Keita Kurakami free climbs The Nose on El Capitan

After four attempts in 2016, Japan’s Keita Kurakami has now pulled off a rare free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan, the world’s most famous big wall climb freed in 1993 by Lynn Hill and then, in what is recognised as one of the most significant ascents of all times, climbed free in less than 24 hours by Hill in 1994.

With his repeat Kurakami becomes only the 5th person to free climb the entire line established between 1957 and 1958 by the Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore.

Hill’s historic free climb was first emulated in 2005, when the young couple Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden free climbed all pitches, swinging leads. A week later Caldwell led the entire route to repeat The Nose in 12 hours and combine it with Freerider in less than 24 hours…

A decade passed before Dutch ace Jorg Verhoeven managed to make a free repeat of The Nose in November 2014. For the record, in 1998 America’s Scott Burke free climbed all the route except for the crux pitch, The Great Roof, which he was forced to climb on toprope as it was wet at the time.

UPDATE ON 28 NOVEMBER 2017
Following the initial report, on 23 November Keita contacted planetmountain.com specifying that his ascent was split into two, between the two crux pitches The Great Roof and Changing Corners, for three days due to bad weather. As a result he does not consider his ascent the fifth free ascent of The Nose. He plans to return next year to free the route in a continuous push.

Link: keitakurakami.wordpress.com, FB Keita Kurakami, Instagram Keita Kurakami, SCARPA

Wooooow!! My mission has done!!! I grabbed the 5th free ascent of The Nose 5.14a! So I freeclimbed all pitches!!! I climbed up 4 times from ground from last year. But I found some difficulties every time. (of course, the crux pitches is so hard!) Needless to say this route is known the most famous big wall route in the world. Therefore, there is some difficulties to climb it as free. But I realized it that if really want to climb it, can be sure to find a solution. So it’s just effort and patience. That’s the most important things for this time on this route. Of course, not only that, there is many thanks!! For Lostarrow, inc (my work place) giving me long holiday, for @scarpaspa making high performance shoes, for @trailbutter supporting me real natural energy food (we are calling Sending Butter! ), for every my friend and family cheering up us, and for my partner Yusuke Sato living together on the wall. Lastly, I learned many things from you, thanks a lot for the big stone. I will come back next year! 逃げ場もなく雨に打たれながらビニール袋に包まり夜を過ごした斜めのテラス、50kg超えの荷揚げで浮いてしまった真っ黒な指爪、ビッグウォールでの無知と未熟さに対する自分への苛立ち、デポした食料の大半を失い空腹に耐え続けたCamp6。何もかもが不甲斐なかった１年前。Changing Cornersの終了点にクリップした時、当時の記憶が走馬灯のように蘇り雄叫びと歓喜の涙でいっぱいになった。 The Noseをフリーで登ると決めた日から２年間。昨年の大敗退を経て以来、今年はこの日のために努めた１年間だったと言っても過言ではありません。今年も様々な困難がありましたがようやく、ようやくこのクライミングを成し遂げることができました。 Yosemite Elcapitan “The Nose 5.14a”の第５登。2017年11月13日、昨年の雪辱を晴らしリベンジ達成です。 今回、長期のクライミングツアーを容認してくれた勤め先のLostArrow, inc、いつも限界を押し上げてくれる @scarpaspa のクライミングシューズ、トレーニングの段階から手厚くサポートをしてくれた @trailbutter 、トライを励ましてくれた友人と家族、苦節を共にしたパートナーの佐藤裕介さん、そして様々な学びを与えてくれたYosemiteのビッグウォールに大感謝です。 #yosemite #bigwall #thenose #climbing #lostarrow #blackdiamond @scarpaspa @scarpa_climb @trailbutter @trailbutter.jp

A post shared by Keita Kurakami (@keitakurakami) on Nov 15, 2017 at 4:44pm PST