Yosemite National Park, California 2008 -- Here's El Capitan -- a solid piece of granite (monolith) half a billion years in the making (and like the rest of the valley, still under construction). It rises 3000 feet from the valley floor -- more than a half mile up, rising to 7600 feet above sea level. The Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone monolith, is not even half as high. With a lot of work, you can walk up the backside. With even more, you can rock climb the front. It is THE rock climbing Holy Grail even after it was first conquered in 47 days in 1958.

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