El Capitan

El Capitan
Southwest face (left, in light) and southeast face (right, in shade) of El Capitan from Yosemite Valley; the Nose lies between the two faces
Highest point
Elevation7,573 ft (2,308 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence9 feet (3 m)[1]
Isolation1.5 miles (2 km)[1]
Coordinates37°44′32″N 119°38′09″W / 37.74222°N 119.63583°W / 37.74222; -119.63583[2]
Naming
Native nameTo-tock-ah-noo-lah (Southern Sierra Miwok)
English translation"the captain" or "the chief"
Pronunciation/ɛl ˌkæpɪˈtæn/ el KAP-i-TAN
Geography
El Capitan is located in California
El Capitan
El Capitan
Location of "El Capitan" in Yosemite National Park, California
LocationMariposa County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Topo mapUSGS El Capitan
Geology
Rock ageCretaceous
Mountain typeGranite rock
Climbing
First ascentNovember 12, 1958 (1958-11-12) by Warren Harding, George Whitmore, and Wayne Merry[3][note 1]
Easiest routeHike

El Capitan (Spanish: El Capitán; lit.'the Captain' or 'the Chief') is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet (914 m) from base to summit along its tallest face and is a world-famous location for big wall climbing, including the disciplines of aid climbing, free climbing, and more recently for free solo climbing.

  1. ^ a b c "El Capitan, California". Peakbagger. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "El Capitan". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Fimrite, Peter (November 9, 2008). "50th anniversary of first ascent of El Capitan". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.


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