Third-Classing the Nose with Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold
Some photos—mostly of hanging around, a couple of climbing—of Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell's journey to setting the speed record on the Nose.
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On the morning of May 30, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell started up the Nose on El Capitan, Yosemite. While most people take three to five days to reach the summit, others set themselves the challenge of the NIAD—Nose in a Day. Honnold and Caldwell were hoping to do it just a wee-bit faster….
2 hours 10 minutes and 15 seconds after Caldwell left the ground to start up the first pitch, he tagged the tree at the top that serves as the finish line for speed ascents. With just 11 cams, 15 quickdraws and 20 carabiners, the duo had bettered the previous speed-record on the Nose by 9 minutes 29 seconds.
Hans Florine told Rock and Ice via email, “I do think they can take it under 2 hours. Neither Tommy nor Alex has trained for an ‘all out 2 hour effort’ in the past and every time they go at it their body is learning that exertion felling. They are of course learning little secrets on the route here and there. If they can afford to stick with it for a couple more goes, I believe they’ll get it.”
The pictures above offer a glimpse into the atmosphere on the ground before the two climbers made their record-setting ascent. Photos by Hans Florine, as well as Austin Siadak, Brett Lowell and Sam Crossley, shooting for what will be a future REEL ROCK film documenting Honnold and Caldwell’s mission.
Hans Florine —@hansflorine
REEL ROCK—@reelrock
Brett Lowell—@brettlowell
Sam Crossley—@samuelcrossley
Austin Siadak—@austin_siadak
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