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See Yosemite Today YOSEMITE for a complete calendar of GUIDE what’s happening Your Key to Visiting the Park in the park. SUMMER/FALL 25¢ VOLUME XXX, NO. 2 A Climber Returns to El Capitan by hat a joy it was Tom to have as my Frost WYosemite climb- ing companion the enthusiastic, young Ryan Frost! It was June 1997. We were a third Photo by F. Mang, Jr. of the way up the Nose of El Capitan when I Look shared with Ryan my sudden realization. Inside! “This is the first time Valley Map . Back Panel I’ve been up on El Cap Park Map without Royal.” What a Planning Your Visit. 8 & 9 comfort it brought, Protect Your Park. 4 now with my 1960s Bears . 5 climbing partner and Camping . 6 mentor Royal Robbins Backpacking & not present, that his Valley Day Hikes . 7 shoes could be filled Explore Yosemite . 10 – 12 by a new light and Yosemite News. 2 companion—my son, Nature Notes . 3 Ryan Frost. Just for Kids . 12 & 13 Continued on page 1 The historic Nose route on El Capitan, first climbed in 1958 by Warren Harding, follows the south buttress between the sunlit and shadowed faces. YOSEMITE GUIDE Your Key to Visiting the Park SUMMER/FALL VOLUME XXX, NO. 2 A Climber Returns to El Capitan Continued from front cover I never thought I would climb El Capi- CLIMBING’S PIONEERS tan again. Thirty-seven years had passed But even back then, decades of since this same route with Robbins, Yosemite climbing history preceded us. Chuck Pratt, and Joe Fritschen had trans- The very first Yosemite climber, and also formed my life. Now suddenly, as great as the most influential, was the naturalist the adventure of 1960 had been, this new John Muir. Muir’s respect for the creation, one moved once again up into the un- including Yosemite’s great rocks, and his knowns of my life. It almost seemed as leave-no-trace philosophy of resource though nothing had changed. My first stewardship established the foundation reason to climb has always been the upon which every succeeding generation companionship. We climb to be inspired. of Yosemite climber built. Then in the late I enjoy climbing only with companions 1940s, John Salathé’s bold 5-day ascents that help point me toward God. Ryan and of the Lost Arrow Chimney and the North Royal did that well; it didn’t hurt that Face of Sentinel Rock set the climbing they also knew climbing. standard for courage, commitment, and Coming home to the Valley is sacred traveling light. Salathé hand-forged Thomas I.Photo © McMillan business. The rocks of Yosemite are so stronger pitons to avoid the placing of majestic and beautifully crafted that to many bolts, and raised himself to be the O EARN ORE know them and to realize how tailor- measure of his inspiring climbs. T L M ... made they are for our use is, in small Ten years after Salathé, Royal Robbins View climbers at work on rocks measure, to know the creator of them. View of the Valley from El Capitan. became the visionary and leading figure like Swan Slab just north of The bad news was this: of the Golden Age of Yosemite big Yosemite Lodge, Lembert Dome El Capitan, the object wall climbing. Even considering the it ever was! The climbs are exposed and in Tuolumne Meadows, and El of our design, had not size and massiveness of El Cap, he require as much hard climbing as did Capitan from El Capitan Meadow shrunk. We headed believed, “It isn’t getting to the top their first ascents. (bring your binoculars). Most El around the Valley loop that counts; it’s the way you do it.” Not realizing this, Ryan and I continued Cap and Valley climbing takes looking forward to a Robbins shunned fixed ropes and up the Nose. After we arrived at El Cap place in May, June, September, reunion in that Camp 4 excessive bolting of the wall. Tower an hour after dark, the rain began. and October. In the evening, you family of which Steve In 1998, Camp 4’s eligibility for We checked inside our little haul bag of can see the flashes of light from Roper, in his book Camp listing in the National Register of supplies and confirmed that two of our their headlamps as climbers settle 4: Recollections of a Historic Places acknowledged three gallons of water had perished on the in for the night. Yosemite Rockclimber, Yosemite’s place in the development swing from Sickle Ledge. The night was had helped us catch the of rock climbing history. In this Val- Take a walk through the historic cold. Rain continued. The next day, we vision. The rock walls of ley are found the finest quality, Camp 4 walk-in campground. observed that we had