Emily Harrington: Boulder Native Free Climbs El Cap in One Day

Boulder native Emily Harrington is now the fourth woman to ever free climb El Capitan in less than 24 hours. Less than 25 climbers have accomplished this climb in one day.

Climber Emily Harrington grew up in climbing Boulder and went to the University of Colorado Boulder. And on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, Emily Harrington became the fourth woman to ever free climb El Capitan at Yosemite National Park in less than 24 hours. According to Emily's Facebook, she started a free ascent over the Nose at 1:34 a.m.

The reason why she chose to try to free climb El Cap in a day is that it seemed like an unrealistic, impossible goal. Emily on her Facebook stated that 'impossible dreams challenge us to rise above who we are now to see if we can become better versions of ourselves.'

Emily Harrington slipped on the 13a Golden Desert pitch leaving her with a big gash on her forehead and questioning what she was doing. The pitch she failed last year, the A5 traverse, she didn't fail this time, she crushed it and her goal.

Emily completed her free climb of El Cap at 10:30 p.m. -- in less than 24 hours, in 21 hours, and 13 minutes to be exact.

The Boulder native is now the fourth woman ever to free climb El Capital via any route in a day. She stated on her Facebook that about less than 25 people have ever free-climbed El Capitan in Yosemite in a single day.