First Man To Climb El Cap With Cerebral Palsy Interviewed By Outside

Back on September 12th, Steven Wampler became the first person with Cerebral Palsy to climb El Cap in Yosemite National Park. It took him six days to scale that epic rock face, pulling himself up an estimated 20,000 times in the process. The climb was made possible thanks to a custom designed chair, a special system of ropes and the help of two friends who secured the route and accompanied him to the top of the 3000 foot wall.

A few days ago, Outside magazine had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Steven, who has had a few weeks to reflect on his accomplishment. The interview was posted on the Outside Blog earlier today, with Wampler sharing his insights on the scariest parts of the climb (He's afraid of heights!), why he chose El Cap for his first real climb, and what's next for him.

Pretty incredible story if you ask me. El Cap is a challenge for anyone to climb, and to do it while afflicted by Cerebral Palsy is just astounding. Quite an impressive feat to say the least.

You can find out more about Steven and the climb in the video below, which comes our way courtesy of ABC News.

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Talking Speed Climbs With Alex Honnold

Earlier this summer Alex Honnold left us all shaking our heads in awe as he first set a new speed record for a continuous climb up Half Dome and El Cap in Yosemite and then followed it up by linking three routes, the Nose, Salathé Wall, and Lurking Fear, a few weeks later. Now, the talented climber has come down from the rock long enough to share some thoughts with Outside Online, who have posted the interview to their blog this morning.

In the interview, Alex talks about training with Ueli Steck for a speed run on The Nose, but when that fell apart, mostly out of lack of interest, he found himself in good shape and ready to take on some big challenges, hence the series of climbs he made in Yosemite back in June and July. He also talks about the challenges of climbing El Capitan, which he spent a lot of time on this summer, as well as his love for climbing in Yosemite in general.

It's a brief, but excellent interview, with good insights from a guy who is one of the top climbers in the world. As for what he's got planned for the future, he doesn't give too much away, but Alex does say that climbing a big wall like the Nose has him interested and inspired to possibly go to the Himalaya or Patagonia and tackle some of the massive rock faces there in solo fashion.

Reading this, Alex comes across as a very humble guy who just enjoys doing what he is doing.

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Winters of My Life

Some of you probably have already seen this video, but it is so well done and beautifully shot, that I wanted to share it here as well. It is entitled Winters of My Life and was created by filmmaker Jonny Burhop. The video is about Howard Weamer, who has been a hutkeeper in Yosemite National Park for 35 years. Howard spends his winters in the remote backcountry, enjoying the solitude and living in one of the most spectacular places in all of North America. While short, this video captures Howard's spirit very well and he gives us some insights into why he does what he does. Enjoy!




Winters of My Life from Jonathan Burhop on Vimeo.

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Alex Honnold Up To His Old Tricks

A few weeks back the climbing world was abuzz with stories about Alex Honnold's combined speed climbs up Half Dome and El Cap in Yosemite. Now comes word that that was just a warm up, as it seems that he may have topped himself with a triple-header.

Climbing.com is reporting that Honnold, along with climbing partner Sean Leary, linked up three routes in Yosemite, climbing the Nose, Salathé Wall, and Lurking Fear all in one day. The climb began at 8 PM, and the dynamic duo knocked off the Nose in just 4 hours and 15 minutes. From there it was on to Salathé, which they reportedly conquered in six hours, before moving on to the Lurking Fear route. 


Climbing doesn't give a time for Lurking Fear, but they note that Alex and Sean were seen eating pizza in Curry Village the following evening at 8 PM, which means that they managed to climb 85 pitches spread out over 2400 meters (7875 feet), in less than 24 hours time. 


Thanks to the Goat for the head's up on this story. 

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Alex Honnold Sets New Half Dome and El Cap Speed Records

Both The Adventure Life and The Goat are reporting today that rock climber Alex Honnold has set new speed records on Half Dome and El Capitan in Yosemite, going up both the regular Northwest Face Route as well as the Nose on the two faces respectively.

Honnold began his assault on the record books by scaling the Northwest Face route on Half Dome in just 2 hours and 9 minutes, which shaves 41 minutes off the old record. He then proceeded to go directly to the Nose on El Cap,  which he scaled in just under six hours, giving him a new record for the combined climb of both routes. Essentially, he did them in just 8 hours total. Amazing!

