Oliver Tippett Solos Reticent Wall, a 21-Pitch Yosemite A4+
The big wall was once considered one of the hardest climbs in North America
Oliver Tippett has climbed his fourth El Capitan aid route this season with The Reticent Wall, a 21-pitch A4+, which was once considered one of the hardest routes in North America at A5. “Whilst it used to be considered the hardest route on El Cap, the years have probably taken some of the sting out of it,” said Tippett.
The Reticent Wall, a direct line up El Capitan to the right of The Nose of El Capitan, was established by Steve Gerberding, Lori Reddel and Scott Stowe in 1995. It starts up New Dawn before tackling steep rock up 14 pitches with mostly A3 or harder climbing.
The Reticent Wall has been soloed by other climbers, including by Andy Kirkpatrick who wrote about it in his book Psychovertical. In the chapter called Psycho, Kirkpatrick said, “I don’t look down at my landing. I won’t fall. A copperhead. A copperhead. A birdbeak. I hook up to a huge crumbling flake, a rock celebrity. It’s unstable, it’s weak, it threatens to kill, that’s what I’ve been told. I have to ride it, as if it’s a wild animal. I put my hand on it and stoke it calm. It’s misunderstood. I hook it and step up slowly. It lets me. A hook. A hook. A smaller hook. The flake ends. Thank you. I hang there for a moment and wait for my fearometer’s flickering needle to settle again, breathing slowly, conscious I mustn’t rush.”
So far this year, Tippett has found success on these El Capitan big wall routes: Zenyatta Mondatta (VI A4), Atlantis (VI 5.9 A4) and Tempest (VI 5.8 A4). See his reports on Instagram below for more info.
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