Ropeless climber conquers El Capitan

AN AMERICAN rock climber has become the first to climb alone to the top of the massive granite wall known as El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without ropes or safety gear.

Alex Honnold completed the historic “free solo” climb over the weekend in just under four hours.

A photo on the National Geographic website shows the 31-year-old smiling in just a pair of black trousers after reaching the summit.

The climb up the 3,000ft (914m) El Capitan used to take days to complete with the help of ropes, safety gear and a partner.

In the past few decades, speed climbers working in tandem and using ropes have set records in reaching the top. But Mr Honnold is first to climb the rock alone without protection.

Shortly after finishing the ascent, Mr Honnold tweeted a photograph of himself scaling a wide crack along with the caption: “So stoked to realise a life dream today.”

He told National Geographic that when he first mapped out the route, “there were half a dozen of pitches where I was like: ‘Oh, that’s a scary move and that’s a really scary sequence, and that little slab, and that traverse’”.

“But in the years since, I’ve pushed my comfort zone and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fell within the realm of the possible.”