Free Rider gets first free female ascent

Climbers Kate Rutherford and Madaleine Sorkin have made the first all woman free ascent of the multi-pitch route Free Rider on El Capitan in Yosemite.

The pair completed the ascent over five days in late June, trad leading all 37-pitches situated on a section of the El Cap face called the Salathe Wall. Free Rider (VI 5.12d) a 2,900-foot long route, misses the Salathe’s original 5.13 crux moves with a four pitch variation, first climbed by the Huber Brothers in the 1990’s.

El Cap has a history of strong female ascents, starting in 1993 when Lynn Hill made the first free ascent of El Cap's Nose. The feat of climbing El Cap free by a woman was repeated in 2004 by Steph Davis with her free ascent of Free Rider, leading every pitch, and later climbing it in a day.

The pair made good time on the first day, climbing 14 pitches before tackling the infamous seven-inch-wide Monster Off-Width Crack the next morning. Higher still they met up with photographer Mikey Schaefer, who helped by hauling their packs to the flat ledge of El Cap Spire.

"Day three was exciting," Rutherford commented on her blogsite, "I fell off the Boulder Problem twice before a last minute change in my sequence to send it the third try in the hot sun. Madaleine followed and then I struggled my way up the muddy jungle of the sewer. All my clothes were wet and I shivered belaying Mad up the sloppy chimney." That night was spent on a sloping ledge called The Block atop pitch 27 in a comfy double-portaledge left by friends. Mikey broke out a bottle of whiskey and "a few sips put us straight to sleep."

Day four was saw the girls send the three 5.12 pitches in perfect conditions. With the route wet in places Rutherford noted, "Madaleine tagged up my cotton shirt (the only one I had on) and shoved it in the key finger locks, eventually soaking up all the water. Now that my shirt was wet, and the holds were dry, she cruised up the knee-barring, laybacking Enduro Corner. Thrilled, I followed."

Day five saw the climbers top out on the mega exposed headwall of the Salathe.

Stewart Green commented on his blogsite the seven things that Kate Rutherford learned climbing Free Rider, including leaving unfinished whiskey, bringing a photographer that will haul your packs, that you got to take it one pitch at a time, and the best ones--"try really hard...duh" and "have fun."

In 2008 South African climbers Clinton Martinengo and Gosia Lipinska free attempted Free Rider, aiding four of the crux pitches.

Source article: First Female-Team Free Ascent of El Cap's Free Rider by Stewart Green(http://climbing.about.com/b/2010/07/13/first-female-team-free-ascent-of-el-caps-free-rider.htm ) Image by Mikey Schaeffer (on the summit of El Cap Spire).