the most el cap SOLO ascents

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Messages 1 - 59 of total 59 in this topic
DaveT.

Big Wall climber
southeast face portaledge
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 10, 2007 - 11:25am PT
i was just reading the post about the most el cap ascents by DIFFERENT routes, and the question came up- who has soloed the most routes up on the big guy? this will be a difficult question as many of the soloists dont like to count and tell, but as a possible contender, the question is now posted.......
ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
Jul 10, 2007 - 12:08pm PT
dave ..

.. no fair to post the queswtion and not give up your number ..

.. i've got 3 solo's .. -- not enough to win -- ..
DaveT.

Big Wall climber
southeast face portaledge
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2007 - 09:06pm PT
come on pete, where are you at? you must know some beta on this one....

and ricardo- i am asking this to know some facts, not to spray. but it is a few.....

gerberding? lovelace? kohl? florine and schnieder?
WBraun

climber
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:10pm PT
This is a free climbing forum and retro bolting forum (oops) I mean long run out forum?

El Cap is history?

Weschrist is your new leader ............ well maybe?
T2

climber
Cardiff by the sea
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:15pm PT
My money is on Klaus.
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:18pm PT
Tucker did 3 back to back to back....that's fairly grubby.
WBraun

climber
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:21pm PT
Yeah and he jumared with the haul bag while cleaning.

I don't think anyone has ever done a whole El Cap route solo or with a partner that has done something like that.

I mean, he doesn't haul his bag when he soloed those routes.
T2

climber
Cardiff by the sea
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:27pm PT
Ha ha ha Todd "thats fairly grubby" is freakin funny discribing tucker. He is absolutly "fairly grubby" in all respects. I imagine he was employing this haul tactic with just a swami as well.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:38pm PT
Hi Dave, yeah I'm here.

I'm at eight solos of El Cap, from left to right:

IH, NS, TT, LinA, ZM, SS, LE and EW.

I honestly don't know who has soloed the most routes. Xaver Bongard did a few. We need to get Hans to add solo ascents to his "Compare and Declare" page, eh? I cleaned the WFLT in '83 jugging with the pig because it was what I was familiar with from caving in Mexico.
bringmedeath

climber
la la land
Jul 10, 2007 - 09:58pm PT
If any thing should be in caps its EL CAP, do you worship yourself or the rock more, David...

just f*#king with you

The answer is hopefully not even a human being. Which makes it something more special.
DaveT.

Big Wall climber
southeast face portaledge
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2007 - 10:00pm PT
did klaus ever get into repeating other peoples routes up there? i thought he only climbed his own routes, which would limit the number. and i dont think hans and steve s climbed many different routes.

ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
Jul 10, 2007 - 10:36pm PT
.. sup bro .. i am really curious to know how many different solo's you've done .. i dont care or think much about the spray ..

.. another interesting question would be to find out how many folks have soloed EL CAP for their first big wall ever ..

.. at one point i think ammon had a bead on the number .. but i doubt there is a way to tell ..
Owlman

Social climber
Montucky
Jul 10, 2007 - 10:51pm PT
Duane Raleigh needs a mention here...wasn't he the first solo of ZM? Also a Cosmos solo...among others.

Soloed Zodiac and Lurking Fear in late 80s.
LF was really cool...way over there off the beaten path.
Bats fed by the light of my headlamp while I read "IN Dubious Battle" - Steinbeck each night. The Grand Traverse is a very cool pitch.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jul 10, 2007 - 10:59pm PT
I believe that Peter Haan's solo of the Salathe in 1971 was his first big wall, the first solo of that route, and the second solo of El Capitan. http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=247504&msg=247514#msg247514
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Jul 11, 2007 - 12:21am PT
Good one Anders.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jul 11, 2007 - 01:43am PT
Then, in 1972, Jim Dunn did the first solo first ascent, of Cosmos. Soon followed by Charlie Porter on the Zodiac. Though I believe both already had considerable big wall and El Capitan experience.

Perhaps there were other solo ascents in the 1969 - 72 period, by El Cap and/or big wall novices?
rlf

Trad climber
Josh, CA
Jul 11, 2007 - 05:48am PT
I know that wally barker did a bunch, not sure how many though.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jul 12, 2007 - 12:17am PT
I was thinking of doing another, but can I retire with eight then? How many have you done, Dave?

