![]() But when I first went up there and mapped it out, I didn’t realize I would get obsessed enough to spend seven years on it. The Dawn Wall appealed to me because it was bigger, blanker, and looked improbable. I’ve climbed all the existing routes that had been done in the past, established a bunch of my own, and still have endless curiosity for how far I can take it physically and mentally. ![]() It’s the most dramatic, historical rock face in the world, without a doubt. I’d spent nearly 15 years of my life’s climbing focus, mostly on this one wall, El Capitan. Why was that climb such a challenge-and why were you so obsessed by it? In 2015, you and your partner, Kevin Jorgeson, became the first climbers to “send” the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, in Yosemite. Climbing is a constant process of taking what looks improbable or impossible and breaking it down to the elements, therefore making it possible. It’s a game, played out in a very exciting environment. Most of the climbing that I do is that way. But ropes are strong if you use them, and you can make it quite safe. You get to know people well when you do something that’s slightly scary together and climbing is something that seems scary. It’s this beautiful way to experience nature in our most dramatic landscapes. Anybody who gets involved in it is going to find out that it’s not as terrifying as it seems from the outside. Things that some people find absolutely terrifying or horrible can be appealing to others. For most people, including me, the idea of hanging onto a vertical wall of rock 3,000 feet high by your fingers and toes is the stuff of nightmares.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |