The Nose5.14a (free)

The Nose is El Capitan’s most iconic line, a long multi‑pitch big‑wall route that has become a benchmark for free climbing Yosemite’s granite. Historically first climbed as a siege aid route in 1958, The Nose later became a focus for free‑climbing attempts; freeing it requires linking many hard pitches and managing fatigue, rope drag and complex sequences over sustained terrain. Its significance lies in the combination of historical stature, varied climbing styles (crack, face, and aid legacy) and the challenge of converting an aid route into a fully free ascent.