Separate Reality (climbing route)

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Separate Reality
LocationCalifornia, United States
Climbing AreaYosemite Valley
Route TypeFree climbing
Vertical Gain20 metres (66 ft)
Rating5.11d
First ascentRon Kauk; 1978.

Separate Reality is a 20-metre-long (66 ft) long climbing route in Yosemite National Park in California, United States. The famous[1][2] route is well known for its exposed crux and 6-metre-long (20 ft) crack in its roof through which the sky is visible.[3] The route's access is about 200 metres (660 ft) above the Merced River, but is better reached by abseiling from above. The name is from the 1971 novel A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan from Carlos Castaneda.[4]

The route was first climbed by Ron Kauk in 1978 and given a difficulty grade of 5.12a (7a+). It was later downgraded to 5.11d (7a) when a block fell off near the lip, exposing a new handhold.

The first to free solo-climb this route was German Wolfgang Güllich in 1986, then photographed by Austrian , who 19 years later soloed the route himself in 2005, becoming the second to do so.[5] This climb has made it to Red Bull's 10 Most Legendary Free Solo Climbs of all time. He noted that, "I suddenly had an impression that it was not a game of gambling with my life; it was not subjectively dangerous. It is the thought of death that teaches us to value life."[6]

The route excites climbers not so much because of its technical difficulty, but due to its overhanging exposed nature,[5] and the resultant demands on the human psyche. The roof climb hangs 200m above the Merced River. To prepare for the climb, Zak built a wooden model in his garage. [7]

In the summer of 2006 the American Dean Potter was the third climber to free solo this route.[8] Since then, other climbers, such as Alex Honnold (2010) and Will Stanhope, have free soloed the route as well.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Nejc Cesen climbs one of the most well-known routes in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. 2005.
  2. ^ Stuck On Yosemite
  3. ^ Martial Dumas (producer); Didier Chenevoy (cinematographer) (2002-09-13). TVMountain: Separate Reality (in French). Event occurs at 2:20. Retrieved 2009-04-02. daylight is visible through crack 3 minute film of a protected climb of the route in 2002
  4. ^ Den Fels im Griff - Freiklettern from the ZDF programme Der Sportspiegel (Video on YouTube: Wolfgang Güllich Parte2)
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Heinz Zak solos Yosemite's Separate Reality. 09/06/2005. "completely out of my reach, not physically, but mentally"
  6. ^ https://www.redbull.com/us-en/10-most-legendary-free-solo-climbs
  7. ^ https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/heinz-zak-separate-reality-the-film-of-his-yosemite-free-solo.html
  8. ^ Dean Potter free solo on Separate Reality (5.11d/7a) and Dog's Roof (5.12b/7b). 2006-08-19.

External links[]

  • "Jenseits der Vertikalen". heinzzak.com/ (in German). Martin Zak. 2002-09-13. Archived from the original on October 30, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-02. Photographs of Heinz Zak soloing the route


Coordinates: 37°43′21″N 119°34′53″W / 37.72250°N 119.58139°W / 37.72250; -119.58139

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