Tommy Caldwell on the Dawn Wall
By Rocky Thompson on October 20th, 2011
Photo: Becca Caldwell, The Cleanest Line
Tommy Caldwell filed a dispatch for The Cleanest Line about his and Kevin Jorgeson’s work on the Dawn Wall, the longest, blankest stretch of El Cap that the team is trying to free climb. They’ve been at it since 2007, working sections of the climb in the hopes that after freeing each section they’ll be able link everything together and put the project behind them.
The story of the climb is remarkable enough, but what’s really interesting is the mentality Caldwell’s developed - an addition to the pain of wearing himself down every day. I haven’t read much of Lance Armstrong’s stuff, but I’ve seen enough to hear him espouse the same addition, that love of suffering that demands their attention.
