UKC

American climber Tommy Caldwell is currently on El Capitan in Yosemite, attempting his long-term project that links the aid routes of Mescalito and New Dawn Wall. When completed the route will be one of, if not the, hardest big wall free climb in the world.

Caldwell is currently on the wall and is documenting his efforts on his Facebook Page

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=64799

In reply to UKC News:

Fabulous pics here on Tom Evans's El Cap Report: http://www.elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-110111 Sadly this'll be his last one this season. There's also Hans and Honnold's Nose speed climb...

In reply to jon:

Missing the speed record by 45 seconds! Unlucky.

In reply to UKC News:

How is this really news? They've been trying it for a couple of years now, what will be news is when they finally do it!

In reply to UKC News:

Please correct the spelling mistake, it's doing my head in!

attempting his long-term project hat links the aid

In reply to UKC News:

I'm quite excited by the news that they are trying it again.

Given Tommy's pedigree, I think this really will be the 'next level' of big walling in Yosemite. If/when it gets done...

In reply to Quarryboy:News is an ongoing thing. You Don't report on the start of a War, then report at the end of it and miss all the juicy bits in between do you?

Youth of today, tut.

In reply to Quarryboy:

Shush.

In reply to UKC News:Great effort. I see a piece of pre placed pro in the video is this normal practice on these climbs if so is this placed from above or first aided to fix ?

In reply to USBRIT:

I would have thought it was from a previous failed attempt at the pitch.

In reply to jonny2vests:

As this route free climbs Mescalito and New Dawn, I'd imagine there's a fair bit of tat already insitu. One thing that has struck me having watched Tom Evans's El Cap Report over the last few months, is the amount of fixed stuff on El Cap. Looks like Raven Tor in its aid era. Bit bigger though, obviously, and made of rock.

Another interesting aspect was that I read that in between attempts, aid climbers had managed to break a hold, obviously changing the moves a bit. So what happens if he manages to free the entire route? Aid climbers will still climb Mescalito and New Dawn, and will inevitably change the route from time to time. Have a look at Mark Hudon's trip report on The Shield to see the damage that has been done to that route. Pegged out cracks that started as Rurp cracks, that are << worse than Serenity Crack >>. One wonders if this route may be a temporary affair...?

In reply to jon:

Here you go, a bit epic and long, but very well put together and fascinating http://www.supertopo.com/tr/The-Shield-10-10-A-Trip-Report-by-John-Fine-and... About the 34th photo down! I know the tendance is for clean hammer-less aid now, but there must be some routes that still require pegging.