The 31-Pitch 1970s Yosemite Route Opened by Canadians

Several Canadians visited Yosemite in 1972, including Steve Sutton and Hugh Burton, who went on to make the first ascent of Magic Mushroom (VI 5.10 A4). A year after being driven off El Capitan by violent storms, Burton and Sutton returned to the Valley with a clearer understanding of the wall’s demands. Their earlier retreat had been sobering; Burton later reflected that they were “ill-prepared for storms” and forced down by “a sustained wind and hail barrage.”

This time, they arrived not only with greater experience, but with a carefully designed nylon wall tent—an invention born of necessity. As Burton explained, “to render the climb strategically sound, we must be equipped to survive any situation we might encounter.”

Yet the mountain greeted them differently now. The weather was calm, almost inviting, and the massive face of El Capitan appeared both serene and indifferent. Burton would later describe the feeling with characteristic humility: “El Cap is beautiful. Silent and peaceful, yet powerful and unyielding… We are so small and weak.” With that awareness, they began their ascent into what he called the “vertical desert.”

Progress came steadily despite early rust. By the second evening, they had regained their previous high point at Mammoth Terraces. Under a full moon, the valley stretched out in stillness below them, an eerie quiet broken only by drifting smoke and distant flickers of life from other climbers. Higher up, the climb grew more serious. Cracks widened, thinned, and vanished unpredictably; ledges appeared just often enough to sustain them. At one point, staring up at the looming headwall glowing orange in the sunset, the scale of the undertaking became undeniable.

Life on the wall settled into a rhythm, long days of precise movement followed by nights suspended in hammocks. Burton found those moments especially powerful: “Bivouacs are a beautiful time on the wall.” In the stillness, they smoked, exchanged light signals with climbers across the valley, and let the enormity of their surroundings sink in.

As they climbed higher, the exposure intensified. The wall steepened, leaning out beneath them, and retreat became unthinkable. Looking down from their hammocks one evening, Burton realized the truth of their situation: “We’re committed.” Above them, the rock offered both challenges and unexpected gifts, thin cracks appearing just when needed, hidden features revealing themselves at the last moment. Days blended into one another, marked by sunrises, pendulums, and the constant search for the next belay.

One of the most memorable pauses came at a small ledge they named Mescalito Ledge, their first true rest spot in days. The Sierra stretched endlessly to the south, glowing under a deep orange sunset. Despite the beauty, the climb demanded sacrifice, there was only space for one to sleep comfortably, and Sutton gave Burton the ledge while he hung in his hammock beside it.

Above, the final pitches brought both relief and tension. The summit was close enough to feel, yet the exposure and difficulty refused to ease. On their last day, storm clouds gathered as Sutton led the final pitch. As Burton jumared up behind him, lightning exploded across the sky, turning the summit push into something surreal and electric. But the storm, rather than terrifying him, had a strange effect. Burton would later recall, “The power of the storm is strangely calming.”

When they finally topped out after 31 pitches on the route that would come to be known as Magic Mushroom, they emerged into sunlight breaking through the clouds. Everything – gear, ropes, bodies – was tangled and exhausted, but they were alive, standing on top of El Capitan. In that moment, the struggle dissolved into something larger. As Burton reflected on the experience, it was not just about the climb, but about perspective: “How lucky we all are to be born into this incredible universe.”

Also in 1972, Canadians Tim Auger and Mike Farrell reached Camp Four on the Triple Direct before deteriorating weather forced their retreat. Auger later returned to climb The Nose. Autumn brought unsettled weather, with frequent thunderstorms disrupting plans. Calgary climber Billy Davidson abandoned his solo attempt and instead partnered with Fig Breitenbach to complete the third ascent of Tis-sa-ack. Burton and Sutton also completed an ascent of the South Face of Mount Watkins, which Burton described as “a really beautiful Grade VI set in the wilderness surroundings of Tenaya Canyon.”

This write-up appeared in Mountain magazine issue 24 in 1972: “Two young Vancouver climbers, Hugh Burton and Steve Sutton, completed The Magic Mushroom (Grade 6, 5.9, A4), which they had started in the previous season. The route follows a completely independent line of cracks between Muir Wall and Son of Heart. The climb, which took eight days, utilised fifty bolts. It is described as ‘clean and aesthetic.'”

Magic Mushroom was the 14th route established on El Capitan. It was first free climbed by Tommy Caldwell and Justen Sjong in May 2012. Learn more about the fifth and sixth free ascents by Jim Pope and Sam Stroh at the end of 2025 here. And check out a list of the first 40 El Cap routes below.