Wally's solos have been pretty stout, for sure. He solo'd the Ranch and Gulf Stream, might have done Jolly Roger, too. Bad to the bone, that boy.
Jonny D

Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
Jul 12, 2007 - 01:09am PT
wally solos: gulf stream, kaos, plastic surgery disaster, jolly roger, reticent wall. didn't know he soloed the ranch but wouldn't surprise me.
poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Jul 12, 2007 - 02:41am PT
Put up any sick new routes in Peru lately Dave???

Looking forward to hearing your stories.

Cheers!

Kia
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
Jul 12, 2007 - 04:11pm PT
Talked to Tucker this morning;..he said he did 4 solos in 5 weeks. (That's grubby....)....

mike hartley

climber
Jul 12, 2007 - 04:37pm PT
I seem to remember Bill Schmausser doing at least 5 with one being an early ascent of ZM.
Owlman

Social climber
Montucky
Jul 12, 2007 - 10:27pm PT
Whoa...back up back up...

Pete listed NS as a solo.

Native Son? Really?

Solo.

That is sick.

I want to hear about this one.
Like, did you mantel out of tree?
And what about the Coral Sea?

Talk to us....
Handjam Belay

Gym climber
expat from the truth
Jul 12, 2007 - 10:49pm PT
Thats a REAL f'n tick list Wally...

WBraun

climber
Jul 12, 2007 - 11:06pm PT
That's it Tucker Tech 4 El Cap solos in 5 weeks.

Ball game over, he wins prize.

The rest of you can go home now.

He even did it with key chain biners and Tigers milk bars to stay light and never hauled his bag that had nothing in it.

Well, ya all still have to hike a million miles into the Himalayas , sell your soul to some gear companies and spend a million dollars and solo some nasty freezing ass wall to beat him.

Ho Man, rolls eyes ......
Dave Mital

Big Wall climber
Carson City, Nevada
Jul 13, 2007 - 12:22am PT
13 total soloes of El Cap, but by only four (wimpy) routes:

Lurking Fear - 1983, 2005,2006
Zodiac - 1985, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
Tangerine Trip - 1984 (rescued in first attempt in 1982)
Mescalito - 1986

Scared to death every single time, but thrilled to be up there and exhilirated on top - the best days of my life. Hope to keep going, but this old body lives on hopes and pain pills. Best wishes to all you soloists!

David Mital - old chicken climber in Carson City, Nevada
Dave Mital

Big Wall climber
Carson City, Nevada
Jul 13, 2007 - 12:59am PT
A correction to my post - there are no wimpy routes on El Capitan. The only thing wimpy about my solo ascents was the climber - me whimpering my way up the route.

Best Wishes,

David Mital, whimpering climber in Carson City, Nevada
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
Jul 16, 2007 - 02:35am PT

This man soloed El Cap 4 times in 5 weeks;...look what happened to him. Please do NOT try this at home.
wayne w

Trad climber
the nw
Jul 16, 2007 - 04:14am PT
In the late nineties Dean Miller attempted 3 solos of Zodiac after warming up by doing the Leaning Tower. On the first two he recieved minimal assistance from other parties. I can't remember the exact details. However, by the the third try he was stronger yet, had his systems totally dialed and soloed the route.

What makes this notable is the fact that Dean had been in a horrific car crash some years before this. The night of the accident his heart stopped at least once while on the operating table before being brought back to life. He spent time in a wheelchair during his recovery, progressed to being able to walk with some difficulty with the assistance of hiking poles, worked his ass off and pulled of these very proud climbs.

I've lost contact with Dean, but hope that he is doing well wherever he is and whatever he is up to.
wayne w

Trad climber
the nw
Jul 16, 2007 - 04:15am PT
In the late nineties Dean Miller attempted 3 solos of Zodiac after warming up by doing the Leaning Tower. On the first two he recieved minimal assistance from other parties. I can't remember the exact details. However, by the the third try he was stronger yet, had his systems totally dialed and soloed the route.

What makes this notable is the fact that Dean had been in a horrific car crash some years before this. The night of the accident his heart stopped at least once while on the operating table before being brought back to life. He spent time in a wheelchair during his recovery, progressed to being able to walk with some difficulty with the assistance of hiking poles, worked his ass off and pulled off these very proud climbs.

