El Capitan is a large granite cliff that stands at the entrance to
Yosemite valley.
El Capitan is the
Spanish phrase for "the chief" and raises 3,593 feet above the valley floor. Its top is 7,569 feet above see level and is the tallest unbroken
cliff in the world which was first climbed in 1958 by Warren Harding.
There are several types of granite in Yosemite and the most common forms are named after the cliffs and rock formations of which are made of them. El Capitan granite is the most resistant to weathering having a high silicate concentration compared to other granites. El Capitan is capped with Taft granite. El Capitan granite is some of the oldest granite to form in the valley and is estimated to be about 108 million years old. After partially solidifying cracks and fissures formed and allowed other types of granite to seal up the cracks. The glaciers carved away most of the less resistant granites away from El Capitan leaving it standing clear.
On the west side of El Capitan is Ribbon Fall which is the highest single fall (Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall but has an upper and lower part to it). To the east is Horsetail Fall which only flows in the late winter and early spring.
El Capitan (often called "The Big Stone" by climbers) is a one of the most popular areas for climbers who start off from Camp 4. El Capitan is the location where modern big wall climbing was invented and continues to be innovated. The two major routes are that of the North American Wall and the Wall of the Early Morning Light. The North American Wall is named after a formation of darker diorite which has the vague shape of the a map of North America. While some assents can be made in 24h for a speed climber, most take on the order of a week.