U.S. House Honors El Cap Pioneers

On September 29 the U.S. House of Representatives took time out from their deliberations on the bail-out financial rescue bill and voted by voice vote to recognize the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The House resolution, also honoring the three climbers who did the first ascent—Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore—was sponsored by Representative George Radanovich, a California Republican. The resolution coincides with an anniversary ceremony to be held by the National Park Service next month in Yosemite Valley.

Radanovich says, "It's a landmark. It was a really big deal." Indeed it was. The trio took 47 days to climb The Nose (now climbed in just over 2 hours!) in 1958, reaching the summit on November 8. Harding, a climbing iconoclast who died in 2002 at age 77, was the driving force behind the route’s ascent and, along with a handful of other Yosemite pioneers including Royal Robbins and Chuck Pratt, invented the art of big wall climbing and established Yosemite as its Mecca.

Harding began the assault with Mark Powell and Bill "Dolt" Feuerer on July 4, 1957 and climbed for a week until the Park Service halted the attempt because of traffic jams caused by rubber-necking tourists. In the autumn a new party assembled (Powell had broken his ankle) and continued the ascent. The highlight was a Thanksgiving dinner, with wine and turkey, on Sickle Ledge. The autumn of 1958 saw the party yo-yoing up the wall, pushing the high point and then retreating down fixed ropes. Finally on November 11 the final three climbers reached a final ledge in fading daylight. Harding, not waiting to sleep so close to the top, hand drilled holes and hammered bolts all night. Just before 6 AM he drilled the final bolt and scrambled to the summit of El Capitan. 47 days over 18 months. 2,900 feet. 675 pitons placed. 125 bolts drilled. Yeah, those guys deserve the recognition!

Photo above: Warren Harding rappels off Dolt Tower on the first ascent of El Cap.
Photo © Allen Steck