California, Yosemite National Park, El Capitan. On 30 May James McCarthy (35), Doug Tompkins, and Sandy Bill started the Nose of El Capitan during the afternoon. It was to be a fairly leisurely assault, as they did not expect to be down until perhaps the evening of June 3. They made the three pitches to Sickle Ledge without incident and bivouacked in comfort.

They pushed off the next morning (31 May) for Stoveleg Crack hoping to reach El Cap Towers that night. The pendulums and first sections of the crack went without incident. McCarthy took over the lead just above the alcove.

Placing pins carefully and adequate to the A1 demands of the pitch— he proceeded up through 5 or 6 pins to a slight overhang, in which he placed a “bombproof” pin.

A total of ten pins were placed when the uppermost pulled and McCarthy fell. The top nine pins pulled. The only pin which held was that closest to the belayer. He fell about 100 feet and suffered a broken arm and various cuts and abrasions. The accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. The party was able to lower McCarthy to the sickle where they met the rescue party at 1:00 a.m. on 1 June.

Source: Peter Thompson.

Analysis: Pure aid climbing is a touchy game. One neither wants to overdrive nor underdrive the pins. Protection is a problem that 9 out of 10 times is surmounted by the climber’s judgment and skill. In retrospect the number of pins that pulled probably resulted because the pins were underdriven in the flakey section. The only apparent “bombproof” pin was that closest to the belayer, the first driven.

Falls will occur, but they need not be serious if good judgment is exercised and if an occasional “bombproof” pin is driven as was done here.