I've lost contact with Dean, but hope that he is doing well wherever he is and whatever he is up to.
Raydog

Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
Jul 26, 2007 - 10:41pm PT
RE: TUCKER -
"He even did it with key chain biners and Tigers milk bars to stay light and never hauled his bag that had nothing in it. "

dude, he did those 4 in 5 weeks in a swami I gave him no leg loops yes it's true!
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jul 27, 2007 - 02:56pm PT
Well, as it stands right now, I don't have a partner for the fall. So somebody make me an offer, or I reckon I'll have to go do #9 starting around Sunday Sept 30. Shesh.
Inner City

Trad climber
East Bay
Jul 27, 2007 - 03:44pm PT
Is Rick Lovelace in the running?
dee ee

Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
Jul 27, 2007 - 04:22pm PT
What about Mike Owsley? He's done quite a few.

Mike....step on up.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:49pm PT
Just so you know, Dave Turner told me he's soloed 14 routes, and named them all. I guess I'm a pretty distant second....
MSmith

Big Wall climber
Portland, Oregon
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:26am PT
Pete, your 8 are different lines, and that's worth something.

Edit
You only need 7 more.
SteveW

Trad climber
Denver, CO
Jan 30, 2008 - 08:38am PT
All of you guys who've soloed it--
WOW. You're pretty derned RAD to me!
rlf

Trad climber
Josh, CA
Jan 30, 2008 - 09:21am PT
"wally solos: gulf stream, kaos, plastic surgery disaster, jolly roger, reticent wall. didn't know he soloed the ranch but wouldn't surprise me. "

I am pretty sure he did the ranch. In fact I think that was the route he took a 70 footer, ripping the pitch and landed (softly)standing up on the ledge at the beginning of the pitch. The piece that stopped him was a kb that was nearly torn completely in half.

Shudder.

I'll ask Tucker today, I know he's done fair number.
rick d

Social climber
tucson, az
Jan 30, 2008 - 09:37am PT
Bill Schmausser
did at least 5, Aquarium (in full water, near death experience) and New Jersey Turnpike (no pro free climbing right?). I can't remember the others, its been 17 years since I saw him.
survival

Big Wall climber
arlington, va
Jan 30, 2008 - 10:27am PT
Who's Rick D? Rick Derrick possibly?
wayne w

Trad climber
the nw
Jan 30, 2008 - 10:48am PT
Wally did the ranch in 97.
dave goodwin

climber
carson city, nv
Jan 30, 2008 - 11:30am PT
When I first saw this post I thought of Dave Mital, glad to see you post here Dave. Did not know that you visited this site.

I had the fortunate pleasure to do the Shield with Dave this summer. It was a great trip and I can vouch that Dave is no whimp up on the big stone. Just a very modest fellow who at 50+ years old he still solos El Cap. Pretty sure that before we went and did the Shield he soloed the Prow and Zodiac as warm ups for the shield this spring.

One downfall of climbing with a guy who usually solos is that you have to remind them to communicate with you. Dave just kept plugging along and kept the rope moving.

thanks Dave hope to do another wall with you this year,

thanks Dave G.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:27pm PT
Mark, I am definitely overdue for another solo, not having done so for a few years. I just keep hooking up with great partners, and enjoy the camaraderie. But there's a lot to be said for being up there on your own, with nobody to account to except yourself. Man, I sure love to sleep in, drink coffee, and read some great books!

I'm trying to remember the route I was on, it might have been Lunar Eclipse or Eagle's Way, but at the time there were five soloists on five different routes on El Cap, and every one of us summitted, which defies the odds.

I am absolutely certain that Wally soloed the Ranch, because I either met him on the summit, the descent, or just after we got down. I remember his long hair, wild eyes, and super-psyched demeanour. I think he told me it took him 11 days, which back then seemed a long time to be on a wall.

"So I bet you're glad to be down, and won't be wanting to go back up on the wall anytime soon, eh?"

"Are you kidding?! I'd love to go back up right now and solo another route!"

That meeting with Wally was a huge inspiration to me, and I made my first solo of El Cap by Iron Hawk a few months later, wanting to climb a route that was longer and harder than anything I had yet done, and for which I had no other beta than Warren Hollinger telling me it was a nice route. I, um, had to come out free climbing retirement for that one....

Somewhere I have some slides of Wally on PSD which I took from a neighbouring route to the west. I'm happy to report that Kate and I took no seventy-footers on the Ranch, nor anything particularly dire as I recall. There was this other time, though, a few years before, and it wasn't even that long of a fall...

I think it should be every trad climber's goal to one day climb The Nose, and it should be every wall climber's goal to one day solo El Cap.
BriGuy

Trad climber
SL,UT
Sep 26, 2009 - 07:29pm PT
Reticent wall has been soloed many times in the last few recent years. Who was the 1st to solo it?

bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Sep 26, 2009 - 07:57pm PT
To answer the question about El Cap solos in the 60's and early 70's, Royal Robbins did the first solo of an El Cap route when he did the second ascent of the Muir Wall in 1968.