the Big Stone all to Yosemite may be our accessible, large granite monoliths Talk to climbers and ask ques- ourselves. Ryan led a treacherous climb gymnasium, workshop, in the world. Out of this Valley, a tions. You can often see them Photo by Tom Frost Tom Photo by up the chimney-like gap behind Texas and crucible, but Camp Royal Robbins aid style and method of climbing was practicing on large boulders near Flake in stiff boots and lived. The traverse 4 (the famed climber’s climbing on the exported that influenced rock- the campground. third pitch of the across to the bivouac in the Gray Band walk-in campground) climbers everywhere. Now the Attend a climbing interpretive Salathé Wall route was tedious, pendulum swings and more is home. With no small world of climbers comes to slideshow or a walking tour to in 1961. wet rock. The Great Roof was not only a amount of nervousness, Yosemite to climb the classic routes the Nose of El Cap, Swan Slab, roof, but also great. To keep warm, we we took a place in Site 23 near our heroes and to rub shoulders with the spirit of or Lembert Dome. See Yosemite climbed by day, but shivered by night. in the SAR (search and rescue) camp. Muir, Salathé, and Robbins. These Today for schedule. Our final day—high in the huge, open What change had taken place! climbers are the newest and current gen- dihedral that forms the top of the wall, Sign up for a climbing course Forty years ago and fresh out of college, eration of Camp 4 pioneers. I fell in with three climbers who became with its planes of granite shooting out- with the Yosemite Mountaineer- ward—beams of light cut the crisp, clean ing School, located in Curry bigger-than-life heroes—Royal Robbins, WHY CLIMB? Chuck Pratt, and Yvon Chouinard. Royal air and we ascended to where pioneers Village and Tuolumne Meadows. So you might ask, “Why? Why climb had gone before. was the natural leader. He was the right anyway? Especially walls as intimidating Read Camp 4: Recollections of a man for the job at this magical moment. as El Capitan?” I still go up for the same Yosemite Rockclimber by Steve The stage was set for the climbing of the reasons I did 40 years ago. It is not due to Roper or Vertical World of Yosemite first routes of a virgin El Capitan. a lack of fear, but more because of it. by Galen Rowell. A climbing Whereas the non-climber—for good rea- route poster of El Capitan is sons—stands in El Capitan Meadow and available at the Curry Village decides not to go up, I find it scarier look- Mountain Shop. ing up at El Cap from the Meadow than down on the Meadow from high on El Cap. And so I go—and find out what is to be learned. After all these years, I still find that I am in love with the rock and the Photo by Ryan Frost Valley. I still love to go up. I am inspired Tom Frost high on the Nose route of El Capitan, June 1997. YOSEMITE by the mystery and majesty of El Capitan and want to be a part of it. To feel the joy GUIDE of movement on sunlit granite, the wind In the 1960s, Tom Frost climbed actively Published by the National Park Service, in my face, the teamwork, the shared in Yosemite and the Himalayas and built in cooperation with the Yosemite Association and Yosemite high adventure. climbing hardware with renowned pioneer, Concession Services Corp. A lot has changed since the days of the Yvon Chouinard. At 65, he owns and oper- early ascents of El Capitan. There are ates FROSTWORKS, a manufacturer of NPS Editor and Coordinator Kristina Rylands many more climbers now, and they climb climbing hardware, and is Chief Engineer Production by Skip Gaynard Designs at a lot higher standard. But, notwith- and Chairman of the Board of Chimera Printed by Premier Offset Printing, Inc. standing, there is one thing that has not Photographic Lighting. Tom is planning a Email comments on this issue to changed: El Cap is just as big and scary as second comeback to climb El Capitan. Yose_Guide@ nps.gov Photo © Thomas I.Photo © McMillan A climber on the historic Headwall pitch on El Capitan’s Salathé Wall route. 1 YOSEMITEYOSEMITE NEWSNEWS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Dear Yosemite Friends, happenings and special events geared to help you Welcome to Yosemite! Tom Frost’s article on the make the most of your time here in Yosemite. cover of this issue of the Yosemite Guide reminds us Another way to begin making your own Yosemite of the deep connections that visitors can make to connections is to view the spectacular new film, this very special park.
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