Lunar Eclipse A4

Lunar Eclipse is an aid route on El Capitan's Southeast Face, rated 5.7 A4 across 18 pitches and roughly 2,200 feet (667 m), starting about 200 feet past the base of Zodiac. The A4 pitch is the technical heart of the route: drilled hooks off the anchor and thin pins that can be hammered or bolt-clipped lead into sustained hook moves before a solid crack is reached, climbing that rewards route knowledge and careful gear placement over raw speed.

History

Lunar Eclipse was first climbed in 1982 by Barbella and Schneider. The route has a reputation for wandering line-finding and fixed hardware of uneven quality, and some accounts suggest the original ascent may have involved harder, A5-level climbing than the route's current A4 rating reflects. It sits in a section of the wall affected by Horsetail Falls, so parties avoid it after rain or when the seasonal waterfall is running. It has since drawn speed-oriented aid and big-wall climbers, including teams working through multiple El Capitan routes in quick succession.

On film

Climbing an El Cap A4 in Under 14 Hours: Lunar Eclipse (2026) follows Oliver Tippett and Taylor Martin attempting a speed record on the route. The film uses Lunar Eclipse's reputation for wandering, awkward climbing and questionable fixed gear as the backdrop for their push, with neither climber having prior experience on the route, and covers their attempt to move through the full 18 pitches and roughly 2,200 feet of aid climbing in well under 14 hours.