Tom Bauman did the first solo of the Nose in 1969.

Bruce
dogtown

Gym climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
Sep 26, 2009 - 09:50pm PT
Wow.
hoipolloi

climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
Sep 26, 2009 - 10:28pm PT
that guy DaveTurner is sick.

I understand doing the things he does, but doing those things solo requires a different sort of person than I.

I get lonely and bored...

sometimes, when I solo...I cry at night...true story...


I am going to solo something again soon....



edit:

How the HELL do you jug this bags clipped to you. I am assuming clipped to the belay donut or something. But how does that actually work out. Do you think its actually easier than hauling!?
Ryan Tetz

Trad climber
Flagstaff, AZ
Sep 26, 2009 - 10:36pm PT
Shout out to Steve!

He did the first solo ascent of the nose in a day. That's a winner!

Steve actually has done quite the brevity of routes up there. I can't remember who has the most diverse amount. Schneider has around 130 ascents besides the solo race and he's still been climbing free routes up there the past few years.
BriGuy

Trad climber
SL,UT
Sep 27, 2009 - 05:39pm PT
Did Andy K. do the 1st solo of Reticent?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Sep 27, 2009 - 07:35pm PT
Has to be someone with a personality disorder.
FrankZappa

Trad climber
80' from the Hankster
Sep 27, 2009 - 09:50pm PT
Just for the record, I believe that it's fair to point out that Tucker's back-to-back solo binges were proudly accomplished without taking a shower.
Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Idaho, also. Sorta, kinda mostly, Yeah.
Sep 27, 2009 - 10:15pm PT
Hey, Frank, Tucker has had Many binges without a shower.
It's all good. He doesn't seem to stink.

mtntroll

Trad climber
pepper lake city
Sep 27, 2009 - 10:29pm PT
fwiw, last i herd jd did the 1st solo 1st asscent on the cap
Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Idaho, also. Sorta, kinda mostly, Yeah.
Sep 27, 2009 - 10:32pm PT
Yes, he did.
Jim Dunn ROCKS.
Brandon

Trad climber
Santa Maria, CA
Sep 27, 2009 - 11:25pm PT
Grant Gardner did the 1st solo of Reticent. He did it in the Spring when it rained during 50% of the days. Plus there was ice falling off the rim. During his first day of fixing, a baskeball size chunk hit the base and cut his rope and severed a shoulder strap on his backpack. I remember it being especially bold since the only other wall he had soloed was Skull Queen in a day.
Lambone

Ice climber
Ashland, Or
Sep 28, 2009 - 12:22am PT
Ammon has got to be up there in the running.
shipoopoi

Big Wall climber
oakland
Sep 28, 2009 - 12:41am PT
i just did 3 soloes on two routes
the nose twice, the first around 88 in about 35 hours, and a couple of years later in 21:22ish for the first solo NIAD.
a couple of years later i soloed the salathe in 21:44, for the only one day on the salathe

i was basically too blonde to figure out how to haul a basg solo, so had to do push ascent soloes that required no hauling

ryan, i've only done 107 ascents of el capitan, no where near thirty, that is close to the number that hans has done it.

hans has soled the nose in a day at least twice

hans soled lurking fear, then the west face in under 24 hours, for the only solo of 2 el cap routes in a day

that's a freaking proud list by wally

pete, you are the real deal, i hope you get a partner

shipoopoi
Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Idaho, also. Sorta, kinda mostly, Yeah.
Sep 28, 2009 - 12:48am PT
I like Grant a lot, but he had serious Hair issues.
Hence, the MonoDread. Fabulous, fun guy, otherwise.....
Hey, Grant, Remember all of that Makulu Brown we "cached"?
Oooops, sorry, Drift.

Steve G HAS to be WAy up there.
I mean, Hell, He's Gerberding. Sheesh.
Frank Sanders

Trad climber
Devils Tower. Wyoming
Sep 28, 2009 - 05:47pm PT
So who do You consider to be the 1st female to solo the Captain?? Know that Beverly Johnson has been given credit for that, but my vote is for Susan Harrington, who TRULY did it solo.

Who would be the OLDEST person to solo El Cap??? Now that's a good one, & how old were they???

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO LIVE OUT THEIR DREAMS
Messages 1 - 59 of total 59 in this topic
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