Climbing El Capitan: A grueling five-day journey for Hungry Horse News photographer

Yosemite National Park is world-renowned for its stunning granite walls, cascading waterfalls, and the mighty El Capitan.

To the avid rock climber, the Yosemite Valley is the mecca of American rock climbing. Traveling from the Flathead, Adam Cazell, Ayden Douglas, and I converged on the motherland, our hearts set on exploring the sheer walls of El Capitan. 

Arriving in Yosemite earlier this summer, we sprawled out among the swaying grasses in the El Cap meadow, eyes scanning the 3,000-foot face of El Cap, its sweeping granite walls shimmering against the afternoon sun. 

My mind raced with the visions of great climbers that came before us, inspiring us to test our will as they had against an ocean of lifeless granite on the Capitan. 

With day-bags packed, we clambered along the dusty California trail leading to the base of the big stone. Flaking ropes at its base, we peered skyward. What awaited overhead was enough to make a believer out of me. Smooth golden granite soared into the sky, blocking out the horizon, untroubled at the internal uneasiness it brought down upon us.

Cazell, an El Cap climbing veteran and undoubted leader of the ascent, started our journey upward on the world-renowned Salathe climbing route, stretching our yellow rope ever higher.

The route we chose to ascend would be The Triple Direct, a direct line up the center of El Capitan that climbs through multiple routes–ending on the very pitches that Warren Harding climbed during El Capitan’s first ascent, via the Nose route, 66 years prior. We would be following in the footsteps of rock climbing royalty, hoping to emulate their unrelenting will and boldness. 

After a heroic section of leading, Cazell then passed the rack onto me. Casting off from our semi-hanging belay, a series of fantastic pitches was climbed, albeit not without a proper struggle. Reaching the feared “Half Dollar” pitch, Douglas took over and made short work of the crux pitch, squirming his way up the flared chimney and fixing our ropes on the anchor far above. Stashing our rack, we descended to the valley floor, satisfied with the day’s work, but eager for more.

The next day, dawn met us along the trail, our haul bags towering over our heads, filled with climbing gear, camping equipment, and 16 gallons of water for a potential six days in the vertical world of El Capitan. 

We said goodbye to flat ground and cast off, hauling our bags ever higher, reaching our previous high point before lunchtime. As any first El Cap climb goes, we worked through difficulties down low and settled into our individual roles as the day progressed. We made steady progress upwards and began preparing our first camp of the climb on the plush Pharaoh Ledge. An intense rock-paper-scissors battle decided our sleeping arrangements for the evening. Cazell occupied the basement of our skyward apartment, while Douglas and I propped ourselves on the upper level, snug as bugs in a rug in our hanging portaledge. 

Morning dawned, and lifeless limbs turned to immediate action as camp was packed and we were on the move, eager to get climbing before the California sun made its way across our backs. Throughout the next two days, our pace on the wall exceeded expectations; we moved more efficiently than previously thought and had a great time doing it. During our third bivy on the climb, we sat side-by-side, peering outwards at the granite monoliths in every direction below, taking in the incredible position we found ourselves in. Nightfall came, and we enjoyed a restful night’s sleep at Camp VI. 

The final pitches were easily dispatched by the cunning Cazell before the torch was passed to Douglas, who took us to the summit rim. 

Emotions flooded inward as we staggered onto the summit, filling our hearts with a deep satisfaction not found elsewhere. Over five days, we battled inner doubts, crippling heat, and countless pitches of aid climbing. To stand on the summit was nothing short of marvelous. We came together and worked as a single unit, achieving our shared dream and becoming better men along the way.

    Ayden Douglas belays high above the valley floor on Yosemite's El Capitan. Seth Anderson Photo.
 SETH ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY   

    Adam Cazell, Ayden Douglas, and Seth Anderson stand atop El Cap after ascending The Triple Direct route on Yosemite's El Capitan. Seth Anderson Photo.
 SETH ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY