Yosemite Big Wall Link-Up in 20 Hours

Jason Lakey and Sam Phillips have climbed two of El Capitan’s most classic long routes in 20 hours and 34 minutes. Earlier this week, they linked The Nose and Lurking Fear, two routes that have been climbed back to back in a day by other teams. Lakey and Phillips climbed Lurking Fear in a day last year and then climbed The Nose in a day shortly after. Tom Evans took the above photo of them on Lurking Fear in 2022.

In 2010, Alex Honnold and the late Sean Leary climbed The Nose, Salathé Wall and Lurking Fear in just under 24 hours. In 2014, Quinn Brett and Libby Sauter climbed The Nose and Lurking Fear in 21 hours and 17 minutes. In 2016, the late Brad Gobright and Scott Bennett climbed The Zodiac, The Nose and Lurking Fear in 23 hours and 10 minutes.

Lakey has long been a prominant climber in California, back in 2010 he free-soloed five Sierra alpine lines in 16 hours: Keeler Needle 5.10c 13p, East Buttress 5.7 11p, East Face 5.6 10p, Mithril Dihedral 5.9 6p and Fishhook Arete 5.9 8p. Phillips is a Yosemite veteran who’s climbed The Nose several times, including with Tom Herbert, 53, in 10 hours and with Hans Florine.

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Selected El Cap Free Climbing History

1975: Jim Bridwell, John Long, Kevin Worrall, Mike Graham, John Bachar and Ron Kauk free the first 10 pitches of the Salathé Wall and name their “route” Freeblast 5.11c.
1979: The West Face 5.11c is freed by Ray Jardine and Bill Price.
1988: Todd Skinner and Paul Piana free Salathé Wall 5.13b.
1993: Lynn Hill frees The Nose with Brooke Sandahl in support mode.
1994: Lynn Hill is the first person to free El Cap in a day, up The Nose. Kurt Smith and Scott Cosgrove free all but a few moves on the Muir Wall and call it The Shaft.
1995: Alex Huber makes the second free and first individual ascent of the Salathé. His brother, Thomas, makes the third free ascent.
1997: Yuji Hirayama makes the fourth free ascent of the Salathé.
1998: Scott Burk, after 261 days of effort, makes a free ascent of The Nose. He sends every pitch apart from the Great Roof, which he topropes due to wet rock. Alex and Thomas Huber established El Niño 5.13c. Alex and Thomas Huber establish Freerider 5.13a. Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden make the first free ascent of Lurking Fear 5.13c.
2000: Alex and Thomas Huber establish Golden Gate 5.13b.
2001: Tommy Caldwell and Nick Sagar free the Muir Wall 5.13c. Alex Huber creates El Corazon 5.13b.
2003: Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden make the first free ascent of the West Buttress 5.13c. Alex and Thomas Huber free Zodiac 5.13d.
2004: Tommy Caldwell frees the Dihedral Wall 5.14a. Steph Davis is the first woman to make a one-day ascent of Freerider.
2005: Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden make the second free ascent of The Nose. Steph Davis is first female to make a free ascent of the Salathé.
2006: Nicolas Favresse and Ivo Ninov establish Lost in Translation 5.12b/c.
2007: Justen Sjong and Rob Miller establish PreMuir 5.13d.
2008: Tommy Caldwell and Justen Sjong free Magic Mushroom 5.14a.
2009: Ueli Steck nearly onsights Golden Gate, falling on a wet 5.11 move.
2010: Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles establish The Prophet 5.14aX.
2012: Hazel Findlay and James McHaffie make the second free ascent of the PreMuir; she is the first female to send it.
2014: Pete Whittaker flashes Freerider.
2015: Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson free the Dawn Wall 5.14d.
2016: Adam Ondra repeats the Dawn Wall in eight days. Pete Whittaker free rope solos Freerider in a day.
2017: Alex Honnold free-solos Freerider 5.13 in 3:56:00. Rob Miller and Roby Rudolf establish The Direct Line 5.13+ near The Nose. Barbara Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher make the second free ascent of Magic Mushroom 5.14a.
2018: Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold climb The Nose in 1:58:07.
2018: Keita Kurakami and Connor Herson free The Nose. Sonnie Trotter adds variation to El Nino called Pineapple Express 5.13b/c.
2019: Barbara Zangerl, Jacopo Larcher and Seb Berthe all free The Nose. Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold open a new 5.13 up El Cap.
2023: Nick Ehman solos The Nose in 4 hours and 39 minutes.