Watch Connor Herson searching for his limit from The Nose to Empath

Connor Herson seems to belong to that enviable, rare breed of people who excel in everthing they set their mind to. Quite rightly defined a child prodigy, at a mere 14 years of age he climbed his first 8c+. A year later he became the youngest person ever to make a free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite - an astounding feat for anyone, let alone for a 15-year-old who only worked the route at the weekends - and since then he has continued to prove why he is considered one of the most well-rounded climbers of his generation. Born into a family of climbers, his inspiring free ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Cap arrived in June 2022, 18 years after that of his father. One month earlier he had taken things to the next level by repeating one of America's hardest sport climbs, Carlo Traversi's 9a+ Empath, not only for a second time but on gear... His latest and greatest challenge is not a specific route, but balancing a life of cutting edge ascents with his studies at Stanford University. Check out this great portrait directed by Harry H Yuan.

Link: www.lasportiva.com