El Corazón 5.13b R

El Corazón climbs a line up El Capitan's southwest face in Yosemite Valley, piecing together sections of the Salathé Wall, Albatross, Son of Heart and Heart Route with new connecting pitches, for 31 pitches total. Free climbing tops out at 5.13b, with an R rating reflecting long runouts between protection on some pitches. It is a serious multi-day undertaking that combines mid-5.13 technical climbing with the logistics of hauling and route-finding on a big wall.

History

Alexander Huber and Max Reichel aid climbed the line in 2001 over six days, placing no new bolts beyond belay stations and relying on pitons and bird beaks left in place from that first ascent. Huber returned soon after and made the first free ascent between October 3 and 5, 2001, at 5.13b. Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden climbed the second free ascent in 2007, and the route has since been repeated by climbers including Will Stanhope, Brad Gobright, and Brette Harrington, who redpointed it in November 2021.

On film

Free Climbing El Corazón on El Cap Over 8 Days (5.13b R) (2026) documents Tyler Karow and Julian Kraus-Polk's ascents of the route in May 2026, following the pair across eight days on the wall as they work individual pitches and manage the logistics of a big-wall free attempt.