Witnessing History: On the Dawn Wall Summit With Chris Burkard
ON JANUARY 14, after 19 long days living on the vertical face of the Dawn Wall, the steepest and most technical route on the iconic El Capitan that had never been free climbed, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit and were greeted by friends and family to celebrate. Matador Ambassador Chris Burkard was there to capture the historic summit push and the celebration that followed.
From Chris’s Instagram feed: “Much will be written about the Dawn Wall… But of this I am certain; it is a monumental feat of human accomplishment… and will always stand as a testament to the power and will of the human spirit. As I pack my bags up and prepare to descend El Capitan, I am blown away by the commitment of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson for working on this route for 7 years… and ultimately spending 19 days to reach the summit on what is indisputably the hardest big-wall climb in the world. Congrats guys!”