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Caption: Story by: Jacob Bodkin
Climber: Jacob Cook How a Yosemite Big Wall is Free Climbed
Caption: Big wall free climbing, isn't just about the climb. There are days of preparation that go into sending them.
I followed pro climber Jacob Cook and his girlfriend Bronn as the prepared for his ascent of the 35 pitch Free Rider, a 5.12d on the west face of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, CA.
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Caption: Food, water, gear, everything you will need to live for several days has to brought with you.
We hiked to the top of El Cap starting around 7 am, filling water jugs to stash on the route from a spring near the top of El Cap.
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Caption: It was noon by the time we began rappelling, stashing water where Jacob had planned
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Caption: After several hours of rappelling, we reached our main destination for the day, an infamous pitch dubbed "The Boulder Problem" for it's high strength and technical moves.
This pitch generally gives climbers the most trouble and prevents them from completing the climb.
Jacob began the process of working out each move.
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Caption: The final hard moves required some innovation aka jumping while 2000 ft in the air to the next ledge.
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Caption: Some well deserved rest followed.
However the break was short, there was still 2000 ft separating us from the ground and sunset was fast approaching.
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Caption: We stashed the final caches of water on the way down and watched a beautiful sunset behind us.
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Caption: Route finding, stuck ropes and many, many rappels followed the sunset. Our feet finally reached the ground just after midnight. A long day in the vertical world.
Caption: Jacob and Bronn returned a couple weeks later and was able to complete his free ascent of Free Rider.
Follow me @jacob_bodkin for more on Instagram and Stellar.
jacobbodkin.com
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