Tommy Caldwell redpoints last hard pitch on Dawn Wall project
- Wednesday 19th November 2014
Nov 19th 2014
Tommy Caldwell has just redpointed the last hard pitch on the Dawn Wall project according to his latest post on his FaceBook page. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgseson have been hard at work on the so-called Dawn Wall project on the El Cap in Yosemite Valley since the late 2000’s.
Tommy Caldwell's Face Book page
The team’s determination to free climb Mescalito has become part of climbing folklore of late; their determination and efforts having easily eclipsing most of the epics that other climbers have been through on various projects. Of the three hardest pitches - pitches 14, 15 and 16 – pitches 14 and 15 are both traverses. All three were originally rated at 5.14+ which is 8c+/9a. Caldwell’s success on pitch 14 came after Jorgeson fell just before the end of the pitch. Caldwell’s FB post sums up the effort and the excitement at freeing the last hard pitch; “Oh my goodness!!! After six years I finally sent this beast of a pitch. Inspired by Keven's fight to the death near miss. This officially means all the hard individual pitches have been redpointed. I am so psyched my hands are shaking!"
Caldwell himself has now repointed all the pitches except for pitch 16 which involves an eight-foot sideways dyno. Jorgeson has redpointed that pitch but as yet to succeed on pitches 14 and 15.
The final challenge for the team is a continuous ascent of all 30 pitches. They are understood to be taking time out for Thanksgiving but intend to return in early December when they will attempt the final push in what should by then be optimal climbing conditions – ie daytime temps of around 30-40 degs. Once completed, the Dawn Wall project will undoubtedly be one of the hardest multi-pitch routes in the world.