The exact answer to the question "How many people have free soloed El Capitan?" is one.
The Unprecedented Feat of Free Soloing El Capitan
Only one person in history has successfully free soloed El Capitan: Alex Honnold. His historic ascent of the Freerider route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park occurred on June 3, 2017. This monumental achievement involved climbing the 3,000-foot granite wall without the use of any ropes, harnesses, or protective equipment. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletic feats of all time, pushing the boundaries of human endurance and mental control.
- Read more about Alex Honnold's historic free solo here: National Geographic - Alex Honnold Completes the Most Dangerous Free Solo Climb Ever
Distinguishing Free Soloing from Other Climbing Styles
It's important to understand the distinctions between various climbing terminologies, especially when discussing achievements on a massive rock face like El Capitan:
- Free Soloing: This is the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing. It involves ascending a rock face using only one's hands and feet, with absolutely no ropes, harnesses, or protective gear whatsoever. A fall during a free solo ascent is almost always fatal.
- Free Climbing: In free climbing, climbers use only their physical strength and skill to ascend the rock. Ropes and protective gear (like cams and nuts) are carried and placed, but they are used only for safety to catch a fall, not to aid in upward progress. If a climber uses equipment to pull themselves up, it is no longer considered a free climb.
- Aid Climbing: This style involves using equipment (such as ladders, etriers, or by pulling on ropes) to assist in upward progress. It is often employed on routes where free climbing is not feasible due to extreme difficulty or lack of suitable handholds.
Free Climbing El Capitan in Under 24 Hours
While free soloing El Capitan is an incredibly rare and singular achievement, a greater number of elite climbers have successfully free-climbed El Capitan, often striving to complete the multi-pitch routes within a 24-hour period. This "Nose in a Day" or "El Cap in a Day" free climbing feat is still immensely challenging, requiring exceptional speed, endurance, and technical skill, but it involves the use of ropes for safety.
An estimated 15 to 25 climbers have achieved the impressive feat of free-climbing El Capitan within a 24-hour period. This contrasts sharply with the solitary achievement of free soloing.
Here's a comparison of these remarkable climbing achievements on El Capitan:
| Climbing Style | Description | Number of People (El Capitan) | Notable Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Solo | Ascending without any ropes or protective gear | 1 | Alex Honnold (Freerider route, 2017) |
| Free Climb (Sub-24h) | Using ropes for safety, completing the entire route within a day | 15-25 (estimated) | Various elite climbers (e.g., Emily Harrington, Lynn Hill) |
| Free Climb (Multi-day) | Using ropes for safety, completing the route over several days | Many | Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson (Dawn Wall, 2015) |
