Sports

Actions

1st woman free-climbs El Capitan's Golden Gate route in day

Posted
and last updated

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Rock climber Emily Harrington has become the first woman, and fourth person, to free-climb the Golden Gate route on Yosemite National Park’s granite wall in a single day.

The 34-year-old began to scale 3,000-foot El Capitan early Wednesday.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Harrington reached the top in 21 hours, 13 minutes and 51 seconds, despite banging her head on the granite wall at one point.

Free climbers don't use ropes to ascend, only to catch them if they fall.