The Nose | A2 Multi-pitch on El Capitan

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First ascent.

A huge multi-season ascent which involved numerous partners, lots of fixed gear and an incredible final 15 hour push through the night to complete the route.

Initially the team compromised Harding, Mark Powell and Bill Feuerer but when work resumed on the route in the autumn season Powell and Feuerer dropped out while Wayne Merry, George Whitmore, and Rich Calderwood joined the main team.

[Chris Jones, interviewing] The first ascent of the South Buttress of El Cap - the Nose - has been described, but is it true that you started this because you had been beaten by Robbins and party on the North Face of Half Dome?

Yes, it is true. The previous Fall, I was a member of the party that made the first serious attempt on the North West Face of Half Dome. I was not particularly impressed with the leader of this group (not Robbins), so I decided to form a party of my own. This turned out to be a truly splendid team: Powell, Harding, Dolt. However, when we reached the Valley in mid-June, we were taken aback and rather disgruntled to find that an excellent team of climbers, now led by Royal Robbins, had the matter of Half Dome North West Face well in hand.

In a fit of egotistical pique, we grumbled around the Valley for a couple of days, trying to figure out what to do. The solution was quite simple: any climb less than Half Dome was beneath us; only a greater climb would do 1 Our objective was rather obvious!

It soon became obvious, too, that we were getting in over our heads with the difficulties presented by El Cap. [1]

References

[1] Mountain 9 (1970), page 16

Second ascent. With Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Joe Fitschen.

The second ascent, and first continuous ascent over 7 days.

Second ascent. With Tom Frost, Joe Fitschen and Royal Robbins.

The second ascent, and first continuous ascent over 7 days.

Second ascent. With Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Royal Robbins.

The second ascent, and first continuous ascent over 7 days.

Second ascent. With Chuck Pratt, Joe Fitschen and Royal Robbins.

The second ascent, and first continuous ascent over 7 days.

Third ascent.

Third ascent, in three and a half days.

Steve, get to the Valley soon. You, Glen and I must do The Nose this Spring. I've never felt sure if I was up to it or not before but I am now. I'm ready for anything (Layton Kor to Steve Roper, 2nd February 1963)

References

[1] Kor, L (2013) Beyond the Vertical (2nd Ed.) USA: Falcon Guides p116

Third ascent.

Third ascent.

With Jim Madsen.

3 day ascent, the fastest known time.

With Kim Schmitz.

3 day ascent

With John Long.

A fast ascent, free climbing sections up to 5.11

With John Long and Billy Westbay. 17hrs 45mins.

The first ascent of the Nose in a day. A significant improvement on the multi-day ascents that had previously been required.

Some gear was pre-placed on the first few pitches to help them climb faster in the dark. [1]

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/cleaning-up-climbing-history/

With John Long and Jim Bridwell. 17hrs 45mins.

The first ascent of the Nose in a day. A significant improvement on the multi-day ascents that had previously been required.

Some gear was pre-placed on the first few pitches to help them climb faster in the dark. [1]

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/cleaning-up-climbing-history/

With Jim Bridwell and Billy Westbay. 17hrs 45mins.

The first ascent of the Nose in a day. A significant improvement on the multi-day ascents that had previously been required.

Some gear was pre-placed on the first few pitches to help them climb faster in the dark. [1]

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/cleaning-up-climbing-history/

15hrs 00mins.

A speed record.

With Peter Croft. 10hrs 05mins.

And the Regular NW Face route on Half Dome the same day.

With John Bachar. 10hrs 05mins.

And the Regular NW Face route on Half Dome the same day.

With Alex Honnold. 01hrs 58mins.

A new speed record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOzbM_7GMI

With Tommy Caldwell. 01hrs 58mins.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOzbM_7GMI

Soline aided some sections of the route.

References

[1] https://www.desnivel.com/escalada-roca/soline-kentzel-escala-the-nose-en-solitario-autoasegurandose/