El Capitan-Triple Direct in 1980

Introduction

Triple Direct Route (VI, 5.9, A2)
El Capitan, Yosemite Valley
California, USA

Climbed in 5 days in May 1980 by
Young Chu
Harry Marinakis

The Triple Direct Route on El Capitan is an "easy" 32-pitch route the links the Salathe Wall, the Muir Wall and the Nose. (Is there such thing as an "easy" route up El Capitan?) The Triple Direct Route offers a faster way up El Cap than the Nose but with harder aid.

Some naysayers claim that the Triple Direct avoids the best (classic) pitches of the Salathe Wall, the Muir Wall and the Nose. However, in his book "Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber," Steve Roper writes:

"The upper third of the Nose is one of the most soul-satisfying places in Yosemite. Planes of marble-smooth granite shoot upward toward infinity. The various dihedral walls, dead vertical at this stage, converge in broad, angular facets, and climbing through this magical place is like living inside of a cut diamond."

Triple Direct (pitches 1-10) = Salathe Wall (pitches 1-10).

Triple Direct (pitches 11-17) = Muir Wall (pitches 12-18).

The Triple Direct veers off the Muir Wall and pendulums over to the Nose Route over the course of two independent pitches (Triple Direct pitches 18-19).

Triple Direct (pitches 20-32) = The Nose (pitches 22-34).

Gear Selection

Our gear for a 1980 ascent of El Capitan was mostly pins and nuts. Camming devices were relatively new. In 1978 I saw my first camming device on Washington Column. It was a prototype Friend, hopelessly stuck in a crack. Someone had bashed it into a barely recognizable blob of metal to keep it from falling into enemy hands. Camming devices were also prohibitively expense for Yosemite Park Bums like us who were living out of dumpsters and Volkswagons.

EL CAP GEAR LIST
EB rock shoes (what else?)
White climbing pants (dig it)
5 gallons of water (2 quarts per person, per day)
51 carabiners
59 pitons (nail it, baby)
25 chocks
28 wired stoppers
8 Friends (yes, only 8!)
6 ropes (11mm)
Jumars
Pulley
Haul bag (canvas mail bag)
Bivouac sacks
Down jackets
Cans of tuna fish
Bagels
Candy bars

Day 1

Up to Mammoth Ledges
Pitches 1 through 10

We heard nightmare stories about hauling the first 10 pitches of Salathe, so Young came up with an alternate plan. He proposed that climbed up to Mammoth Terrace with day packs only and then fix ropes down to the ground from Heart Ledge. Hauling "The Pig" would be relatively easy and straightforward using this approach.

So the first day we climbed with day packs up to Mammoth Ledges. Then we rapped down to the ground from Heart Ledge, fixing ropes on the way down in the dark by head lamp. We slept on soft mattresses and drank cold beer in the Camp 4 campground that night.

Off the ground 1st Pitch	5th Pitch	Following the 7th Pitch
Cleaning the 8th Pitch	Top of Half Dollar

Day 2

Mammoth to Grey Ledges
Pitches 11 through 14

On the second day we ascended up our fixed ropes and hauled "The Pig." In those days everyone was wearing T-shirts from Yosemite Mountaineering that read "Go Climb a Rock." So in mockery we inscribed our haul bag: "Go Climb El Cap."

At Heart Ledge we cast off our fixed ropes for our friends to retrieve. (This was back in the days when you didn't have to worry about getting your gear stolen.) We bivouaced on Grey Ledges that night.

Grey Ledges are some small, very uncomfortable ledges at the top of the 14th pitch. If you plan to bivouac here, don't plan on getting any sleep.

Ascending fixed ropes	12th Pitch	Below Grey Ledges 14th Pitch Crystal Chimney

Day 3

Grey Ledges to Camp 4
Pitches 15 through 19

Above Grey Ledges there are two very long thin aid pitches (15th and 16th pitches). The 17th pitch climbed an old bolt latter. The bolt hangers were aluminum, L-shaped and most were broken. The L shape meant than when you weighted the hanger there was a levering force to pull the bolt out of the hole. Luckily most of the hangers were broken so I tied off the studs.

The sling belay at the top of the 17th pitch was a scary place. The belay anchor consisted of four old aluminum hangers, two of which were broken. Thus our belay consisted of a sling around the expanding flake and two old, L-shaped aluminum bolts. As Young cleaned the expanding flake, the entire belay shook.

Young lowered me directly off the belay and I pendulumed toward the Nose. After the pendulum, a tension traverse and short unprotected face climb led to the 19th belay station. Another easy pitch and were were at Camp 4 on the Nose Route.

Waking up on Grey Ledges	16th Pitch	Hanging Belay 17th Pitch	Traversing to Camp 4 19th Pitch

Day 4

Camp 4 to Camp 6
Pitches 20 through 26

On the fourth day I got to lead the Great Roof, something I had been longing to do ever since I was a young lad. But in order to get to the Great Roof, you have to get through one pitch of really unpleasant black diorite. There were loose blocks of black diorite all over the place, some perched quite precariously. There were climbers all over the Nose Route below us, so I had to take great care not to knock these blocks off onto the climbers below.

We bivouaced at Camp 6 on the Nose Route at the top of the 26th pitch. There was human excrement everywhere. In the heat of the Valley summer it was utterly disgusting.

Great Roof 21st Pitch	Pancake Flake 22nd Pitch	Glowering Spot 24th Pitch

Day 5

Camp 6 to Summit
Pitches 27 through 32 (summit)

The final pitches on the Nose Route are thin and steep. We had a fantastic time aid climbing through the roofs. The 28th and 29th pitches were exceptionally fun. The view down the Nose Route from the final belay below the summit roof was spectacular. It was a long way down to the ground!

We slept on top of The Big Stone and hiked down Eagle Creek the next day.

Camp 6 27th Pitch	Thin cracks 29th Pitch	Long way down 30th Pitch	Just below the summit 31st Pitch

Images

View El Capitan-Triple Direct in 1980 Image Gallery - 22 Images