Colley, Tippett, and Adams Set 21-Hour Speed Record on One of El Cap’s Hardest Aid Routes

For aid climbers, the Reticent Wall (A4+; 2700 feet) on El Capitan holds a near-mythical status. In 1995, Scott Stowe, Laurie Reddel, and “The Master” Steve Gerberding first cut straight up the Dawn Wall to establish what was then the hardest route on El Capitan. The Reticent’s penultimate pitch, the Natural, is iconic for having no manufactured placements such as bolts, rivets, or bat hooks. It was the only pitch that Gerberding ever rated A5, which means a fall results in certain death.

Hard aid climbing is a niche sport...