Second Ascent of Hard El Cap Free Route ‘The Passage’

Pete Whittaker and Dan McManus have made the second ascent of the difficult El Cap route The Passage.

The Passage is a 15-pitch 5.13cR that was first climbed in 2008 by Belgians Nico Favresse and Sean Villaneauva. The first ascent team climbed ground up, aided the pitches and then freed them.

“In order to leave the aid routes their original way, we were pushed to climb sometimes on very poor gear and at other times spaced apart,” said Favresse. “Beside the physical and mental challenge, the experience of exploring the wall for a way to free felt to me the most powerful.”

The first ascent team placed only two bolts on the entire route, which climbs the old aid routes Eagles Way and Bad to the Bone. The climbing is run out on old fixed gear with few areas for bomber protection.

Whittaker and McManus spent nine days on the wall with seven days of food. They hung out through a two-day snow storm. They both freed the entire route and one of the biggest cruxes was surviving the Devil’s Waterfall, timing their climb between run-off cycles.

The route is a named after the final hard 5.13a pitch, a difficult traverse that led to the final two moderate pitches. “As I got ready to aid the rivet ladder,” said Favresse, “I looked down and to the side and saw a tiny bit of dirt sticking out of the super-blank, polished granite.

“I lowered down and discovered a very thin, laser-cut seam, impossible to see unless you are level with it. I cleaned the moss and ‘the secret passage’ appeared, making one of the raddest pitches of the climb.”

If you’re wondering just how many hard pitches there are: 5.10+R, 5.11, 5.9, 5.10+, 5.12aR, 5.13cR, 5.13a, 5.12+, 5.12c, 5.13c, 5.12cR, 5.13a, 5.13a, 5.11R, 5-10+.

“It turned out to be quite an adventure and I’ve got to say thanks to McManus for putting in some fantastic, bold, hard leads and getting the rope up there on his pitches,” wrote Whittaker on his blog.

For the full story and plenty of great photos of their ascent visit Whittaker’s blog here.

Another friend to be proud of. After @steghiso with Lapsus, 9b, congrats to @patagonia ambassador Pete Whittaker and Dan Hill-McManus for the first repetition of The Secret Passage, a ridiculously hard route established back in 2008 by @nicofavresse and Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll on El Cap. Good job guys! • #climbing #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #yosemite #yosemitenationalpark #backtonature #vivalosfunhogs #elcap #california #mountainlife #adventure #whereveryougo #camp4pix

A photo posted by Paolo Sartori (@paolosartophoto) on Nov 9, 2015 at 11:45am PST