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La Escuela

5.11b, Trad, 220 ft (67 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 2.6 from 31 votes
FA: Yvon Chouinard and TM Herbert (May, '62) -- FFA: Steve Wunsch and Mark Chapman ('73)
California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley N Side > B. El Capitan > 1. Base Routes > Southwest Base > Slack to W Buttress
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Description

This is an old aid line that now makes for a stout 5.11 test-piece. It starts about 100 ft up the hill from Sacherer Cracker. Look for the beautiful, left-leaning, shallow corner.

Pitch 1 (5.11b) - This thing is in your face right from the get-go. Leaning, polished, insecure, awkward. Even on toprope I felt like the first pitch was over my head. Knowing how to use blown-out and frictionless pin scars is key here. A severe lack of footholds makes placing gear an energy-sapping ordeal. This first pitch also tends to seep water after rain storms. Belay at the bolted anchor on a small ledge about 60 feet up. Or I suppose, you can link this into the second pitch if you're some sort of superhuman.

Pitch 2 (5.11a) - Fantastic! The climbing is still tough but much more straightforward and fun. Lieback and finger jam up the stellar arching crack. No crux, just endurance. There's a couple fixed pins along the way which help keep you moving. Round the bulge at the top and belay at bolts on a ledge.

There's actually two options here, both are quality pitches:

Regular Finish (5.10a) - Climb up and right, heading up the corner. There's a roof shortly above the belay that is easiest to pass on the right. Then handjam up the corner until it thins to fingers. The final few feet are the crux.

Alternate Finish (5.9) - Follow the obvious splitter straight up from the belay. It varies in size from hands, to fists, and a short grunt section of offwidth. I recall there being some loose looking rock near the end and opted to finish further left up a 5.7 offwidth in a corner. There's a 2 bolt anchor on top of this one too.

Descent: It is actually possible to rap straight to the ground from the top of P3 with two 60m ropes. The climb is more than 60m tall, but the rappel takes you to a point higher up the talus than the start of the route.

It may be possible to rappel the route with one 70m rope (maybe even a 60m?) but swinging over to the anchors at the top of the first pitch would be a pain because P2 traverses so much.

Protection

Lots of stuff from thin to 2.5", especially in the wide finger sizes (think flared pin scars). Bring some wider stuff if you're going to do the alt finish described above.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Looking up La Escuela
[Hide Photo] Looking up La Escuela
Mr. Dash
[Hide Photo] Mr. Dash

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Bryan G
June Lake, CA
5.11b
[Hide Comment] After working my way into the low 11's at Arch Rock and the Cookie, this route was a humble reminder that I won't be climbing 5.11 on the big stone anytime soon. Mar 11, 2011
stevecurtis
Petaluma California
[Hide Comment] Tried the first 30 ft. All of this was wet. (30 April 2011) The first bit is probably 11 a if you don't place pro. I'm not sure what it would be placing pro on lead (I aided to get some pro, and then did it). Above the pin, the locks were wet, and felt improbable. I bailed. May 1, 2011
Alexey Zelditch
San Jose
[Hide Comment] The variation on 3-d pitch now have name Mr. Dash after late Micah Dash
supertopo.com/climbing/thre… Oct 18, 2011
Alexey Zelditch
San Jose
[Hide Comment] the first pitch is hard. I remember we practicing aid and pick this route for aid practice .
as we reach the base and start sorting gear- two man show up to free climb it and we let them go. They smoke the grass and than one of them layback first 20-25 feet to the pin without bothering for pro. It was very scary to watch.
We later both failed to TR first pitch without falling. Oct 18, 2011
Chris Blanchard
Anacortes, WA
[Hide Comment] Practiced aid here yesterday. Someone had trouble getting their gear out. I didn't try to hard so the booty is still there. Mar 24, 2013
Mat J
Auburn, Ca
 
[Hide Comment] We went up the Mr. Dash variation the other day. It's definitley a fun variation worth doing but was a little dirty through the middle with some serious loose blocks in the off width at the top that could easily kill someone. We spent some time clearing out the top crack and it is now much safer. Dec 23, 2018
DylanJK
Burbank, CA
[Hide Comment] 11b/d Oct 25, 2019
Lenore Sparks
Bishop, CA
5.11c
[Hide Comment] Nice! Bring the offsets and little bodies/fingers. I used HB offset and DMM offset wires as well. Probably closer to 11d/12a if you have big fingers. First pitch is much harder than any pitch on Rostrum or Voyager. So... Good gauge for yourself for those climbs? Nov 6, 2022