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Mountain Peaks

El Capitan Summit

Mountain Peaks

El Capitan Summit

Highlight • Summit

El Capitan Summit

Name: El Capitan Summit
Rating: 2

Recommended by 12 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Yosemite Wilderness

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Location: Mariposa County, California, United States

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Best Hikes to El Capitan Summit

5.0

(23)

162

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1. El Capitan from Valley Shuttle Stop #7 — Yosemite National Park

23.3km

08:15

1,320m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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5.0

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2. View of Yosemite Valley – El Capitan Summit loop from Yosemite Village

27.2km

08:34

1,060m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

April 21, 2016

See the spectacular Yosemite Valley and Half Dome from this unique perspective.

To get here you can either climb up the wall, one of the highest iconic rock climbs in the world, or like most mortals just take the trail here from a trailhead above (Tamarack) or below (Yosemite Falls), about 8 miles each way.

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

December 16, 2016

El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about 3,000 feet (900 m) from base to summit along its tallest face and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers and BASE jumpers.
The formation was named "El Capitan" by the Mariposa Battalion when they explored the valley in 1851. El Capitan ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native American name for the cliff, variously transcribed as "To-to-kon oo-lah" or "To-tock-ah-noo-lah". It is unclear if the Native American name referred to a specific tribal chief or simply meant "the chief" or "rock chief". In modern times, the formation's name is often contracted to "El Cap", especially among rock climbers and BASE jumpers.
The top of El Capitan can be reached by hiking out of Yosemite Valley on the trail next to Yosemite Falls, then proceeding west, or from Tamarack flats a few miles up Tioga Road ( komoot.de/tour/6939644 ) . For climbers, the challenge is to climb up the sheer granite face. There are many named climbing routes, all of them arduous, including Iron Hawk and Sea of Dreams, for example. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Capitan

jvthielen

November 2, 2020

Best viewpoint of the entire El Capitan trail. Be sure to walk down as far as possible at the top. You may encounter climbers or abseilers at the extreme point. In any case, we were able to hold on to ropes to help the leader of a group. Walking back to the top is quite a steep climb.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 2,280 m

Weather

Friday 7 November

16°C

8°C

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Max wind speed: 8.0 km/h

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Location: Mariposa County, California, United States

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El Capitan Summit

1. El Capitan from Valley Shuttle Stop #7 — Yosemite National Park

2. View of Yosemite Valley – El Capitan Summit loop from Yosemite Village

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