SLEEPING ON EL CAPITAN


El Capitan is located in the heart of the Yosemite National Park on the north side of the Yosemite Valley. It is a vertical rock formation that has been attracting people who love extreme sports and extreme experiences for more than 50 years.

So, rock climbers, BASE jumpers and all you adventurers, if you are planning to climb this 3000 feet beast, which is considered one of the world’s greatest rock climbing challenges, here is some advice.

While speed climbers can reach the top of El Capitan in a few hours, most people choose not to hurry. If you belong to the latter group, you will most likely spend a few days doing it; therefore, you will need a place to sleep or relax, such as the Black Diamond Deluxe Cliff Cabana or Sierra Design Bed-Style Sleeping Bag. At the end of the day, you will probably be very tired and you will sleep all night long, but having some lighting device with you, such as the Goal Zero Lighthouse 250 lantern, which can also help you charge your mobile devices, which is great if this is a several day adventure.

If you are not in need of mobile devices, some matches in a durable casing (MatchCap would do) are still a great idea. Of course, some peanut butter and bread would be a good solution for lunch, but imagine having something like the Biolite BaseCamp stove. Preparing and eating a meal on this giant sweep of granite, must feel awesome. You will definitely enjoy the adventure and especially the views, so you might need your smartphone or camera to be able to share your experience with your friends, so products like the WakaWaka Power Solar LED Lamp and Smartphone charger or a Filson Magnum camera bag would come in handy. All of this might sound a bit too much to carry on a trip like this, but people usually carry at least about 400 pounds of gear on such trips, so this is definitely not too much.

Climbing El Capitan will bring you so close to nature. One cannot tell when the view is more beautiful – during the day, when you can see miles and miles away or during the very quiet night, when you get the impression that you are surrounded by stars. Not only is the view fascinating, but the animals you see along the way as well. You will be able to see wall frogs, peregrine falcons, and many others, very often.

Naturally, this kind of adventure craves for company, so you should find some friends skilled in climbing who are not scared easily and head to Yosemite as soon as possible to experience the climb like no other you have ever seen before. Do not rush, take your time and enjoy every little thing the El Capitan has to offer.

video below demonstrates how to set up the Black Diamond Cliff Cabana Double Portaledge


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