Keita Kurakami Rope-Solos and Frees The Nose 5.14
Japanese climber Keita Kurakami returned to Yosemite this fall and, over five days, rope-soloed and freed The Nose. He is the fifth climber to free the route, Lynn Hill made the first free ascent in 1993.
Kurakami reported his ascent on Instagram and said, “One hour ago, I sat down here – alone. Thousands meters free climbing, thousands meter rappelling and thousands meter jumer. It’s the process on my way.”
Kurakami was on The Nose last November and freed the pitches in a number of pushes due to bad weather, but didn’t do a complete free ascent.
Kurakami told planetmountain.com that “he spent five consecutive days climbing everything on lead and free.
“He fell more than 10 times, lowered off to the stance, and pulled the ropes before leading the pitches free. Including obviously the crux pitches: the legendary Great Roof and the equally iconic Changing Corners immediately afterwards. Outstanding.”
The first ascent of The Nose was in 1958 after a 47-day push by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry (lives in Canada) and George Whitmore over a number of years.
15-year-old Connor Herson became the sixth person to free The Nose this week after Kurakami’s ascent.
The Nose Free
1993: Lynn Hill
1994: Lynn Hill
1998: Scott Burke
2005: Beth Rodden, Tommy Caldwell
2005: Tommy Caldwell
2014: Jorg Verhoeven
2018: Keita Kurakami
2018: Connor Herson
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
