The East Ledges Descent | Rock Climbing Routes

Routes : North America : United States : California : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : El Capitan : Southeast Face: El Capitan : The East Ledges Descent

Average Rating : 2.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 14140
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (9)

Premier Sponsor:

First Ascent:

Type of Climb:

Aid

Safety Rating:

Pitches:

Protection:

2 x 60m ropes, helmet, harness, rap device, gloves, load release knot cord, lockers, slings, daisy

Length :

Consensus Ratings
Difficulty	(Not Rated)
Safety Rating	PG13
Exposure	(Not Rated)
Rock Quality	(Not Rated)
Scenery	(Not Rated)
Fun Factor	(Not Rated)

Description:

There are three ways to get down from the top of El Cap. The East Ledges is by far the most popular, but those with a masochistic bent can hike the punishingly steep Falls Trail. There's also the option of walking out out to Tamarack Flat, a long but mostly level journey. If you think after summiting The Big Stone that your big wall troubles are over - think again! The East Ledges is a grueling three-thousand-foot descent that can leave you limping for days afterward. Wrestling an enormously heavy and [usually] poorly balanced pig is bad enough, but when you throw in exhaustion, darkness and "no fall zones" where death is a certainty should you blow it, the makings of an epic are always close at hand. Even experienced climbers avoid descending the East Ledges after dark. It just ain't worth it! Better to enjoy a superb summit bivi and [legal] campfire, kick back, finish up your last beer(s), gaze at the stars, and basically revel at how bitchin' you are to have just climbed El Cap! For the most comprehensive and detailed East Ledges beta, directions and "tricks" ever published in the history of El Capitan literature, including how to properly and safely rappel with a huge load, please click on "Climbed by: |passthepitonspete|" below. UPDATED JUNE, 2003 WITH HANDLINE AND FIXED ROPE BETA!

Submitted by: passthepitonspete on 2006-03-26
Views: 2139
Route ID: 5961

Record Ascent Add Photo Add to Hit List Bookmark