Amity Warme is tough. It’s no surprise she’s willing to take a big, complicated, 25-pitch bite out of El Capitan the old-fashioned way.
Watch Warme and Brent Barghahn do just that in Ground Up. Arc’teryx chronicles the two penitents on an old-fashioned “ground up” attempt on El Capitan’s El Niño (Pineapple Express variation, 5.13b/c).
Somewhere on El Cap. Photo: Screenshot
It’s a characteristic outing for Warme who, Alex Honnold assesses, “brings a little bit of that old-school mountaineering vibe to modern performance rock climbing.”
Power screams and physical-limit climbing
The ascent comes off as a modern foray into the canon of rock climbing — ground-up style, or climbing without rappelling or scouting pitches, is the oldest way to climb El Capitan. It used to be the only accepted way and didn’t become possible in free climbing until several generations of climbers had tangoed with the wall.
If you like a try-hard, you’ll appreciate this pair’s effort. Hang on tight for power screams, physical-limit climbing through clouds and rain showers, and plenty of roof-wrangling.
Murphy’s Law doesn’t quite descend over the climbers like the Yosemite Valley storms do. But this eight-day siege is an adventure by definition, and the team grapples with unexpected and uncontrollable events.
It’s a mixed bag. One thing you won’t find in it, though? Ask Warme.
“You know what they say — excuses are like buttholes,” she quips. “Everyone’s got one and no one wants to hear yours.”
Message received.
