UKC

As reported on the El Cap Report Website, Sean Leary and Alex Honnold have linked The Nose, Salathe and Lurking Fear in under twenty four hours.

The three routes together equal 85 pitches and almost 2500m of climbing...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=56333

In reply to UKC News:

Along with Colin Haley's and Bjorn-Eivind Artun's recent antics in Alaska, these events are, for me, what climbing is all about - guys who are not only technically proficient and psychologically resilient, but who are also superb athletes. Colossal efforts.

In reply to UKC News:

>Hondo looked the worse for wear, as he had driven up from LA yesterday, with no sleep before the climb.

Holy cow!! What could he do if he actually took it seriously, I wonder?!

Interesting that he could do this but couldn't get anywhere near the Nose speed record.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: To be fair I don't think he's done it anywhere near as many times as Hans whihc has to be a major advantage for Hans - he must know every inch of the route intimately... I reckon probably better than he knows his wife

In reply to UKC News:

Amazing. Makes you wonder how far we are from a free solo of El Cap!

In reply to Adam Long:

Didn't Honnold already do that earlier this year?

In reply to Durbs:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=45308

In reply to Durbs:

Isn't that on, er, Half Dome?!

in reply to adam long:

I was going to post a thread about that. I have no idea which is the easiest free route up El Cap. But how long will it be before we see a free solo of The Nose itself, I wonder? It used to seem inconceivable. I'm not sure it does any more - I'm not sure it's even inconceivable that Honnold might do it.

in reply to mike kann:

Sure - I suppose that's what I mean really, that familiarity makes THAT much difference. I don't know how long Honnold and Leary took to get nowhere near it, mind. I wonder how familiar Yuji H was with it?

jcm

In reply to Adam Long: There was an interview with Honnold where he said he wouldn't solo Freerider as he'd once fallen on the slab pitch, I'm not sure where it was, probably in R&I. I'm not sure if any of the other free routes are anywhere near as easy (relatively) as Freerider?

In reply to TimS:

Yeah, Freerider looks like the obvious option on paper, but has a couple of pokey sections that might count it out for a while yet. Word is some of the other routes may have harder climbing, but be less sketchy overall. The day someone does free solo El Cap, I reckon it will be a massive step forward in the history of the sport.

In reply to Adam Long: I'm sure I read in an interview with Honnold that El Nino might be a better free solo option - harder than Freerider, but maybe less sketchy.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

The easiest free route on El Cap proper (as opposed to el Cap Buttress) is the West Face at 11c, which I read on Supertopo hasn't been free soloed. Freerider is 12c, El Nino 13c. Hard to imagine how someone would keep their head together for that scale of solo though - Honnold mentioned a few mini-crises happened for him on Half Dome. As you say though - not inconceivable anymore.

In reply to Adam Long:

I thought this on Supertopo was interesting

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1122068/CLIMB-and-PUNISHMENT-An-Ope...