El Capitan Few rock formations are as instantly recognizable—or as deeply intertwined with the history of climbing—as El Capitan. Rising more than 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley in California, this enormous granite wall forms one of the most dramatic landmarks in Yosemite National Park. From the meadows below, the cliff appears almost impossibly steep, its …
Category: Sierra Nevada
Sep 30 2023
Illilouette Ridge
Illilouette Ridge Illilouette Ridge is a broad granite ridge in Yosemite National Park, rising above the Illilouette Creek drainage and south of Yosemite Valley in California’s Sierra Nevada. Although it receives far less attention than nearby landmarks such as Half Dome and Sentinel Dome, the ridge forms an important part of Yosemite’s southern rim and …
Sep 30 2023
Clouds Rest
Clouds Rest Clouds Rest is a broad granite summit rising to approximately 9,930 feet (3,027 meters) in Yosemite National Park, California. Positioned high above Tenaya Canyon and northeast of Half Dome, it offers one of the most expansive summit panoramas in Yosemite, with views stretching across Yosemite Valley, the High Sierra, the Cathedral Range, and …
Nov 28 2021
Mount Ritter, A Marvel of Nature
When the electrified chaos of the city becomes too loud, it is necessary to escape to nature. John Muir waxed poetic on the subject, and I would tend to agree with his waxings. A visit to Mount Ritter, whose jagged profile can be seen from his eponymous trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Central …