El Capitan triple linkup by Alex Honnold and Sean Leary

Alex Honnold, the young American who burst into the American and international limelight in 2007 and 2008 with his audacious solos in Yosemite and Zion, has returned to the "scene of the crime". Today's big news from across the pond is that Honnold has now climbed three routes on El Capitan, The Nose, Salathé Wall and Lurking Fear in a single day, together with climbing companion Sean Leary.

As Tom Evans reports, the two set off at 8pm for this triple link up, dispatching with the Nose in 4 hours and 15 minutes. After descending they climbing Salathé in just over 6 hours, before climbing Lurking Fear. Leading the routes in big blocks of two, the duo were seen eating pizza at 8pm on Curry Deck after having climbed 85 pitches and circa 2400m in 24 hours

This amazing bit of speed climbing (during which the climbers aid themselves by all means possible) comes about after some of Honnold's other recent sprints, such as The Regular Northwest Face on Half Dome and The Nose on El Capitan in less than 8 hours on 22 June and a first attempt at breaking Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama's record of The Nose in May together with Swiss climber Ueli Steck.

El Capitan, Yosemite, U.S.A.
The Nose
First ascent: W. Harding, W. Merry, G. Whitmore - 1958
Length: 900 m (31 pitches)
Grade: 5.13c or 5.9 A2
First free ascent: Lynn Hill '93

The Salathé Wall
First ascent: R. Robbins, C. Pratt, T. Frost - 1961
Length: 900 m (35 pitches)
Grade: 5.13b
First free ascent: Todd Skinner and Paul Piana (alternate leads)

Lurking Fear, El Capitan
First ascent: Dave Bircheff, Phil Bircheff, Jim Pettigrew - 1976
Length: 600 m (19 pitches)
Grade: 5.7 C2F

Alex Honnold and Uli Steck speed climbing attempt of The Nose in May 2010