Honnold's climbing buddy Ueli Steck was on hand to observe the proceedings. Apparently the two are still planning on making a speed attempt on the Nose as well, although we haven't had a lot of updates on their progress in the past month. That record currently stands at 2 hours 37 minutes and was set last October by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayma.

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Ueli Steck Going For Speed Record On El Cap!

Swiss climber Ueli Steck is in Yosemite and planning to make an assault on the speed record on El Capitan. According to the Hardware Sessions, the official blog of Mountain Hardwear gear, is reporting that Ueli is already scouting the lines, and planning his route with climbing partner Alex Honnold.

The current speed record was set last fall by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama and sits at 2 hours 37 minutes and 05 seconds. Pretty impressive when you consider that the 3000 foot tall face was fist climbed back in 1958, a feat which took 47 days to complete at the time.

Ueli is amongst the best climbers in the world, and already holds a number of speed records for big faces in the Alps. For example, he bagged the North Face of the Eiger back in February of 2007 in just one hour and 48 minutes, an astounding time for that wall as well.

Below is a video of Ueli and Alex making a traing climb on the Nose from a few days back. Stay tuned for updates on whether or not they can break the record. It should be very interesting!

Alex and Uli speed climbing The Nose on 5.20.10 from Chris Falkenstein on Vimeo.

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More Climbing Vids: Free Climbing El Cap?

Speaking of cool climbing vids, these two come our way courtesy of The Backcountry Goat Blog and Climbing Narc. The two part video, both of which are found below, show Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson working a new route on the Southeast face of El Capitan in Yosemite. Caldwell is hoping to free climb the route, which requires new pitches in the 5.13 to 5.14 difficulty range. This is a project he has been working on for some time, and isn't sure is possible to complete. More good stuff on video!

VIDEO Part 1: BD athletes Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson attempting to free El Cap's hardest climb from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

VIDEO Part 2: BD athletes Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson attempting to free El Cap's hardest climb from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

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IS Film Video Teases El Cap

Adventure video company IS Film Video has posted a great looking teaser video for one of their upcoming films entitled El Cap, which, as you can probably guess, deals with climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

The film isn't just about climbing the world's most famous big wall however, as it focuses on a man named Michael Kozusko, who has attempted to scale El Cap twice before, once in 2006 and again in 2007, and failed both times. But, he is determined to reach the top, and if he does so, he'll become the oldest man to ever solo the wall. According to the trailer, he's going back to give it another shot in October of this year, and this film will follow that attempt.

You can watch view the trailer for El Cap by clicking here. What you'll get is a tantalizing look at the film, which is being made by film makers Dave and Mary Davis. The images in the teaser are beautifully shot, and the video clip does exactly what it is suppose to do, which is to tease us into wanting more. I know I'm already wondering if Michael can finally get over the hump and finish his solo climb of El Cap or will the mountain stop him once again, and send him home a defeated man. Can't wait to find out.

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Paraplegic Climber Scales El Cap!!

Okay, here's a story that certainly made me stop whining about the little things that have been causing irritation in my life recently. It seems that 36-year old Phil Packer, a Major in the British Army who was injured in a rocket attack in February of 2008, and lost the use of his legs as result, has successfully scaled El Capitan in Yosemite.

Packer, who was climbing to raise funds for the Help For Heroes organization, began his epic assault on the 1800 foot rock face on June 6th and completed the task on June 10th. He was assisted by a team of very experienced climbers that included Andy Kirkpatrick, who served as the expedition leader, Paul Tattersall, Ian Parnell and Ben Pritchard.

Packer's injuries were sustained while he was deployed to Iraq as part of the U.K.'s military police. The rocket attack caused an injury to his spine, and doctors told him that he would never walk again. Since that time, he has begun to walk, through the use of crutches, and became a hero in his home country when he began the London Marathon back in April. Over the course of the following two weeks, he covered just 2 miles a day, but eventually completed the entire course, and becoming an inspiration to many in the process. That was just the beginning however, as he already had designs on El Cap, perhaps the most famous big rock wall in the world.

