Salathé Wall
| Salathé Wall | |
|---|---|
Southwest face of El Capitan from Yosemite Valley with the Salathé Wall route marked in red | |
| Location | California, USA |
| Coordinates | 37°44′02.4″N 119°38′13.2″W / 37.734000°N 119.637000°W |
| Climbing area | Yosemite Valley |
| Route type | Aid climbing, Free climbing |
| Vertical gain | 2,900 ft (884 m) |
| Pitches | 35 |
| Rating | 5.13b (free) or 5.9 C2 (aid) |
| Grade | VI |
| First ascent | Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, and Chuck Pratt, 1961 |
| First free ascent |
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The Salathé Wall is one of the original big wall climbing routes up El Capitan, a 3,000-foot (900 m) high granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. The Salathé Wall was named by Yvon Chouinard in honor of John Salathé, a pioneer of rock climbing in Yosemite. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and is considered a classic around the world.