A 7-year-old boy has set a new record as the youngest person to climb El Capitan, the towering rock face in California's Yosemite National Park.
According to the New York Post and other outlets on the 27th (local time), Joey Danger Evermore, 7, reached the summit of El Capitan, which stands approximately 2,308 meters above sea level, to mark his seventh birthday. The climb broke the previous record set by his older brother Sam Evermore, who scaled the rock face at age 8 in 2022. Joey took on the challenge alongside his father Joe Evermore, his two older brothers Sam and Sylvan Evermore, and a documentary film crew.
Joey's father wrote on his Instagram, "Joey's birthday was truly amazing. He started this journey when he was six, and now at seven, he is taking on what seems impossible. That is climbing El Capitan in five days." In the released footage, Joey scaled the nearly vertical rock face, with the breathtaking scenery of Yosemite Valley spread out below. He moved across the cliff face while suspended on ropes thousands of feet in the air, and during breaks, he was captured playing chess with his brothers. As he neared the summit, fans gathered in Yosemite Valley sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
The family said of the climb, "We wanted to show other families that anything is possible if you take on challenges and overcome difficulties and adversity." Over the six-day climb, they endured harsh weather conditions, including strong winds.
El Capitan was considered unclimbable before 1958. That year, rock climber Warren Harding made the first successful ascent, which took him 45 days. According to Yosemite National Park records, at least 31 people have died while climbing El Capitan since 1905.
Most accidents resulted from falls, rappelling errors, and rockfall. Owing to its dizzying cliffs and high technical difficulty, El Capitan remains one of the most demanding rock climbing routes in the world.
