East Buttress of El Capitan trip report - 11/3/07

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Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 13, 2007 - 11:18pm PT

El Capitan - East Buttress 11/3/07 - Jenn

We started a bit late, after sleeping through our alarms, but
we still got to the base before sun hit the first pitch.
Amazingly, we had the route to ourselves, on a cloudless day with temps
in the low 70s. Just lucky, I guess....

wide stemming at the end of p1

about to haul the packs through the short crux of p2

awkward groove higher on p2
(yes, I'm belaying from the "ant tree"; they weren't home)

reverse of standard photo, looking over to belay for 5.5 arete.
We belayed at bolts on top of the arete

after the 5.5 arete, up the rubble ledges
and up the central corner to climber's left of the upper arete (required
a little simulclimbing on rubble to reach the next belay, at some old bolts)

slippery corner; fortunately this fingercrack/flake appears just when
it gets steep. (Would be dangerous in the spring when wet)

starting slick hand crack above old bolt belay

slab with fingercrack at top of pitch, just after cool 5.8 overhang

working the double cracks at start of 5.9 diagonal crack

reaching a good jam

some footholds at this point

last few moves. We hauled our packs on this pitch

middle of 5.9 face pitch

thin fingerlock above the 2 fixed pins

got the horn!

nice belay spot at start of traverse to Headwall

a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

finishing the Headwall pitch

last sun on the rocks below

only one long pitch to go (right side of big block above);
anchor is a series of cams in somewhat flaring crack (old fixed pins are gone).

Plus one more very short pitch; we topped out as the light faded and headed down the East Ledges....

Related threads:

Ed + Gary's TR - June 2007:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=406258

online topos:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=459326

murcy

climber

San Fran Cisco

Nov 13, 2007 - 11:30pm PT

great, clint! that's high on my must-do-soon list.

marky

climber

Nov 14, 2007 - 12:06am PT

not bad at all

spyork

Social climber

A prison of my own creation

Nov 14, 2007 - 12:09am PT

Nice TR Clint!

Mimi

climber

Nov 14, 2007 - 12:12am PT

Definitely captured the flavor of the entire route. Glad the ants weren't around and what stellar weather in November!

Jay Wood

Trad climber

Fairfax, CA

Nov 14, 2007 - 12:44am PT

Nice detail.

Good meeting you the other day....

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Nov 14, 2007 - 12:53am PT

that looks pretty familiar! thanks for the TR... I need to go back up there and do it again, a really fun long route.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Nov 14, 2007 - 01:22am PT

i wanna do el cap too!!!

le_bruce

climber

Oakland: what's not to love?

Nov 14, 2007 - 01:43am PT

Thanks for the TR!

Light bulb clicked on in my head when I saw the picture of your partner on the left-trending 5.9 crack. That's how you keep it at 5.9! Doing it the way I did it, I thought that was the toughest pitch on the climb, and I seconded it. She makes it look so easy.

Cassidy

Trad climber

Nova Scotia

Nov 14, 2007 - 08:05pm PT

Pics are awesome!! Is the route-finding difficult? Looks like you could go just about anywhere in some of the photos?

Zander

Trad climber

Berkeley

Nov 14, 2007 - 08:35pm PT

Thanks Clint,
It's been to long. I've got to go back.
Zander

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2007 - 11:20pm PT

Cassidy,

> Is the route-finding difficult? Looks like you could go just about anywhere in some of the photos?

In places (5.5 arete, middle pitches to prow block belay, and Headwall + pitch above) the the rock is knobby and you do have a choice of which way to go. But with a topo in hand (Meyers/Reid, supertopo, and Fish (online; see link above) are all good), it's fairly clear. On the Headwall, there is a wide section of knobs at first (I go on the far right with a hidden fixed pin), then the line of good knobs and pro is fairly clear and mostly straight up.

The descent down the East Ledges is also non-trivial, so most people go a little earlier in the fall with more daylight if they haven't done that descent before.

nick d

Trad climber

Nov 14, 2007 - 11:31pm PT

Thanks for the fun TR! I have a question about the route. I have the general impression that there are several belays with crappy anchors, like 5 or 6. What did you think? I would be curious about the impressions of those supertopers who have done it. Thanks again!

