El Capitan | Yosemite Sights To See

El Capitan stands three thousand feet above Yosemite National Park. The granite vertical rock-face is a world famous challenge for rock climbers. Aptly named “the Chief” by the Spanish Mariposa Battalion that explored Yosemite Valley in 1851, El Capitan has stood in Yosemite for millions of years and remains a favorite site in the park. Climbing El Capitan El Cap, as it is commonly known among climbers, is a rock climbing challenge loved the world over. El Capitan has dozens of marked climbing routes covering its face. Each of these routes is quite difficult and should only be attempted by experienced rock climbers. The most popular route up El Capitan is known as “the Nose” and was first climbed by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore in 1958. Due to their use of siege tactics—an expedition style of climbing using fixed ropes that connect different camps along the way—the climbers took 47 days to reach the top of El Capitan. It wasn't until 1975 that any climber was able to complete the Nose in just one day. Today, the fastest speed climbers are able to reach the top in under three hours. Only about 60% of people who attempts to climb the Nose succeed. Depending upon the climber’s physical fitness and experience, most trips up the nose take 4 to 5 days of full-time climbing to complete. During the 1960s and 70s climbers expanded the routes up El Capitan and found a number of different ways up its steep cliff face that are still used today. Over 70 different climbing routes are available on El Capitan and new routes and changes to existing routes are added all the time. For those adventurers who aren't quite prepared for the difficult climb up El Capitan, there is also a hiking route to the top. In the past, BASE jumping was attempted off of El Capitan. The first BASE jumpers to jump off of El Capitan did so in 1966 and both men sustained broken bones as a result of the jump. Since then several successful jumps have been made from El Capitan, but the National Park Service no longer issues permits for BASE jumping due to the high risks involved. A much safer way to appreciate El Capitan is through photography. Every year photographers flock to Yosemite to take stunning photographs of this magnificent stone precipice. No matter what time of year you visit Yosemite, El Capitan will prove one of the most beautiful and impressive sites you'll see in the park. If you're planning a rock climbing adventure in Yosemite or simply would like to see the majesty of El Capitan firsthand, be sure to reserve your Yosemite accommodations with Scenic Wonders. We offer cabin, condominium, and home rentals within the gates of Yosemite National Park that will put you just minutes from your favorite destinations. At Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders, we never charge a reservation fee and we do everything we can to ensure that our prices stay affordable. Call 1-888-YOSEMITE (1-888-967-3648) to learn about our available rentals or to reserve your Yosemite accommodations today. Photo credit: daveynin