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Peak Mountain 3

Wings of Steel

FA Richard Jensen & Mark Smith (1982)
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

"Most Controversial Route on El Cap". This route has a wealth of history surrounding it, conspiracies over whether the first ascent team drilled holes for hooking, whether or not they had any big wall experience, death threats towards them, etc. The first ascent took 39 days and went unrepeated for nearly 30 years. Not only was it seen as a botch job of a climb, it was too difficult for most of those who attempted the route. Most routes on El Cap have no more than 15 hook moves, this route has over 100. This makes it incredibly difficult and dangerous, and something that only Ammon McNeely and his team (as well as the FA team), could complete, which he did in 2011. If you decide to do this, be prepared for regular 30-50 foot whippers on the 1,000 foot king slab, and hooking on edges that seem physically impossible.

Location

Go up the 1000 foot king slab on the southwest face. Join the Aquarian Wall on pitch 13 after the Pitch 12 Bathook traverse

Protection

Any and All hooks you can find.