Solo New Route on El Cap

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Dave Turner completed a rare solo new route on El Capitan in June. Block Party (VI 5.9 A4) took Turner 18 days on the wall and three days of fixing. This was the 11th El Cap solo for Turner, 23, a native of Sacramento.

Block Party takes a semi-independent line up the Southeast Face of El Cap, sharing some pitches with Tempest and the Pacific Ocean Wall; more than half of the line is new. The route consists of hard modern aid; one loose block sent Turner for a 70-footer, shredding his aiders and daisies. He topped out June 21.

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California.Photo by Chris Van Leuven

Solo New Route on El Cap

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