Yosemite National Park’s historical significance to climbing is no secret. It was of course the setting of the legendary documentary, Free Solo, where Alex Honnold free climbed the nose of the ginormous El Capitan. The Los Angeles Times reports that there is now a museum that celebrates Yosemite’s climbing culture. Located in Mariposa, California, the Yosemite Climbing Museum just opened to the public over the summer. Built by the Yosemite Climbing Association, over $250,000 was spent to assemble this impressive collection of climbing memorabilia. A video with the founder of the museum, Ken Yager, is below.
The museum mostly focuses on the pioneers that built the climbing culture at Yosemite, which includes “Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard; the late David Brower, onetime Sierra Club executive director; and Royal Robbins, who founded his own outdoor brand.” Some of the gear you’ll see includes pitons, climbing ropes, climbing boots, jumars, historic photos of Yosemite and the climbers, and more. The initial exhibition that is open until December 2021 covers Yosemite’s climbing history from the 1930s to the 1970s. The museum doesn’t cover the modern history of climbing at the national park and ends around Lynn Hill’s 1993 free climb of the Nose of El Cap.
The Yosemite Climbing Museum doesn’t have a firm set of hours, so if you’re interested in visiting, call them at (209) 742-1000 or email them yosemiteclimbingmuseum@gmail.com to schedule a visit or request a tour.
Image Credits: Yosemite Climbing Museum
