A 'Free Climb' First: Sonoma County Man, Partner Expected To Complete Ascent of El Capitan Today

Two rock climbers, including a Santa Rosa man, are expected today to be the first to ascend the Dawn Wall route to the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

Kevin Jorgeson, 30, of Santa Rosa, and Tommy Caldwell, 36, of Estes Park, Colorado, began the ascent of 3,000-foot-high El Capitan on Dec. 27.

If successful, they will be the first to “free climb” the Dawn Wall on the world’s largest granite monolith using ropes and pins only for safety.

The pair has been eating and resting in portaledges -- tents on ledges of the rock edifice -- and their endeavor has attracted the attention of media from around the world.

Jorgeson and Caldwell have been posting updates of their exploits on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

On Twitter, Jorgeson wrote that the climb is not an effort to conquer the Dawn Wall but about realizing a dream.

“Momentum is a powerful force. When it’s on your side, everything feels a bit easier. When it’s not on your side, it feels like wading through mud,” Jorgeson wrote on Facebook after he finished one of the most difficult “pitches” of the climb on Jan. 10.

The weather in Yosemite Valley has been mild with daytime temperatures near 60 degrees and in the low and mid 30s at night.

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Photos courtesy of Kevin Jorgeson on Facebook and video via his web site here.