{{Short description|Technical climbing route up El Capitan}} {{Italic title}} {{Infobox climbing route | name = ''Salathé Wall'' | photo = Salathe Wall Topo El Capitan.jpg | photo_caption = Southwest face of El Capitan from Yosemite Valley with the Salathé Wall route marked in red | location = California, USA | coords = {{coord|37|44|02.4|N|119|38|13.2|W|type:mountain_region:US}} | climbing_area = Yosemite Valley | route_type = {{plainlist| *Big wall climbing *Aid climbing *Traditional climbing }} | vertical_gain = {{convert|2900|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | pitches = 35 | rating = {{climbing grade|5.13b}} (full free climb)<br>{{climbing grade|5.9}} C2 (use of aid) | grade = VI | first_ascent = Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, and Chuck Pratt, 1961 | ffa = {{ubl| * Paul Piana and Todd Skinner (1988, alternating pitches) * Alexander Huber (1995, climbed all the pitches)}} | fffa = Steph Davis, 2005 | fastest_ascent = | known_for = {{plainlist| *First-ever multi-pitch {{climbing grade|5.13b}} in history }} }} The '''''Salathé Wall''''' is one of the original big wall climbing routes up El Capitan, a {{convert|3000|ft|m|-2|adj=on}} high granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. The ''Salathé Wall'' was named by Yvon Chouinard in honor of John Salathé, a pioneer of rock climbing in Yosemite. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text ''Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'' and is considered a classic worldwide.<ref>{{Fifty Classic Climbs|pages=269–275}}</ref><ref>McNamara, Chris, and Sloan, Erik. ''Yosemite Big Walls''. Mill Valley, CA: SuperTopo, '''2005'''. {{ISBN|0-9672391-9-2}}</ref>

==Climbing history==

===First ascents=== [[File:Pratt bivouac by Tom Frost.jpg|thumb|Rock climber Chuck Pratt bivouacking during the first ascent of the Salathé Wall in September 1961.]] The first ascent was in 1961 by Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, and Chuck Pratt. After climbing about a quarter of the route, they retreated to re-supply, leaving four fixed ropes in place. Quickly returning, they jumared back up the ropes and totally committed to climbing the upper wall in a single push, which they did in 6 days using only 15 bolts total. The route was about 25% free climbing with sections of run-out at grade 5.9, and the rest being aid climbing which was also difficult at grade A4. A year later, Robbins and Frost returned and did the route in a single push from the bottom.

In 1972, Peter Haan became the first to aid climb the route alone as a rope solo, using pitons for aid and protection. It was his first big wall climb.

===First free ascents===

In 1975, Kevin Worral and Mike Graham, starting from the Nose route, traversed left a bit to join this route and free climbed pitches 4 through 10 of Salathe Wall Route up to Mammoth Terraces, adding three pitches of 5.11. A little later, John Long, and John Bachar free climbed pitch three (5.11b) making all 10 pitches free.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reid|first=Don|title=Yosemite Free Climbs|publisher=Falcon Press|year=1998|isbn=0-934641-59-5|pages=359}}</ref> These ten free pitches, often free climbed as a standalone multi-pitch climbing route in its own right, are known as ''Freeblast'' (5.11c).<ref name=RI1>{{cite web | magazine=Rock & Ice | url=https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-destinations/el-cap-free-timeline/ | title=El Cap Free Timeline | date=19 November 2018 | accessdate=20 July 2023 }}</ref>

In 1979, Mark Hudon and Max Jones, climbing from the ground up, led all but 250 feet of the route free, adding three pitches of 5.12 and 5 or 6 of 5.11.<ref name=RI1/><ref name=BMC>{{cite web | website=British Mountaineering Council | url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/yosemite-land-of-freedom | title=Yosemite - Land of freedom | first=Ken | last=Wilson | date=27 August 2003 | accessdate=18 July 2023 | author-link=Ken Wilson (mountaineering writer)}}</ref>

In 1988, Todd Skinner and Paul Piana made the first free ascent by free climbing all the sections (each climber free climbed only about half of the route, with 2 hanging belays for resting) during a nine-day push, after thirty days of working the route, and gave it a grade of 5.13c.<ref name=RI1/> The ''Salathe Wall'' was the first major route on El Capitan to be fully free climbed, and was the first-ever free ascent of a big wall route in history at the grade of {{climbing grade|5.13b}}.<ref name=BMC/><ref>{{cite web | last = Samet | first = Matt |author2=Steve Bechtel | title = Loss of a Legend | work = Climbing Magazine | publisher = Primedia |date=November 2006 | url =http://www.climbing.com/community/passages/toddskinner/index2.html | doi = | access-date = 2007-03-27 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

In 1995, Alexander Huber became the first individual to free climb all the individual pitches, leading every pitch free himself in two pushes (with one hanging belay for a rest), and using an easier variation avoiding one of the cruxes, and assigned a grade of 5.13b.<ref name=RI1/><ref name=BMC/><ref name=PMFreerider>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/el-capitan-freerider-alexander-huber-yosemite-masterpiece-celebrates-20th-anniversary.html | title=El Capitan Freerider: Alexander Huber Yosemite masterpiece celebrates 20th anniversary | date=5 October 2018 | accessdate=16 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=aaj_1996>{{cite aaj | article_id=12199606700 | title=Freeing the Salathe, the greatest rock climb in the world | first=Alexander | last=Huber | volume=38 | issue=70 | pages=69–70 | date=1996 | access-date=16 December 2022}}</ref>

In 2005, Steph Davis made the first female free ascent, with the grade at 5.13b.<ref name=RI1/><ref>{{citation|title=Women Who Dare: North America's Most Inspiring Women Climbers|first=Chris|last=Noble|series=Falcon Guides|publisher=Globe Pequot|year=2013|isbn=9780762783717|page=27|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DOweAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA27}}.</ref>

==See also== {{commons cat|Salathe Wall (El Capitan)}} * ''The Nose''

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == *[http://www.supertopo.com/rockclimbing/route.html?r=ybelsala Supertopo.com] *[http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/California/Yosemite_N..._Park/Yosemite_Valley/El_Capitan/Southwest_...pitan/Salathe_Wall_4505.html Rockclimbing.com] *[http://mountainproject.com/v/california/yosemite_national_park/yosemite_valley/106154042 Mountainproject.com] {{Yosemite National Park}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salathe Wall (El Capitan)}} Category:Big wall climbing routes Category:Yosemite National Park