On May 23, British climbers John Beckwidth and Rob Ellender woke up on Long Ledge, 31 pitches up El Capitan, to damp, whiteout conditions. The Brits had spent the last five days climbing the Salathe Wall (VI 5.9 C2) and were eager to summit, a mere three pitches away....

The first ascent of the Great Slab on El Cap sparked climbing’s biggest character assassination, a fit that began with chopped ropes and now, nearly 30 years later continues with online vitriol that is piled nearly as high as the Big Stone itself. With the second ascent of the wall completed just this summer after countless days and some 500 feet of falls, redemption for the FA team may finally be at hand....