Northern California native Alex Honnold became the first person ever to “free solo” Yosemite National Park’s 3,000-foot tall El Capitan on Saturday — a death-defying achievement in which the climber foresook protective ropes and harnesses.
Visitors look up at the El Capitan monolith in the Yosemite National Park in California on June 4, 2015. (Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Using only his hands and feet, the 31-year-old reached the top of the granite monolith in under four hours. It was a journey he spent two years preparing for, according to the Associated Press.
The peak of the granite wall is higher than the tallest building in the world — the Burj Khalifa, in the United Arab Emirates — and requires climbers to navigate a maze of fissures, crevices and cracks.
Honnold climbed the “Freerider” route, which snakes up the west side of the face. National Geographic documented the climb for an upcoming film.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.
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