Rare Ascent of The Shaft

After his trip to Patagonia, Marc-Andre Leclerc visited Yosemite for his first all-free ascent of El Cap. With Brette Harrington and Alan Carne, they climbed the Muir Wall 5.13b/ c via The Shaft Variation for the route’s f ifth ascent. Leclerc freed the entire route, while Harrington sent all but one move on pitch 29. Carne, 55, freed most of the route. One of the most memorable pitches in the chimney was the multi-ton f lake of rock that shifts under pressure. If it fell out, it would cut the rope.