Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3498 Climbers
6894 Climbs
17901 Ascents
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The Nose | E9 Trad climb at El Capitan
Different pitches were freed over many years before Lynn Hill's completely free ascent.
The Stoveleg Cracks were first climbed free by Jim Bridwell in 1967.
In Spring 1980 Ray Jardine spent 4 months working the route, fixing ropes, managing to climb as far as the Great Roof free but only after chipping four holds on the Jardine Traverse to avoid the King Swing pendulum. So far (2025) all subsequent free ascents have taken this traverse.
In Fall 1990, Brooke Sandahl and Scott Franklin climbed all but four pitches free, the remaining aided sections were the Great Roof, Pitch above Camp 5, Changing Corners and the final Harding bolt ladder. Working top-down, Sandhal freed the Harding bolt ladder in 1991 (5.12c/7b+) and, with Dave Schultz, freed the pitch above Camp 5 in 1992 (5.12d/7c). They prepared the route for a free ascent including bolting a variation just the left of the aid line on the Changing Corners pitch but were unable to climb this.
Lynn Hill partnered by Simon Nadin first free climbed the Great Roof on a ground-up attempt in 1993 (5.13b/8a) but they were unable to completely free the Changing Corners by either the original line or the Sandhal/Schultz variation. All bar 10 feet of the route had now been free-climbed.
Hill and Sandahl joined forces later in the summer of 1993 and began working the Changing Corners pitch top-down, Sandhal focusing on his left hand variation, Hill on the original aid line. Hill was able to climb all the moves on the latter with two falls. The completely free ascent was made from the ground with Hill leading all the hard pitches.
References
[1] https://alpinist.com/features/birds-eye-view/
[2] http://www.edhartouni.net/nose-in-a-day.html
[3] https://www.rayjardine.com/Papers/Magazine-Articles/index.php?StoryPage=7
[4] https://www.rayjardine.com/Avocations/Rock-Climbing/index.php
[5] https://climbingzine.com/brooke-sandahl-beginnings-freeing-nose/
[6] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199404100/El-Capitans-Nose-Climbed-Free
Different pitches were freed over many years before Lynn Hill's completely free ascent.
The Stoveleg Cracks were first climbed free by Jim Bridwell in 1967.
In Spring 1980 Ray Jardine spent 4 months working the route, fixing ropes, managing to climb as far as the Great Roof free but only after chipping four holds on the Jardine Traverse to avoid the King Swing pendulum. So far (2025) all subsequent free ascents have taken this traverse.
In Fall 1990, Brooke Sandahl and Scott Franklin climbed all but four pitches free, the remaining aided sections were the Great Roof, Pitch above Camp 5, Changing Corners and the final Harding bolt ladder. Working top-down, Sandhal freed the Harding bolt ladder in 1991 (5.12c/7b+) and, with Dave Schultz, freed the pitch above Camp 5 in 1992 (5.12d/7c). They prepared the route for a free ascent including bolting a variation just the left of the aid line on the Changing Corners pitch but were unable to climb this.
Lynn Hill partnered by Simon Nadin first free climbed the Great Roof on a ground-up attempt in 1993 (5.13b/8a) but they were unable to completely free the Changing Corners by either the original line or the Sandhal/Schultz variation. All bar 10 feet of the route had now been free-climbed.
Hill and Sandahl joined forces later in the summer of 1993 and began working the Changing Corners pitch top-down, Sandhal focusing on his left hand variation, Hill on the original aid line. Hill was able to climb all the moves on the latter with two falls. The completely free ascent was made from the ground with Hill leading all the hard pitches.
References
[1] https://alpinist.com/features/birds-eye-view/
[2] http://www.edhartouni.net/nose-in-a-day.html
[3] https://www.rayjardine.com/Papers/Magazine-Articles/index.php?StoryPage=7
[4] https://www.rayjardine.com/Avocations/Rock-Climbing/index.php
[5] https://climbingzine.com/brooke-sandahl-beginnings-freeing-nose/
[6] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199404100/El-Capitans-Nose-Climbed-Free
Pics + Vids
Featuring 8621 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Martin Keller on Ninja Skills SDS (8C)
Michaela Kiersch on After Hours (8B)
Steve McClure on Lexicon (E11)
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Explore
Fancy a look around? You can browse by climber or by climbs, or you can check out some lists. For example
- All sport ascents of 9b or above
- British women who have climbed 7C or above
- British men who have climbed 8c or above
Podcasts
Featuring 3897 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Ron Kauk on https://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chris-and-ron
- Buck Yedor on Climbing Business Journal, May 2024
- Ben Moon on The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, February 2024
- Steph Davis on Jam Crack Podcast, March 2025
Library
Featuring 11020 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Sessions (2003) Film
- Alpine Journal 2005 340-342 Cord Blanca (2005) Journal
- Southern Sandstone (1989) Guidebook
Recent updates
Rivelin Edge's darker, more brooding brother is nonetheless home to many excellent lines.
A classic Johnny Dawes test piece. A hard move gains entry to the groove where easier climbing awaits before a terrifying finale.
A classic Johnny Dawes test piece. A hard move gains entry to the groove where easier (but much scarier) climbing awaits before a terrifying finale.
Mountain issue 128 mentions that John may have made the second ascent but this is not the case. [2]
References
[1] Mountain Issue 128 (1989), page 13 /library/11313/mountain-128
[2] Email correspondence, February 2026
A breakthrough free ascent of this iconic aid route. Lynn later went on to make the first in a day free ascent.
The magnificent beauty and historic significance of the line, as well as my own efforts to free it, then later freeing it in a day, made this ascent the most meaningful achievement of my entire climbing career.
Initially Lynn suggested a grade of 13b or 8a!
References
[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/884132364986273
[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/882411198491723
[3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/871458132920363
[4] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/455131411219706
[5] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/336804179719097