Hardest Rock Climb in the world conquered.

[CapnAwesome]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/sports....html?_r=0

I'm amazed at the attention that this has gotten. Normally climbing never gets any press from the mainstream media. The president himself congratulated Tommy and Kevin on their amazing ascent of the Dawn Wall. It's probably hard for non climbers to envision how difficult and what an incredible athletic feat what they did is. It's also rather touching how the country has gotten behind a project that the climbing world has been behind for years.

I'm going to throw out a wild guess that I'm the only member of these forums to have climbed El Capitan (on a much easier route in a much easier style) If anybody has questions or comments about the ascent, I'm your man.

[Jackalope]

Wow, most of the pitches were rated 5.12 with two of 5.14d? Very impressive.

[CapnAwesome]

Wow, most of the pitches were rated 5.12 with two of 5.14d? Very impressive.

Most of the pitches were rating 5.13, several were rating 5.14, two 14.d and there were several boulder problems in the v12/v13 range mixed in. I think there were only a couple of pitches that were 5.12 or easier. I recall a video where they sent a 13.d pitch and said that it was the easiest climbing for the next 1000 feet. None of that means anything to non-climbers though. Needless to say, it's hard. Really amazing.

[rexbeccarox]

Holy muther eff. The pics and vids are ridiculously amazing; I wish I could ever know what it would be like to actually do that.

[helyott]

5.14 ?
It s a great level that is near from the top level for climbers.
They are very good.

when you rise this level it means that most climbers aren't able to climb this.
They don't even think of it.

[CapnAwesome]

5.14 ?
It s a great level that is near from the top level for climbers.
They are very good.

when you rise this level it means that most climbers aren't able to climb this.
They don't even think of it.

It's way more than just having a single pitch of that length. It's also that they spent 17 days on the side of El Cap while performing top level athletic feats. When I climbed El Cap I spent 3 and a half days and I've never felt so psychologically drained. There's crazy things that you don't even realize, like if you drop anything it just disappears forever and is gone.

[Exian]

When they found their family and friends waiting for them at the top, they must have been like "...oh."

[Jackalope]

It's way more than just having a single pitch of that length.

It is, yes.

Beyond that, back when I climbed, two decades ago, if I recall correctly, single pitches of 5.14 were thought to be practically impossible. My recollection may be off, though.

[CapnAwesome]

When they found their family and friends waiting for them at the top, they must have been like "...oh."

That's the way that it was when people were climbing in the 60s. Nowadays you have cell phone reception everywhere. I think my partner was texting people every morning.

---

It's way more than just having a single pitch of that length.

It is, yes.

Beyond that, back when I climbed, two decades ago, if I recall correctly, single pitches of 5.14 were thought to be practically impossible. My recollection may be off, though.

For sure. I'd say that for your normal people it's a grade that's impossible. I climb something like 250 days a year and it's a grade that is impossible for me to ever climbed because I'm not a natural athlete. I think climbing at that grade is sort of like being in the French open or something. Where as what these guys just did is like winning the French open. Your average person, even if they play tennis every day, just can't compete.

[Violet]

The thing took them 17 days to climb, the whole thing practically sheer.... that's all I need to know to be impressed

Also...

Their assault was widely criticized by those in the climbing community who preferred a quieter, more minimalist ascent. Royal Robbins, a rival of Harding’s, went up the Dawn Wall and cut many of the bolts sprinkled up the rock.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!