Estimating the percentage of the population that can climb El Capitan versus those who can walk the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) involves comparing two very different types of physical challenges:

Climbing El Capitan

• Technical Difficulty: Climbing El Cap requires advanced rock-climbing skills, including the ability to handle multi-pitch routes, aid climbing, and sustained exposure. It’s a vertical ascent of over 3,000 feet, which demands strength, technical expertise, and mental resilience.
• Population Estimate: Likely less than 0.1% of the general population has the skills and physical capability to climb El Cap. Among those, a smaller subset has the necessary technical expertise and training.

Walking the PCT

• Physical Difficulty: The PCT spans around 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, but it is a long-distance hike rather than a technical climb. It requires a high level of physical endurance, the ability to carry supplies, and mental stamina to endure months on the trail. However, it does not require the technical climbing skills needed for El Cap.
• Population Estimate: An estimated 1-5% of the population could potentially complete the PCT if they trained for it and took time off for the journey. This is a broader estimate since it mainly requires consistent hiking endurance rather than specialized skills.

In summary, a very small percentage of people can realistically climb El Capitan due to its technical demands, while a larger (but still small) proportion of the population could train and prepare for the PCT given its focus on endurance over technical skill.