Edelweiss Athlete Is The Youngest To Solo The Nose In A Day

In 1958, after 47 days, Warren Harding and his team stood on top of Yosemite's El Cap by means of climbing The Nose. This tall and technical route was first thought to be unclimbable, but Harding's team opened a "flood gate" that has now made The Nose to be "The Route of Accomplishment." Many climbers set out to be the first or the fastest to climb The Nose in a certain way.

The Nose is a 31 pitch route on a massive 2,900 foot granite prow and it beacons to be climbed. The first rope-solo climb of The Nose was made by Tom Bauman in 1969. It was Lynn Hill that finally made the first free ascent in 1993, taking her just 4 days to do so. Hill also nabbed the first free ascent in a day in 1994. Even to this day the battle of the male and female speed records continues.

Just recently we received word that one of our Edelweiss Athletes positioned himself as the 9th and youngest person to solo The Nose in a day.

Cheyne Lempe, age 21, spent a total of 19 hours on the route by himself. With a grigri for his solo device, 4 liters of water, and his iPod he rocked his way to the top. Lempe used the 70M Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm rope as he linked the 31 pitches into only 16 pitches.

Lempe hails from the suburbs of Aurora, CO and has only been climbing for four years. As much as he is talented in climbing, he also has a skill for videography and photography.

One of his latest video creations was of him and Scott Bennett making a crazy first ascent in Patagonia on what is now called The North Pillar Sit Start. Check out the video below.



Viva Patagonia - First Ascent from Cheyne Lempe on Vimeo.