On his website, PhilPacker.com, the Major writes about the experience in his blog and says that even though it has already been a week since he finished up the climb, what he has accomplished is still setting in. He also mentions that he is still resting and recovering a bit after three-and-a-half days on the wall and averaging less than 4 hours of sleep each night. Phil says that while he is very happy that he accomplished his goal, he can't help but feel a bit sad that the climb is over, and the team will now go their separate ways. It sounds like they really bonded on this journey that began before they ever touched the rock.

What an inspiring story! This is one of the best things I've read in a long time, and I have nothing but respect for Major Packer. I'm surprised I haven't seen more on this story, but if you'd like to find out a bit more background, check out this story over at Climbing.com, complete with videos as well.

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Awesome Video of Speed Record on the Nose

Earlier this year climbers Hans Florine and Yuji Hiriyama set a new speed record on The Nose, perhaps the most well known and iconic climbing route on El Capitan in Yosemite. The twosome scaled the face in just 2 hours, 37 minutes, 5 seconds, besting their old record by more than six minutes in the process.

Now, you can check out these two rock stars doing their thing, thanks to some great video over at Climbing.com. The videos are part of their new Master's of Stone series, and there are currently three videos in place showing the climb at various stages.

It's very impressive to watch Hans and Yuji go to work. They aren't flying up the wall by any means, but instead are going at a steady pace, focused on their work, and continuing to move nearly at all times. The results speak for themselves, as they can manage to take down one of the world's top big walls in a little more than two and a half hours. When the 2900 foot Nose was first climbed back in 1958, it required a team to spend 47 days on the rock to reach the top.

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New Speed Record On The Nose, Again!

Hans Florine and Yuji Hiriyama, who already held the speed record on The Nose route of El Capitan in Yosemite, have broken their own record according to various reports on the web, including this one over at About.com.

According to the article, the dynamic duo of rock climbing took just 2 hours 37 minutes and 5 seconds. That's six minutes faster than their old record set back in July. Yuji lead all the pitches once again, with Hans following along, taking care of the gear, and simul-climbing with his partner.

The 2900 foot face of The Nose is one of the most iconic climbs in the entire sport. It was first completed back in 1958, by a team that spent 47 days on the face. They approached it much the way that big mountain climbers in the Himalaya would, establishing camps along the face and laying siege to the mountain. In 1960, the second ascent was put up, and took just 7 days, as the team, led by Royal Robbins, completed the first non-stop climb. It took until 1975 before the first single day climb of The Nose was completed, and even now, it traditionally takes most climbers a couple of days to complete.

I wonder what those first climbers would think about a pair doing it in under three hours. Obviously equipment has improved, and new techniques haven't been developed, but that's some serious time to shave off in just 50 years. Impressive work, and once again, congrats to Hans and Yuji.

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New Speed Record on El Cap

Remember last year when the Huber brothers set a new speed record for The Nose on El Capitan? Well, their amazing climb has been bested by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama, who completed the route in 2 hours, 43 minutes, and 33 seconds. That's 2 minutes and 12 seconds faster than the Hubers for those keeping track at home.

According to this article over at SFGate.com, it took the two climbers three attempts to break the record and at one point they were more than 10 minutes ahead of the record pace, before exertion and exhaustion caught up with them.

Of course, in the rock climbing community, Forine and Hirayama's climb was expected, as they were the previous record holders before the Hubers knocked them off the top spot last October. The Nose route is one of the most iconic and demanding in the world, and average climbers can take several days to complete the climb. At 2900+ feet in length, it's probably the best known route on El Cap, itself an icon in Yosemite.

Congrats to Hans and Yuji. What an amazing display of climbing skill. Will the Hubers try to respond? Reading between the lines in the article, it seems that they are content with their place in history and, for now, they have no plans to try to re-break the record.

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Beth Rodden Puts Up New 5.14c Route In Yosemite

Rock Climbing goddess Beth Rodden has put up a tough new route in Yosemite according to The Alpinist. The new route, located near Cascade Falls, has been named Meltdown.