Michael

maldaly

Trad climber

Boulder, CO

Nov 14, 2007 - 11:34pm PT

Great pics. We didn't bring a camera when we did it. Good thing because it would have been ugly. We approached via the Moratorium. It was a good thought but bad thinking.
it was 100° in El Portal that day and the Moratorium alcove is a solar oven. The water was gone when we got to the start of the East Butt and like perfect n00bs, we decided that 10 (or whatever) pitches of 5.7-5.10 couldn't be THAT bad.

Well....

YOSAR didn't get a call that day. We found a full bike bottle of water at the base of the third pitch and higher up got the cooling spray from the Horsetails and staggered to the top. Just like n00bs we hadn't brought shoes so we descended in our rock shoes, making bloody blisters and ensuring that we couldn't climb the next day. I guess it didn't turn out so bad. We took a rest day then sent the North Face of the Rostrum--great route and in the SHADE.

Mal

couchmaster

climber

Nov 14, 2007 - 11:44pm PT

Great stuff. I thought the crux was a wide almost chimney thing in the middle, but it's been a while...didn't see crux what my memory remembers in the pictures

Thanks Clint!

FeelioBabar

climber

Sneaking up behind you...

Nov 15, 2007 - 12:04am PT

Sweet! Thanks for sharing!

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2007 - 04:31am PT

Michael,

> I have a question about the route. I have the general impression that there are several belays with crappy anchors, like 5 or 6. What did you think? I would be curious about the impressions of those supertopers who have done it.

To answer this question, I'll describe all the belay anchors we used. Here is a low-res version of the supertopo for reference, which is quite accurate in my view:

Belay anchor notes for pitches numbered on supertopo.

(0) optional belay on p1. good tree / roots.
1. 3 good fixed pins + wired nut (also high small wired nut to protect crux)
Note: in the 80s there was a fixed pin 3' right of belay to protect or aid crux.
It is gone now. Someone placed a bolt above/left of it at some point in the 90s,
which was chopped fairly quickly. The hole/scar is still visible (has not been patched).
2. "ant" tree (good), back up with hand sized cam
3. .5"-1" TCUs, all in same crack / block (good)
4. 3/8" Rawlbolt + two 1/4" bolts (SMC hangers)
5. We didn't actually belay at the pine tree, although it could be OK.
You do belay there for the direct prow variation on the Fish topo (see photos
by Ed and Gary, and Greg Opland)
Instead, my partner simulclimbed when I started running out of rope on the lead.
6. two 1/4" bolts at nice ledge (SMC hangers, somewhat oxidized brown)
Can back up with cams/nuts if desired.
Not replacable because they are not original.
[I have not checked the belay (6) on the direct prow variation; I believe it is cams and good]
7. 1"-2" cams in good crack
8. 1/4" bolt (SMC hanger, oxidized brown) + three ring angle pitons
(slings are old; clip the gear directly, of course)
This seemed fine to me and is at a nice stance. If you don't like it, you can make
a belay from cams, 8' higher.
9. We belayed lower, at a stance where the 5.9 face variation intersects the main corner,
using three hand sized cams.
At the belay (9) shown on the supertopo, there is a fixed pin, a fixed daisy chain,
and hand sized cams can be placed.
10. 1" cam, .3" stopper, hand sized cam.
11. fixed pins are gone. 3-3.5" cam, .75" TCU, 2" cam (flaring)
12. We belayed slightly higher than shown, at a big flake above a strange fixed pin
in a horizontal crack. 3" and 3.5" cams.
13. belay at good tree.

So, my opinion is that all the belay anchors are good. Your interpretation may vary, especially if you find 1/4" bolts with SMC hangers oxidized brown scary. Generally you could back up such anchors if you were concerned.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2007 - 04:38am PT

couchmaster,

> I thought the crux was a wide almost chimney thing in the middle, but it's been a while...didn't see crux what my memory remembers in the pictures

Maybe you climbed the 5.9 offwidth version of pitch 9 (as numbered in the supertopo, see just above). We climbed the 5.9 face version of that pitch.