Climbing & Alpinism
The Golden Age of Alpinism through Everest, K2, Yosemite Stonemasters, Lynn Hill's Nose free-climb, Alex Honnold El Cap free-solo, sport-climbing into the Olympics.
Part of Extreme Sports
10 moments in this segment.
- — First ascent of the Matterhorn. Edward Whymper's party summits the Matterhorn — four die on the descent. The accident plays in newspapers worldwide; the Golden Age of Alpinism ends.
- — Hillary + Tenzing summit Everest. Edmund Hillary (NZ) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) reach the summit of Everest. The first confirmed ascent of the world's highest peak.
- — First ascent of K2. Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio summits K2 — the world's second-highest and most technically demanding 8000er.
- — Ueli Steck — Eiger speed record. Ueli Steck climbs the Eiger North Face in 2 hours 47 minutes — half the previous record. Speed alpinism becomes a recognised discipline.
- — Caldwell + Jorgeson — Dawn Wall free ascent. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson make the first free ascent of El Capitan's Dawn Wall (5.14d) after 19 days on the wall. The hardest big-wall free climb in history at the time.
- — Alex Honnold — Free Solo of El Capitan. Alex Honnold free-solos El Capitan via Freerider (5.13a) — no rope, no gear. The film Free Solo wins the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary.
- — Nirmal Purja — 14 8000ers in 6 months. Nirmal Purja summits all 14 8000-metre peaks in 6 months 6 days — destroying the previous 7-year record. Subject of the 2021 Netflix film 14 Peaks.
- — Sport climbing at the Olympics. Sport climbing debuts at the Tokyo Olympics combining lead + speed + boulder. Alberto Ginés López (ESP) and Janja Garnbret (SLO) take first gold.
- — Messner — Everest solo without oxygen. Reinhold Messner solos Everest without supplemental oxygen via the North Face. Considered the greatest single climb in history.
- — Lynn Hill — first free ascent of the Nose. Lynn Hill becomes the first person to free-climb El Capitan's Nose route (5.14a). "It goes, boys" she radios — the line becomes climbing-history canon.
