El Capitan
Yosemite's sheer face
El Capitan is a granite monolith in Yosemite National Park, rising roughly 3,000 feet from the valley floor.
It's among the world's most famous rock climbing destinations, attracting climbers attempting its sheer face.
The name is Spanish for "the captain" or "the chief." El Capitan is also the name Apple gave to a 2015 version of its macOS operating system.
Widely recognized, enduring
- vistaPleasing distant scene
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
- photographyCreating images from light
- tourist attractionSite visitors seek out
scenic · natural wonder · geological feature · viewpoint · overlook · guidebook · sightseeing · national park
Climb without safety equipment
- belayAnchor a rope
- pitchFrequency of sound
- multipitchRoute requiring intermediate anchors
- rappelControlled rope descent
Warren Harding · ascender · anchor · crux · bivouac · speed climbing · send · first ascent
Bisected-looking granite dome
- Yosemite FallsTall Sierra Nevada cascade
- High SierraEastern California mountain range
- Sierra NevadaWestern U.S. mountain range
- firefallLuminous plunging flames
John Muir · Ansel Adams · sequoia · black bear · wilderness · conservation · Yosemite Valley
iconic
Widely recognized, enduring
- vistaPleasing distant scene
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
- photographyCreating images from light
tourist attraction · scenic · natural wonder · geological feature · viewpoint · overlook · guidebook · sightseeing · national park · heritage
free-solo
Climb without safety equipment
- belayAnchor a rope
- pitchFrequency of sound
- multipitchRoute requiring intermediate anchors
Warren Harding · rappel · ascender · anchor · crux · bivouac · speed climbing · send · first ascent · rope
Half Dome
Bisected-looking granite dome
- Yosemite FallsTall Sierra Nevada cascade
- High SierraEastern California mountain range
- Sierra NevadaWestern U.S. mountain range
John Muir · Ansel Adams · firefall · sequoia · black bear · wilderness · conservation · Yosemite Valley
granite
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
big wall · prow · dihedral · headwall · shield · base · apron
- Famous PeaksMatterhorn, Mont Blanc, Mount Whitney, Half Dome, Torres del Paine
- California PeaksMount Whitney, Mount Shasta, Half Dome
- Famous CliffsWhite Cliffs of Dover, Seven Sisters
- Granite FormationsHalf Dome, Stone Mountain, granite domes, granite peaks, tors
- granite domesHalf Dome, Stone Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain
- CaliforniaLos Angeles, San Francisco, Hollywood, San Diego, Yosemite
El Capitanpebble
Water-smoothed small rock
Death Valley · Mariana Trench · boulder · foothill · sea level
El Capitanbunny slope
Easy ski trail
staircase · beginner trail · climbing gym · flat ground · scramble
El Capitanocean floor
Underwater continental surface
sea level · flatland · plain · valley floor · prairie