- Nick Ehman, 28, climbed the 900-meter cliff early on the morning of October 10, at a speed of about 2.5 meters per minute
- The previous record was held by Alex Honnold, about whom the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo was made in 2018
A mountaineer has broken the record for climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan, scaling the sheer rock face in just four hours and 39 minutes.
Nick Ehman, 28, climbed the 3,000-foot cliff early on the morning of Oct. 10, at a speed of about 8 feet per minute.
The previous record was held by Alex Honnold – who was the subject of the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo – who completed it in five hours and fifty minutes in 2010.
The experienced climber, who has completed El Capitan 16 times this year, used only a short rope and aluminum gear to aid him in the challenge.
Ehman began his ascent of the Nose, El Capitan’s most popular route, which follows the central prong of the cliff as it rises 28 heights straight up from the valley floor.
A mountaineer has broken the record for climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan, scaling the bluff in just four hours and 39 minutes
Ehman began his ascent of the Nose, El Capitan’s most popular route, which follows the central prong of the cliff as it rises 28 heights straight up from the valley floor.
“When I got to work that morning, I didn’t know how comfortable I would be soon,” Ehman told the San Francisco Chronicle.
But once I got started, “I felt really comfortable in that headspace with no falls, and I felt like I had to go for it.”
To claim the record, Ehman took photos during his climb to keep time-stamped evidence for the sport’s unofficial record keepers.
Ehman carried about ten pounds of equipment to aid in the climb, but no food or water.
Ehman said he felt “better and better and more excited as I got higher” and made sure to keep an eye on his phone to stay ahead of the record pace. During his ascent he passed four climbs.
He climbed over the lip of El Capitan at 12:41 p.m., 4 hours and 39 minutes after takeoff.
To claim the record, Ehman took photos during his climb to maintain time-stamped evidence for the sport’s unofficial record keepers
The experienced climber, who has completed El Capitan 16 times this year, used just a short rope and aluminum gear to help him with the challenge
He heard the cheers of a group of friends and spectators gathered in the meadow on the alley floor below him.
‘I was quite emotional at the top. I’ve been dreaming of that experience for a long time: to be light and unencumbered up there,” Ehman said.
Later that day, his friends and girlfriend threw him a small party at Camp 4, the climbing epicenter of the valley.