Climber Becomes The First Person To Climb El Capitan Without Using Ropes Or Other Safety Gear

.@AlexHonnold just completed the first free-solo ascent of El Capitan—arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing https://t.co/xtzAhEwlnL

— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 3, 2017

National Geographic: Exclusive: Climber Completes the Most Dangerous Rope-Free Ascent Ever

Alex Honnold has become the first climber to free solo Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan peak.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA—Renowned rock climber Alex Honnold on Saturday became the first person to scale the iconic nearly 3,000-foot granite wall known as El Capitan without using ropes or other safety gear, completing what may be the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport.

He ascended the peak in 3 hours, 56 minutes, taking the final moderate pitch at a near run. At 9:28 a.m. PDT, under a blue sky and few wisps of cloud, he pulled his body over the rocky lip of summit and stood on a sandy ledge the size of a child’s bedroom.

Honnold began his historic rope-less climb—a style known as “free soloing”—in the pink light of dawn at 5:32 a.m. He had spent the night in the customized van that serves as his mobile base camp, risen in the dark, dressed in his favorite red t-shirt and cutoff nylon pants, and eaten his standard breakfast of oats, flax, chia seeds, and blueberries, before driving to El Capitan Meadow.

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WNU Editor: I know that this is not a war/defense/military post .... but I cannot help but be impressed with what this young man accomplished. In my younger years I enjoyed climbing and hiking mountains .... but climbing El Capitan at Yosemite without any ropes or safety gear .... never in a million years. Congratulations to Alex Honnold .... in the world of mountain climbing this is truly an incredible accomplishment.

Trekkie fans will understand why this is a great accomplishment ....