EL CAP BRIDGE → TENAYA → EL CAP BRIDGE
Ryan Tetz + Jason Hardrath · 2020
Yosemite / Two linked circuits
YOSEMITE
PICNICS.
SUMMER + WINTERBike · swim · climb / Bike · ski · climb
One idea / two seasons
LEAVE THE CAR.
CLOSE THE CIRCLE.
Both Picnics turn the approach into part of the route. The summer line begins and ends at El Capitan Bridge, using a long bicycle ride and two lake crossings to frame the Tuolumne Triple Crown. The winter line begins at Tioga Road's seasonal closure, carries bicycle, ski and climbing gear to Cathedral Peak, then reverses every transition back to the car.
WINTER GATE → CATHEDRAL → WINTER GATE
Ryan Tetz · 2018 solo
01 / Bike · swim · climb · swim · bike
THE SUMMER
PICNIC.
In 2020 Ryan Tetz and Jason Hardrath created and completed a 100-plus-mile Yosemite circuit in 14:36:50. They rode 43.5 miles from El Capitan Bridge to Tenaya Lake, gaining 6,500 feet; swam the 1.1-mile length of the lake; ran and scrambled Tenaya's Northwest Buttress, Matthes Crest south-to-north and Cathedral's Southeast Buttress; swam back; then bicycled 44.5 miles home to the bridge.
14:36:502020 completion
88 MIbicycle
2.2 MIswim
10.7 MIrun + climb
100+ miles / one continuous loop
The two bicycle legs alone totaled 88 miles and 8,900 feet of climbing. The swim and technical Triple Crown sit inside that much larger ride.
Field film / Jason Hardrath
THE LINE
IN MOTION.
A short field record Jason Hardrath made of the original summer Yosemite Picnic and its bike–swim–climb transitions.
THE ROUTE KEPT MOVING.
Laura Pineau and Brian Ludovici completed the full bike–swim–climb route self-supported in 23:56 in 2025.
Open the route history ↗02 / Bike · ski · climb · ski · bike
THE WINTER
PICNIC.
The winter circuit starts at the seasonal Tioga Road closure. Bicycle travel leads to the snowline, skis continue to Cathedral Peak, and the summit climb turns the route around. Every transition is then reversed to the car.
Winter means calendar winter, with enough snow to ski in and out of Tioga Pass. The April 2022 and May 2024 outings below are spring completions of the same line.
201812:41:10
Ryan Tetz · solo
40.25 miles · 6,355 feet gained
Winter solo · January 2 · activity ↗202212:57:57Ryan Tetz + Leo Franchi
40.42 miles · 6,220 feet gained
Spring team completion · April 6 · activity ↗20248:58:59Jake Whisenant · solo
40.12 miles · 6,808 feet gained
Spring solo completion · May 15 · activity ↗
Route notes
Tetz and Franchi finished together in 12:57:57 after Tetz broke a ski. Jake Whisenant—who also held the Lurking Fear speed record on El Capitan and The Prow record on Washington Column—made the third known completion and second known solo on May 15, 2024. His 8:58:59 is the fastest of these three outings.
Sources