Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell Climbed into the History Books
The two climbers have spent two weeks climbing the imposing, nearly 3,000 foot (914 meters) tall granite surface of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, the most difficult "big wall" objective in the world. From December 27, Kevin Jorgeson, 30, and Tommy Caldwell, 36, who partnered up on the impossible, were scaling the Dawn Wall without the aid of ropes, pegs or other climbing gear. And they did it!
El Capitan is a large rock formation in California’s Yosemite National Park. A smooth, nearly 3,000 foot surface on the El Capitan known as the Dawn Wall has worldwide recognition as an almost impossibly difficult surface to climb because the wall offers few footholds. All climbers who have reached the summit of Dawn Hall, including Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell who reached the top in 1970, did so with the aid of ropes.
November 4, 2023 – Val Verzasca, Switzerland – The Verzasca Dam, an engineering marvel nestled in the picturesque Val Verzasca of Switzerland that stands 220 meters tall, became the stage for the climbing elite. Red Bull Dual Ascent, now in its
second edition, attracted 24 of the world's best…
Jorgeson and Caldwell who partnered up to take on the impossible, stopped every so often to rest and make camp, sleeping and eating in portal edges, suspended on the side of the cliff. They had to also climb often at night as friction was stronger in the cool, night air - without tools, it was the only way to reach the top of the Dawn Wall.
Kevin Jorgeson has been documenting his and Tommy Caldwell's historic ascent of El Capitan's Dawn Wall through video for Adidas Outdoor. It has not been released yet, so in the meantime, here is a little reminder video to recap what preceded the most difficult climb of their lives.
Adam Ondra dominated the bouldering scene again and won a gold medal in the second World Cup competition in Salt Lake City. He took second place in the qualification and proceeded to the finals from the same position. This time, he was surprised by the victory and admits that a little luck was…
Adam Ondra completed today's finals in Meiringen, Switzerland, and won a gold medal in the first competition of this year's World Cup. He kept first place in bouldering continuously from the qualification until the very exciting finals. He was satisfied with his excellent form and appreciated a…
