Climbing Yosemite’s Steepest 5.13 A0 Big Wall
A new video about Westie Face just dropped, check it out below
The famous west face of the Leaning Tower in Yosemite was first climbed by Warren Harding, Glen Denny and Al Macdonald in 1961. The Westie Face, a free variation, was first climbed by Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles in 2001, read Houlding’s story of the FA here.
The style of Westie Face allows for good movement, the protection is just reasonable enough, the rock is immaculate and the position is unbeatable. Additionally, it’s relatively short and low commitment, so it’s easier to work than many of the other routes in the area. However, it’s quite sustained and only has one pitch that isn’t 5.12 or harder, and many of the pitches have long runouts.
Westie Face has been repeated several times, including by Lynn Hill and Katie Brown in 2010. In Hill’s story about her ascent, she said, “As it turned out, this last pitch was a dramatic way to end our adventure. We encountered a strenuous corner where I felt too tired to stop and clip the fixed pro, fist jams around an awkward bulge, flaring hand jams in a guano (bat-shit) filled crack, and a bit of crumbly rock.” Read her full story here.
A new short film from The Gravity Lab featuring an ascent of Westie Face was just released, watch below.
Westie Face
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