Pitch 11. Steep slightly-runout 5.8 knobby face climbing. The topo notes this as the mental crux of the route.

All Locations > California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley N Side > B. El Capitan > 4. E Buttress > E Buttress (5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b)

Pitch 11. Steep slightly-runout 5.8 knobby face climbing. The topo notes this as the mental crux of the route.

ID 112148549 ·

Flag This Photo

· Copyright Violation?

Pitch 9. We chose to traverse left to a 5.9 face option rather than go into the 5.9 offwidth directly above.

Picture of me heading into my favorite pitch on the climb (pitch 8)

Rate Photo

4.0 from 2 votes

Steph Abegg

Sep 13, 2016

“Pitch 11. Steep slightly-runout 5.8 knobby face climbing. The topo notes this as the mental crux of the route.”

1 Comment

Nearby Photos

Kirk Hansen on the traversing pitch 3. Beautiful scenery.

Patrick on p4 of the EB of El Cap

Trask Bradbury east butt, photo by chris alstrin

Karin Bates on the 3rd pitch.

A young Tony at the start of the route.

Route Overlay East Buttress of El Cap.

East Buttress - O'neal Reenactment<br>

Carrie following pitch 11.

Route Overlay East Buttress of El Cap.

5.10b move below and left of the leader's feet, on the slab

This is Steph Abegg's photo and her route in red. I overlaid our 7-pitch variation in lime-green. Steph, if I overstepped my bounds using your photo, please forgive me and I'll make sure it gets removed. PS: your website rocks!!!

Pitch 9 Knobs

Taken near the top in the evening light.

The shot

another hero shot

Pitch 10. The traverse at the top of Pitch 10. This is the start of Pitch 11 on some topos. Climbing it at the end of Pitch 10 allows you to have better communication with the leader and less rope drag on Pitch 11 but gives you a somewhat-small belay perch; climbing it at the start of Pitch 11 gives you a nice belay ledge but more rope drag and less communication with the leader.

Pitch 8: Awesome climbing. This was a challenging pitch. Yosemite 5.9.

Photo op 1, pitch 3, Tony leading.

Pitch 2: Flaring groove above the 10b crux.

Photo op 2 - pitch 7.

The scenic top out of the East Buttress

Pitch 1 from the base. We set an intermediate belay at the tree to give a visual for the upper chimney and reduce rope drag on the final cruxy moves before the belay.

Pitch 9. We chose to traverse left to a 5.9 face option rather than go into the 5.9 offwidth directly above.

Pitch 11. Steep slightly-runout 5.8 knobby face climbing. The topo notes this as the mental crux of the route.

Picture of me heading into my favorite pitch on the climb (pitch 8)

Two pitch variation starting at the top of P4 and ending at the piton anchor at the top of pitch 6. The alternative version of P5 is a corner (5.10b), and the alternative P6 goes around a small roof to the left before traversing right on crimps (5.11a)

The only good ledge on the whole climb. Enjoy it!

Best pitch on the route

Pitch 1: Final cruxy stem moves before the belay.

Following the sweet 6th pitch

Feeling epic on top of the East Buttress with David Shaenzer!

Random climbers on 4/19/15. Let me know if you recognize yourself, I have more.

PITCH 9

Lindsay making her way up P3, what a day.

Exposed 5.5 photo shoot

yummy

kool flake

Pitch 12. More fun climbing up knobs. The East Buttress route seems to have just as much face climbing as crack climbing, which keeps the climbing interesting.

East Buttress area.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.

John Steiger on off-width variation of pitch 9. The easier way (see Fish Topo): climb the face at bottom middle of the photo. Note the "rain" from Horsetail falls is starting, which soaked the pitch by the time I followed.

Matthew from Planet Granite Belmont Cruising up supertopo pitch 8. Totally classic, totally 5.9.

The tricky last couple moves to P1

Having fun on East Buttress

Random climbers on 4/19/15. Let me know if you recognize yourself, I have more.

Random climbers on 4/19/15. Let me know if you recognize yourself, I have more.

eric collins leading on the east buttress<br>

Will on the exposed flare crack of p8 (SuperTopo's)

Perfect conditions for middle section of El Cap's East Buttress.

Pitch 4: Looking down the wildly exposed arete on this pitch.

Pitch 1: Chimney.

Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started

onX products are built by adventurers, for adventurers. We believe that every adventurer needs to know where to go, to know where they stand, and to be able to share their experiences.
About onX
Careers

iOS App Store

Android App Store

© 2025 onX Maps, Inc. Terms·Privacy