejaLMkjUkqdoL?

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2005/10/steph_davis_frees_the_salathe_wall-20848

[3] https://vimeo.com/69361561

[4] https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXDysLCETU/

References

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20231127161120/https://danmcmanus.blogspot.com/2014/05/salathe-wall.html

3 day ascent. Led all pitches, including the infamous P19, making him the second person after his father Jim Herson to lead all the hard pitches including P19. Climbed the headwall in two pitches.

References

[1] https://gripped.com/news/connor-herson-frees-5-13c-on-el-cap-its-not-the-salathe-if-you-do-the-monster-offwidth/

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CfCpR0evdjc/?hl=en

Third repeat via Pitch 19 (after Jim Herson and Connor Herson).

References

[1] https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/weekly-newsletter/edition11

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ5om34x1Zq/

[3] Breakdown of Pitch 19: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM1a79KJHj-/

[4] https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/climbing-style-el-capitan/

[5] Written in Stone podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EMqAIDTbdOUhah5SenNeB