Scaling the Wall

El Capitan’s 2,916 vertical feet of granite have made Yosemite an international proving ground for climbers for decades. Climbers spend months—even years—creating new routes up cracks in the wall to the summit. On a peak-season day 60 climbers may dot El Cap, many on the most famous route, the Nose.

El Capitan’s 2,916 vertical feet of granite have made Yosemite an international proving ground for climbers for decades. Climbers spend months—even years—creating new routes up cracks in the wall to the summit. On a peak-season day 60 climbers may dot El Cap, many on the most famous route, the Nose.

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