10 Yosemite Climbing Highlights of 2023
What a year in the Valley! There were big link-ups, hard repeats and historical ascent made
It was a memorable year of big sends in the world of Yosemite climbing, from hard repeats to new speed records. There were several El Cap free ascents, 5.14c trad climb and the Valley got its first V16. For 10 sport climbing highlights of 2023 visit here, 10 trad here and 10 bouldering here.
Babsi Zangerl and Lara Neumeier: In fall, Austrian climber Babsi Zangerl and German climber Lara Neumeier reached the top of Yosemite’s El Capitan after freeing a link-up of Muir Blast and El Corazon. The pair spent six days on the wall to climb the 35-pitch line, both leading the 5.13 pitches. It was Zangerl’s sixth free climb up El Capitan and Neumeier’s first. “Muir Blast includes some challenging 5.12 pitches and one 5.13b pitch on the first 10 pitches of the route,” said Zangerl. Read more here.
71 pitches in a day: Miles Fullman and Tyler Karow completed the Yosemite Triple Crown in less than 24 hours. The objective is a link-up of routes on El Capitan, Half Dome and Mount Watkins. According to Fullman, they’re the eighth team to accomplish the Yosemite Triple Crown. Read more here.
The Nose freed: Alex Waterhouse and Billy Ridal free-climbed The Nose 5.14a on Yosemite’s El Capitan, they’re the first British team to do so. Both led and freed the Great Roof and Changing Corners pitches. The first British climbers to climb The Nose were Rob Wood and Mick Burke in 1968. Read more here.
Nose speed record: Nick Ehman soloed The Nose in 4 hours and 39 minutes, breaking Alex Honnold’s solo record of 5 hours and 50 minutes. Tom Evans of the El Cap Report broke the news on Facebook, saying that Ehman’s ascent was “NOT a free-solo but with mixed free and aid climbing. Same as Alex did on his solo of The Nose.” Read more here.
Sam Stroh on El Corazon: Earlier this year, Texan Sam Stroh redpointed Yosemite’s El Corazon in just under 22 hours. He climbed the 35-pitch 5.13b a few days before turning 23 years old. Read more here.
Miška Izakovičová sends: Slovakian climber Miška Izakovičová repeated Golden Gate, a 36-pitch 5.13 on Yosemite’s El Capitan. This was her second free route up El Cap, with her first being Freerider 5.13a back in 2018. Read more here.
Caldwell and Honnold strike again: Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold repeated a free route in Yosemite first climbed by Mason Earle and Brad Gobright in 2015 called The Heart Route. It climbs through a huge heart feature on the southwest face of El Capitan. Read more here.
Bear climbs Half Dome: Yosemite National Park rangers announced that evidence of black bears climbing Yosemite’s Half Dome had been found. Half Dome is one of California’s most popular and often-climbed summits. Read more here.
Crack appears over night: A new crack opened in Yosemite and climbers were quick to make an ascent. It was called Super Natural and goes at 5.10, but park rangers have closed the area because the crack is part of a large, expanding piece of rock that might collapse. Read more here.
Canadians free El Capitan: There have only been a few all-Canadian free ascents of El Capitan, which is why Dexter Bateman and Danny Poceta’s send of the 36-pitch Golden Gate is so notable. Read more here.
Honorable Mentions: It was one of the most sendy seasons in Yosemite, with dozens of noteworthy ascents. Here are a few more: Amity Warme and Brent Barghahn climbed El Niño with via the Pineapple Express variation; Jason Lakey and Sam Phillips climbed Lurking Fear and The Nose in 20 hours and 34 minutes; Yosemite got its first V16; and Connor Herson and Babsi Zangerl climbed Meltdown 5.14c trad.
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