Alex Honnold Solos Another Tough Route In Yosemite

Rock climber Alex Honnold is once again pushing the boundaries of rock climbing in Yosemite National Park, a place that has become his own personal playground over the past few years. According to Climbing.com, Honnold made a solo, ropeless ascent of The Phoenix, knocking off a route that is rated as a 5.13a. He reportedly went on to free climb Chouinard-Herbert a 5.11+ route the next day as well. Both climbs were captured on film.

According to the Climbing.com story, The Phoenix took just eight minutes to complete, while Chouinard-Herbert required two hours on a surface that was reportedly wet at the time. Honnold says that it wasn't two hours of climbing however, as he had to stop at times and wait for the film crew to move into proper position. That climb was being recorded by 60 Minutes, presumably for an upcoming profile of some kind.

Last summer, Honnold did back-to-back climbs on the Northwest Face route on Half Dome and the Nose on El Capitan, completing both routes in just eight hours. That feat established him as one of the top rock climbers in the world, and he has since gone on to tackle other impressive routes, including some spectacular towers in the country of Chad. He has also been climbing a lot of tough routes in California's Jailhouse Rock and is preparing to travel to Newfoundland on a major trip later this summer as well.

I never cease to be amazed at the things that Alex is up to. It seems that we're hearing about him tackling some incredibly tough new routes, usually solo, every few months. At this point, I think he practically owns everything in Yosemite!

Alpinist Continues Speed Series Interviews

A couple of weeks back I posted about a fascinating set of articles that had been published at Alpinist.com. Dubbed the "Speed Series" the stories were a set of interviews with some of the top speed climbers on the planet, including Alex Honnold, Sean Leary, and Dean Potter. Since then, there have been two more additions to the Speed Series, putting Ueli Steck and Hans Florine under the microscope.

Part III of the series is with Steck, who, for my money, just might be the strongest climber on the planet. Ueli has set speed records on the Eiger that are simply unbelievable, knocking off that beast in just 2 hours, 47 minutes, 33 seconds. In the interview, Steck talks about what got him started in speed climbing (he began on the Eiger!), how he improved his times on that iconic mountain, and his general approach to the "lifestyle" of climbing. It is an insightful and interesting read about what makes one of the top climbers of this generation tick.

The focus of Part IV is Hans Florine, who has held a number of speed records in Yosemite, including what was once the fastest time up The Nose on El Cap. Hans discusses why he loves climbing in Yosemite Valley, what draws him to speed climbing, and how he got started. (Hint: They were just trying to squeeze in as many climbs as the could!) He also touches on alpine climbing vs. speed climbing, as well has his philosophy on the sport, amongst other things.

I'm not sure if Alpinist has any more interviews such as these planned for the weeks ahead, but I've found them to be excellent to read. Writer Gwen Cameron has done a great job in rounding up some of the best climbers around and allowed us to get inside their heads and see what drives them. Hopefully this will be a regular series for some time.

Alpinst Speed Series: Q&A With The Fastest Climbers Around

Alpinist has been running a series of articles called the "Speed Series" in which they ask some of the top rock climbers about their approach to speed climbing the toughest routes in the world. The articles are interesting and informative, and it doesn't hurt that they are about some of the biggest personalities in the sport.

Part 1 of the series was written back in January and focuses on Alex Honnold, who put up some impressive climbs in Yosemite last year. Honnold talks about what inspires him to speed climb, his philosophy for climbing, and what it takes to be a successful speed climber, amongst other things. He is one of the top climbers in the world right now, and it is interesting to get his take on a variety of subjects.

The second part of the Speed Series was published in February and is an interview with Sean Leary and Dean Potter, who set the speed record on the Nose, the most iconic route up El Cap in Yosemite, last November. In this article, Sean and Dean talk about achieving that goal, what strategies they employed to improve their time on the Nose, and how the challenge of setting a new speed record has changed over the past ten years. It was fascinating to read Dean's comments on that subject in particular, as he previously set a speed record on the route a decade ago with Timmy O'Neil. Potter says that it is much more challenging now, and that you have to be "cutting edge" and at the top of your game to succeed.

Both articles in the Speed Series are good reads and insightful looks at climbers who are unique personalities in their sport. They're definitely worth a look while you wait for the warmer  months to get here, when the speed climb competitions will no doubt heat up again.

Dean Potter and Sean Leary Fail To Extend Speed Record On The Nose

A week ago I reported that Dean Potter and Sean Leary had set a new speed record on El Cap's The Nose route, beating the old record, held by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama, by a mere 20 seconds. At the time, Potter and Leary were quoted as saying that they were just getting started and that they thought they could shave more time off the new mark, which stands at 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 45 seconds. Not to be so easily outdone, Florine also weighed in on the new record, saying that he would likely try to regain his title. I ended the article with a note on how I was looking forward to the climbers dueling it out for the top spot.

Turns out, I didn't have to wait long for the next salvo to be fired in this speed climbing competition. Potter and Leary took another shot at the route on Monday of this week, but came up a bit short, finishing three minutes behind their new record. According to this story in the San Francisco Chronicle, wet conditions prevented the new record from falling less than a week after it had been set. According to Leary, the pair were faster on the climb this time out for all but the last 600 of the 2900 feet that the route runs. The article also says that the climbing duo will give it another go in December or in the spring, depending on conditions.

The story doesn't mention if Florine has geared up for an attempt at the record yet, but you can bet that he is already planning his return. The competition should be a good one, and I'd love to see each team have a go at it before winter fully sets in. Spring is a long time to wait for more fireworks on El Capitan.

Dean Potter and Sean Leary Set New Speed Record On The Nose

According to the Outside Online, rock climbers Dean Potter and Sean Leary set a new speed record on The Nose this past weekend, scrambling up the iconic route on Yosemite's El Capitan in just 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 45 seconds. That beats the old mark, set by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama back in 2008, by just 20 seconds.

Originally climbed back in 1958, the route was once considered impossible. The first team to conquer it took 45 days to scale the 2900 foot big wall. According to Outside, The Nose wasn't climbed in as ingle day until 1975, and now, thanks to better gear, techniques, and an understanding of the wall itself, we have climbers having breakfast in the park, zipping up the route, and returning in time for lunch. Amazing.

Outside received the word on this new record in a letter directly from Potter, who says that he and Leary are just getting warmed up. The two haven't been climbing together for very long, but expect to make a few more runs on the route, possibly pushing their times even lower.

When asked to comment Florine said that it was "highly likely" that he'd try to regain his record. Looks like we could be in for a speed-competition on one of the most famous climbing routes in the world. 

Leo Houlding Completes New Route On El Cap!

British rock climber Leo Houlding has put up a new free climbing route on Yosemite's El Capitan after spending more than a decade studying and preparing for the climb.

According to this article at DeadPointMag.com, the new route has been named The Prophet and begins by following the first five pitches of the famous  Bad to the Bone line. From there, Houlding used three new, independent pitches to cross over to Secret Passage, which he followed for a short time before crossing over to the Eagle's Way route. The final four pitches of that climb delivered him to the top.

Of this new route Leo had this to say:

"The Prophet has been almost 10 years in the making. I originally attempted it from the ground up with Jason Pickles; no aid, no fixed ropes, no drill, in-a-day. It's quite harrowing - hardest climbing I've done ground up; shitty belays, shitty bolts, hard moves."

The article also mentions that there has been no grade given to the route but that it is at least "5.Hard" and makes a great addition to the already numerous rock climbing challenges on El Cap. 

Thanks to the Outside Blog for the heads up on this story. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.