My first El Cap route

I just finished my first route up El Cap. I climbed the Shield (VI 5.9 C4F or A3) with a guy named Charlie that I met in Camp 4. We did the climb over six days and got stormed on, took whippers, ran out of food and got struck by lightning. Here's the breakdown.

Day 1: Haul our bags up to Mammoth Terraces (pitch 10), our high point when we climbed the freeblast a few days earlier. From here we fixed a pitch and called it a day.

Our route up El Cap
Jugging up the first pitch with all of El Cap above

Charlie high up on the first day

Day 2: Jug the fixed line and lead three more pitches (11-14). From here we were originally planning on climbing Sunkist A4, but decided that we were way too slow and that we'd be better off going for something a little easier. The Shield seemed like the perfect alternative and we decided that we would start up that the next morning.

Our bivy

Day 3: Climbed three pitches (15-17) and camped below the Shield roof. I placed my first pitons and slept in a portaledge in the middle of a vertical face for the first time.

Looking down pitch 15

Pitch 16 with the next pitch going out left

Pitch 17. My first nailing lead
The view from our portaledge

Day 4: Charlie led the pitch over the roof and gained the headwall (P18). From here I led an awesome pitch at the begining of the headwall and then Charlie led the technical crux of the climb, the groove (P19-20). We camped at the base of the triple cracks. The most exposed and amazing place I've ever been. There was almost 2000ft. of air below our portaledge. Incredible.

Charlie leading out the roof
Charlie above the roof. Photo by Tom Evans
Charlie giving me a belay after the roof. I gained the headwall on this pitch
This pic is at the same spot as the one above just from the Valley. Photo by Tom
A little higher up on the same pitch. Photo by Tom
Charlie leading the groove
Another view of the groove

Day 5: I led the triple cracks and pretty much nailed my way up the entire thing (P21). We led three more pitches and finally broke away from the headwall after a couple days (P22-24). After all the climbing we ended up on chickenhead ledge. It was great to finally have a ledge after several days without. Everything is easier when you can walk around.

Charlie giving me a belay on the triple cracks

You can barely see the triple cracks above

Me on the triple cracks. Photo by Tom
A little higher. Photo by Tom
The view from the top of the triple cracks pitch
Charlie on pitch 12
Higher u p on pitch 12
Looking down pitch 13, this was the last that we saw of the headwall
Our bivy on chickenhead ledge

Day 6: Our plan for this day was to climb the last six pitches (P25-30) and top out no matter how long it took. We started the day by finishing all of our breakfast food and dividing up the rest of our bars, 2 a piece at 120 calories a piece, not enough. From here we took off for the top. Charlie led the first pitch without incident. I led the next pitch and took my first aid fall, a solid 20 footer. When I started climbing again I noticed that bad weather was on the way, just like it had been every day between 11 and 4. The only difference is that every other day it only got windy and a little rainy. This time mother nature was not going to be so kind. Within a few minutes I was completely engulfed in a watercourse high up on El Cap. It actually felt like I was in a waterfall. I was just standing there with no where to go when all of a sudden I saw a bright light and got instantaneously shocked to hell. At first I couldn't believe it. I got shocked by lightning. It wasn't a direct hit. The lightning hit the top of El Cap and traveled down the water to me. I stood there in the waterfall tingling all over for around ten minutes waiting for it to finally calm down. When it did I called down to Charlie and asked if he was OK. He said that he was, but that he had been shocked by lightning. I quickly fixed the line now that I could move and rappeled down to Charlie where he told me that the blast threw him on his back and he blacked out. We just stood there tingling for around an hour in disbelief as to what had just happened. At this point we had to make a decision. Do we stay here and climb another day without food or do we go for the top and hope that the weather doesn't come back. Within an hour most of the big clouds over El Cap had dissipated and we decided to go for it and make it to the top. We quickly ascended the fixed line and started up the rest of the climb. Charlie led the first pitch after the storm and took a 30 foot fall, as if being struck by lighting wasn't enough. Once he finished up the pitch. We climbed one more aid pitch and then two 5.7 pitches and finally topped at 12PM after 6 full days on the wall. We celebrated by eating the last of our food, a bagel a piece, and making a fire to dry all our wet clothes.

Pitch 15

Charlie looking spooked after getting struck by lightning
Charlie about to take a 30 footer
Charlie on pitch 18 at sunset

Day 7: We slept in till around 9 and hiked back to the Valley arriving around two in the afternoon. The first thing that we did when we got to the Valley was go to the store and buy everything that we needed for a massive salad and a six pack. We spent the next several hours eating our first meal of the day. enjoying our beers and telling stories with a couple other climbing bums that we met. The perfect way to end my first big wall.

Charlie looking a little skinnier than when we started

Rappelling the E. ledges on the descent

Back in the Valley after the send. Photo by Tom

From here I think that Miles and I are going to spend another week or so in the Valley before heading down south to climb Mt. Whitney. Stay tuned.