UKC

Dawn wall: 15 and 16 in the bag for Tommy

© Brett Lowell/Big Up Productions
Kevin Jorgeson on Pitch 15, ~9a, Dawn Wall project, El Capitan, Yosemite  © Brett Lowell/Big Up Productions
Kevin Jorgeson on Pitch 15, ~9a, Dawn Wall project, El Capitan, Yosemite
© Brett Lowell/Big Up Productions

Tommy Caldwell has now completed pitch 15 and 16 on the Dawn Wall project. This means all the hardest pitches are done!

Tommy managed to do the second traverse pitch, ~9a, as well as the "Loop Pitch", ~8b+, a variation to the infamous "dyno pitch", ~9a.
As far as I understand, this variation involves down climbing from the belay, than traversing left and up to rejoin the original pitch above the dyno. Probably a wise choice as this dyno has proven to be the hardest single move for Tommy.

Kevin was very close to doing pitch 15, but having to tape two key fingers made it too hard for now. He'll rest and try to get some much needed skin back before he makes another attempt.

Photo by Brett Lowell of BigUp Productions who probably has the most exposed job on the planet right now, hanging from a 900 m 9mm single rope (I assume he has some kind of back up though).

Here is a short video where Kevin describes pitch 14.

And here is pitch 15.

Tommy Caldwell is sponsored by: Black Diamond, Bluewater Ropes, Clifbar, Climb On, La Sportiva, Patagonia and REVO Sunglasses

 

Kevin Jorgeson is sponsored by: Black Diamond, adidas, FiveTen, Sterling Rope, Asana


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5 Jan, 2015
900m single rope?! Sure that can't be right.
5 Jan, 2015
Isn't doing the "Loop Pitch" rather than the "Dyno Pitch" a cop-out. Which one follows the true line (whatever that may be) of Dawn Wall?
5 Jan, 2015
At the moment Dawn Wall doesn't have a true line, as it doesn't yet exist. Even if it were a single existing aid route that they were climbing free there would still be plenty of precedents; lots of free versions of aid routes take slightly different lines from the original.
5 Jan, 2015
So KJ lets his skin heal, ticks Pitch 15 and then does the dyno pitch... where's that leave Caldwell?
5 Jan, 2015
Brett Lowell: "We @bigupclimbing have always used a system of ground anchoring ropes to not only pull us away, but also stabilize from spinning in space. It was incredible (and a bit intimidating) to bring that technique to El Cap. Thanks to a 2700 foot long single 9mm rope and the brilliant rigging mind of @tommycaldwell the last few days I have been riding this rope out into space to film the boys go to battle with this epic climb."
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