Rated a 5.14 route already, with those who have seen it calling it a 5.14c, the climb is said to be amongst the toughest in Yosemite. The Alpinist says the new route has been called "improbable" with a 45 foot climb up an ultra-thin finger crack. At the top of the crack it flows into seams that are described as "discontinuous". To add to the challenge, a waterfall plummets just to the left, and continually sprays light water onto the route.

Meltdown is described as Rodden's toughest route yet, which is saying something considering her extensive experience and impressive resume. This seems like a beautiful and very challenging route just from the description alone, and she admitted that she worked harder on this route than any other she's put up so far.

Thanks to The GoBlog for sharing this story.

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Hubers Break Own Record On El Cap!

I caught this post over at The Adventurist over the weekend in which it is reported that the Huber brothers have broken their own record for climbing The Nose on El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park.

It was reported a week or so back that the two rock climbers managed to best the old record by a mere 20 seconds. There was speculation at the time that it would set off a round of speed climbs on El Cap with everyone trying to beat the record. It seems the Hubers themselves beat everyone to the punch, as just four days later, the returned to best their old mark by nearly 3 minutes.

The new official time is 2 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds over the 31 pitches of the Nose according to Planet Fear. Now we'll wait and see if any challengers emerge.

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Hubers On The Nose!

Here's a cool video courtesy of the All Climbing Blog. It's shows the Huber brothers, Alex and Thomas, who recently set a new speed climbing record on El Cap.

The video is of their climb and shows these two amazing rock climbers doing their thing. They managed to beat the old speed record by just 20 second, so expect a showdown again soon with previous record holders Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama. Enjoy!

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Records Fall: New Speed Record On El Cap Too!?!?

Seems like it's a day for speed climbs! This one comes to us by way of The Adventurist who is reporting that the Huber Brothers have set a new speed record on El Capitan.

Alex and Thomas Huber have put up some great routes on rock faces all over the World, but they came to Yosemite to tackle the Nose on El Cap, perhaps the most famous of all routes. According to this article over at Climbing.com, the brother claimed the new speed record by a mere 20 seconds, finishing up in 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 35 seconds.

The speed climb wasn't without controversy however, as there was some miscommunication about what the final time was, and what the record, held by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama, actually was. Once the confusion was cleared up, the Huber's came out on top, but only by the slimmest of margins. Rumor has it that Florine and Hirayama are already planning a return visit to challenge the new record and reclaim their rightful spot, even while the Hubers plot their own return to best the record they just set.

As The Adventurist asks, is this the beginning of speed wars on El Cap? It should make for a fun and exciting rivalry, as long as everyone remembers to climb safe.

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Canadian Completes All-Free Rope Solo of El Cap!

According to Climbing.com Canadian Stéphane Perron has completed an all-free rope solo ascent of El Capitan along Free Rider

The climb capped a string of impressive climbs in Yosemite for Perron that included climbs of The Crucifix on Higher Cathedral Rock, which he completed in nine hours without any falls, as well as Astroman which took him eight hours to complete. Both of those climbs were also rope-solo, and are rated as 5.11c or higher.

From there, he moved over to Free Rider which took six days to complete. The 37 pitch, 5.12d climb, falling on only three of those pitches. The 33 year old climber, who also happens to be a college physics professor on his sabbatical, says he enjoys the challenges of going solo, which he picked up because of the difficulty he had in finding a partner.

Impressive set of climbs in a short period of time. Awesome work! Now get back to your physics research before they find out what you've really been doing on your sabatical! ;)

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Tommy Caldwell Climbing Videos

The GoBlog has posted three very cool videos of famed rock climber Tommy Caldwell in Yosemite.

The videos are from back in 2005 when Caldwell put up an amazing double climb of both Freerider and El Capitan's The Nose in the same day. The videos are interesting and fun to watch not only because you can watch a master climber at work, but you can see him as he prepares for the climb, going through his gear, and mentally getting ready as well. He's also cheered on and encouraged by wife Beth Rodden, who is quite an accomplished climber in her own right.

Very cool videos for anyone into the rock climbing and some of the big, classic walls. Also very impressive to think that Tommy was able to put up both routes in one day, even a few years after the fact. Some days I have problems climbing two flights of stairs! ;)

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