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Will Stanhope Frees El Corazon on El Capitan

The Canadian team of Mike Doyle and Will Stanhope spent the past week heading up El Corazon on El Capitan in Yosemite.

Doyle, who once coached Stanhope in Vancouver, shared the news on Instagram that Stanhope freed the 31-pitch 5.13b.

El Corazon was first climbed in 2001 by Alex Huber and Max Reichel over six days of aid climbing. Huber and Reichel returned and Huber made the first free ascent at 5.13b. See a topo here.

The second free ascent was by Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden in 2007 and has since been sent about five times.

The latest recorded send was in 2015 by Alexandra Schweikart and Christopher Igel over 12 days. Watch a video of the send below.

Stanhope has a long history of big sends in Yosemite, having made the third free ascent of Southern Belle 5.12R on Half Dome in 2010 with Alex Honnold, the fourth free ascent of The Prophet 5.13dR and a one-day ascent of Freerider 5.12.

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