Accomplishments
This section highlights my notable ascents, hardest projects, and greatest accomplishments.
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The Dawn Wall (Yosemite)
The Dawn Wall was the most difficult climb I have ever done. When I first started looking at the Dawn Wall, I had my relationship with Beth was starting to fall apart. I was distraught and depressed. Obsessing over it allowed me to focus on positive things during my divorce. I became fixated on it. I had to find a path through 3,000 feet of blank granite. Once I found the path, and my partner, Kevin, and I went for the attempt, we were on the wall for nineteen days straight until we finally topped out. All together the Dawn Wall took me seven years to complete. |
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Fitz Roy traverse (Patagonia)
The Fitz Roy traverse was extreme. To climb all seven peaks in one attempt meant more than 12,000 feet of vertical climbing. The extreme weather and frigid temperatures make it a dangerous place to climb. The rocks are covered in snow and ice. They are also extremely fragile. Alex Honnold and I were in way over our head. But we kept climbing. It took us five days to complete the Fitz Roy range. We were the first ones to make it in one attempt. The climbing, the views, and the challenge made it the perfect adventure. |
Flex Luthor (Fortress of Solitude)
Flex Luthor was the highest graded climb I have ever done. It is a 5.15a. That makes it in the tenth most difficult climb ever done. It was made more difficult because years earlier I had cut off my finger. It took my three months to plan and climb. Once I finished, I was overjoyed. I had just finished one of the hardest climbs ever done, with only nine fingers. I was now stronger with less fingers. Earlier this year, someone repeated the climb for the first time in nearly two decades. He said that it was a 5.15b, but I still believe it is only a 5.15a. |
The Nose Speed Climb world record.
The Nose is a climb up the middle of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. I am pretty familiar with the climb, so I decided to try for the world record time. I enlisted the help of Alex Honnold. With him by my side, we climbed as fast sa possible. It took us only 1 hour and 58 minutes to climb. What takes most people multiple days, we did in under two hours. |
Along with these, I have many other first ascents on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. A single first ascent on El Cap is enough to have your name remembered. I have nine first ascents on El Cap. I was also the first person to get two El Cap free climbs in 24 hours.