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The Nosewipe: A Camp VI Cleanse

Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Camp VI on El Cap's Nose is notorious for being a trash repository. This fall, during the annual Yosemite Facelift, Black Diamond Athlete Sam Elias and employee Dave Campbell joined National Park Service members in an effort to clean up the trash pile that had, over many years, wedged itself into the camp's crack. They pulled out more than 150 pounds of trash, including a sardine can from the 70s, a perfectly usable belay seat and a pair of soiled underwear.

The annual Yosemite Facelift, held each September, boasts the largest organized group of volunteers for any national park cleanup. This year, Black Diamond joined the National Park Service in a long-overdue and much-needed mop up of the Nose's Camp VI. Even the largest nose in the world needs a good degunking every once in awhile. The work was less than glamorous, but the crew stayed positive, and they hope that their efforts will promote a long-standing habit of cleaner climbing on the route.