El Capitan, a kilometre-high slab of vertical granite located in Yosemite National Park, USA, was first climbed in 1958. This conquest, undertaken in stages, took 18 months. It was made possible because mountaineers led by Warren Harding maximised the use of technical equipment.
In 2015, free climbers Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell, achieved what was previously considered impossible. They completed the Dawn Wall ascent of El Capitan using only natural rock holds and a single rope to arrest falls. The climb took 19 days and earned them global acclaim. Their endeavour stands alongside other pioneering feats that have extended the boundaries of human achievement in outdoor adventure pursuits.
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