| Separate Reality | |
|---|---|
| Location | California, USA |
| Climbing Area | Yosemite Valley |
| Route Type | Free climbing |
| Vertical Gain | 20 m |
| Rating | 5.11d |
| First ascent | Ron Kauk; 1978. |
Separate Reality is a 20 metre long climbing route in Yosemite National Park in California, USA. The famous[1][2] route is well known for its exposed crux and six metre long crack in its roof through which the sky is visible.[3] The route's access is about 200 metres 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 (today 5.11d) (french 7a/7b).
The first to free solo-climb this route was German Wolfgang Güllich in 1986, then photographed by Austrian Heinz Zak, who 19 years later soloed the route himself in 2005.[5]
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.
In the summer of 2006 the American Dean Potter was the third climber to send this route free solo.[6]