First 40 El Cap Routes

1. The Nose 5.9 C2 VI / FA: 1958 Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, George Whitmore; 5.14 / FFA: 1993 Lynn Hill
2. Salathe Wall 5.9 C2 VI / FA: 1961 Royal Robbins, Chuck Pratt Tom Frost; 5.13b / FFA: 1988 Todd Skinner, Paul Piana
3. Dihedral Wall 5.9 A3+ VI / FA: 1962 Ed Cooper, Jim Baldwin, Glen Denny
4. El Capitan West Buttress 5.10 A3+ VI / FA: 1963 Layton Kor, Steve Roper
5. North America Wall 5.8 A2 VI / FA: 1964 Tom Frost, Yvon Chouinard, Chuck Pratt, Royal Robbins
6. Muir Wall 5.9 A2 VI / FA: 1965 Yvon Chouinard, TM Herbert
7. El Capitan West Face 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1967 TM Herbert, Royal Robbins; 5.11c / FFA: 1979 Ray Jardine, Bill Price
8. Triple Direct 5.8 C2 VI / FA: 1969 Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
9. Heart Route The 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1970 Chuck Kroger, Scott Davis
10. Aquarian Wall 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1971 Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
11. Heart Woute (Son of Heart) 5.10 A3+ VI / FA: 1971 Rick Sylvester, Claude Wreford-Brown
12. Wall of Early Morning Light 5.7 A3 VI / FA: 1971 Warren Harding, Dean Cadwell
13. Cosmos 5.8 A4 VI / FA: 1972 Jim Dunn
14. Magic Mushroom 5.10 A4 VI / FA: 1972 Hugh Burton, Steve Sutton
15. Shield The (Salathe Start) 5.7 C4F VI / FA: 1972 Charlie Porter, Gary Bocarde
16. Zodiac 5.7 A2 VI / FA: 1972 Charlie Porter 5.13d / FFA: 2003 Alex Huber, Thomas Huber
17. Mescalito 5.8 A3 VI / FA: 1973 Charlie Porter Hugh Burton, Steve Sutton, Chris Nelson
18. Tangerine Trip 5.8 A2 VI / FA: 1973 Charlie Porter, John-Paul de St. Croix
19. Grape Race 5.9 A5 VI / FA: 1974 Charlie Porter, Bev Johnson
20. Horse Chute 5.9 A3 VI / FA: 1974 Charlie Porter, Hugh Burton
21. New Dawn 5.8 A3 VI / FA: 1974 Charlie Porter, Yvon Chouinard, Chuck Pratt, Dennis Hennick, Chris Jones
22. Excalibur 5.9 A3 VI / FA: 1975 Charlie Porter, Hugh Burton
23. Lost World 5.10 A3+ VI / FA: 1975 C. Folsom, Dave Anderson, Mike Warburton
24. Pacific Ocean Wall 5.9 A3 VI / FA: 1975 Jim Bridwell, Billy Westbay, Jay Fiske, Fred East
25. Waterfall Route 5.10b A4 VI / FA: 1975 Daryle Teske, T. Polk
26. Eagle’s Way 5.8 A3 VI / FA: 1976 Mark Chapman, Mike Graham, Jim Orey
27. Lurking Fear 5.7 C2F VI / FA: 1976 Dave Bircheff, Jim Pettigrew
28. Mirage 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1976 Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz, Jim Pettigrew
29. Dorn Direct (to Shield) 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1977 Tony Yaniro, Ron Olevsky
30. New Jersey Turnpike 5.10 A4+ VI / FA: 1977 Bruce Hawkins, Ron Kauk, Dale Bard, Hugh Burton
31. Iron Hawk 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1978 Dale Bard, Ron Kauk
32. Never Never Land 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1978 Bruce Hawkins, Mark Chapman
33. Sea of Dreams 5.9 A4 VI / FA: 1978 Jim Bridwell, Dale Bard, Dave Diegelman
34. Sunkist 5.9 A5 VI / FA: 1978 Bill Price, Dale Bard
35. Tribal Rite A4 VI / FA: 1978 Walter Rosenthal, Tom Carter, Dale Bard
36. Born Under A Bad Sign 5.10 A5 VI / FA: 1979 Bill Price, Tim Washick
37. Jolly Rodger 5.10 A5 VI / FA: 1979 Charles Cole, Steve Grossman
38. South Seas 5.8 A4 VI / FA: 1979 Bill Price, Charlie Row, Guy Thompson
39. Hockey Night in Canada 5.10 A3 VI / FA: 1980 Perry Beckham, Scott Flavelle, Dave Lane
40. Aurora 5.8 A4 VI / FA: 1981 Peter Mayfield, Greg Child

With information from the Canadian Alpine Journal, American Alpine Journal and SuperTopo.

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