2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of El Capitan, via the Nose route by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore. Yosemite is celebrating with a weekend of fun, presentations, and a chance to hear about this ground-breaking ascent from the people who participated in it.
The US House of Representatives recognized the importance and historical significance of the event and passed a resolution "recognizing the 50th anniversary of the first vertical ascent of the face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and honoring the historic climbing feat of the original climbing team." Download a pdf of the document here.
The first ascent of the Nose was an epic event, spanning 47 days, and although 3 ultimately finished the climb, a host of other notable climbers were also involved in the ascent, including Wally Reed, Allen Steck, Bill "Dolt" Feuerer, Mark Powell, John Whitmer, and Rich Calderwood. Although they began the project in July, the final push began November 8, finishing the route November 12, 1958. Many of this original team will be will be present in Yosemite for the celebration.
Schedule of Events:
*Saturday, November 8th* 1pm - 4pm
East Auditorium
An informal gathering with food and drink.
*Saturday, November 8th*
*7:30pm - until
East Auditorium
Slideshow
*Sunday, November 9th*
*12pm - 2pm*
*Ahwahnee Hotel*
Open to public meet and greet, media event.
While you're here, don't forget to visit the climbing history exhibit at the Yosemite Museum (open daily 10 am - 4pm), collected and presented by the Yosemite Climbing Association. The exhibit, "Granite Frontiers: A Century of Yosemite Climbing," will be open through November 9.
