BY KAREN BOSSICK
It’s called “The Dawn Wall,” a theoretical route up the steepest, most daunting section of 3,000-foot-tall El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
And it’s been the nemesis of American rock climbers for decades.
Tommy Caldwell captivated the world with his effort to climb the Dawn Wall in January 2015. He and Kevin Jorgeson lived on the vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention.
For Caldwell it was the culmination of a lifetime that included losing his index finger in a accident and being taken hostage by rebels in Kyrgyzstan.
And, after six years plotting and practicing the route, he is faced with a moment of truth. Should he abandon his partner to fulfill his ultimate dream or risk his own success for the sake of their friendship.
Learn the answer when the Wood River YMCA presents a free showing of “The Dawn Wall” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in the Community Room of the YMCA.
Follow Caldwell as he explores the wall, searching for a line that might be possible. Watch as he takes huge falls and tries insane movies, like an 8-foot sideways leap through the air from hold to hold.
“He seemed like a man possessed, on a mission that was obviously impossible and I had the sense that for Tommy the idea of The Dawn Wall was about much more than the climb itself,” said filmmaker Josh Lowell.
The award-winning Red Bull Media film is being shown by the YMCA and the Roy A. Hunt Foundation.