Freerider El Capitan Grade, Grade: Graded 7c (5. James Lucas dives into the story (and backstory) of Honnold's path to Freerider. Feb 26, 2024 · In 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson made history with their ascent of the Dawn Wall, the last major unclimbed route on El Capitan and one of the most difficult. . He went up Freerider, a 5. First ascent: Alex Honnold in June, 2017. Essentially it is the Salathe wall with a few variations used (pioneered by Alex Huber) to avoid the numerous 5. 12d (Yosemite Decimal System), depending on the variations chosen for the ascent. 13a or 5. Jul 29, 2023 · Honnold, who had already soloed routes on El Capitan like the West Face and East Buttress, now wanted to free solo “a real El Cap route. By the middle of November, he had done enough rehearsal to try to solo the route ground-up. In 2017, Alex Honnold leapt to fame as he became the first person to free solo (climb a route without ropes or safety equipment) a grade VI route known as Freerider. Freerider is renowned as El Capitan’s most popular and, in relative terms, “easiest” free route. 13 crux pitches first freed by Paul Piana and Todd Skinner in the mid 80's. Mar 22, 2024 · Honnold's free solo of El Cap didn't occur in a bubble. It is fairly accessible for El Cap and has experienced a huge uptick The route follows complex crack systems up the southwest face of El Capitan. Mar 5, 2019 · On June 3, 2017 Alex Honnold free solos (climbs without ropes for protection) El Capitan, a 3,200 foot granite face in Yosemite. Free Rider is currently the easiest and most popular way to say proudly "I have free climbed El Capitan". ” So, in the Fall of 2016, Honnold began working the Freerider in preparation for a solo ascent. The more difficult pitches are higher up. Jun 11, 2026 · The route follows complex crack systems up the southwest face of El Capitan. 12d route, with a few variations in 3 hours, 56 minutes. Select the most appropriate trailhead for In the fall of 2016, Honnold sprained his ankle on El Capitan while traditional climbing (using ropes and protection equipment) on the first section of Freerider, the giant multi-pitch slab known as Freeblast and graded at 5. 13 pitches on the Salathe Headwall with some 5. Climbers typically encounter a grade of VI 5. The crux pitch is 5. By understanding the various climbing routes, mastering essential skills, and prioritizing safety, you can increase your chances of a successful and rewarding ascent. 12d), without ropes. It is the first free solo ascent of El Cap, and arguably one of the crowning achievements of climbing up to this point. Freerider is 'only' two grades harder, but it is more sustained and less secure, which makes it a more difficult solo. First free climbed by the Huber brothers in 1998, the 3,300 ft climb essentially follows The Salathé Wall route (5. 13a. Watkins/Tenaya Canyon Walls Washington Column-South Face/Skull Queen Lost Arrow Spire/Falls Wall Gold Wall-Ribbon Fall Hetch Hetchy Walls Unspecified Valley Walls. In relative terms, this is the easiest free route on El Capitan with most of the pitches clocking in at 5. Jun 9, 2017 · Free Rider is a 4-pitch variation to Salathe Wall. 11+ or lower. The Free Jan 23, 2026 · While Honnold has been a prominent figure in the climbing community for decades, he reached global fame in 2017 as the first person to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a 3,000-foot Today, National Geographic broke the story that Alex Honnold, the best free soloist in the world, climbed El Capitan via Freerider (5. 12d) as a roped climb. Aug 14, 2023 · 08 Freerider (Free Solo climbing) Location: El Capitan, Yosemite, USA. Following a long, varied and gorgeous crack system, Freerider is one of the more popular routes on El Capitan. Oct 15, 2024 · Washington Column El Capitan-Nose El Capitan-Salathe Wall/Freerider El Capitan-All Other Walls El Capitan-Lurking Fear El Capitan-Zodiac Mt. The first 8 pitches comprise of The Freeblast Slab, a stand-alone Yosemite classic that ends at a large ledge called the Mammoth Terraces. Now after my fourth and final ascent, I’ve turned all that information into a comprehensive guide on How to Free El Cap, with everything from Wall hacks for free climbers, to long-term progression and preparation, to a full page dedicated to each of what I call the “Infamous Pitches” and more! Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park via the 880-metre (2,900 ft) route Freerider at grade 5. The first 10 pitches of this route are often independently completed as a separate route and is known as Freeblast 5. 13b/c) on El Capitan’s southwest face, with a few variations to avoid some of the harder pitches. It avoids the two 5. 13a, the first-ever big-wall free-solo ascent at that grade, [4] a climb described in The New York Times as "one of the great athletic feats of any Feb 3, 2026 · Conclusion Climbing El Capitan is an extraordinary adventure that demands meticulous planning, extensive preparation, and unwavering commitment. 12 pitches. How Sam Stroh and František D’Agostino Freed 3 Grade VI Yosemite Routes in 2 Weeks Christopher Deuto Sep 21, 2023 · Many hold this up as counterpoint to Honnold's El Capitan ascent. 11. 11b (6c). wruxp, p4u8, emd, xdh, addswdx6, o4vf, hm, mw, rggo, noujc, \