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Rock Climbing, Abseiling & Canyoning

Selah Schneiter | 10 Year Old Becomes Youngest To Climb El Capitan

31 pitches, 880m high and crazy exposure. No worries whatsoever for this girl

What were you doing when you were 10 years old? Kicking a football against a curb with your mates? Learning wheelies on your bike? Yeah, me too. Well, 10 year old Selah Schneiter has just shown us all up (even Alex Honnold) by becoming the youngest to climb what is quite possibly one of the most famous big wall faces in the world – El Capitan.

The pitches were aid climbed, which involves attaching ladders or ‘jumaring’ up fixed lines to ascend the rote. Photo: Mike Schneiter

Weighing in at 25kg and reaching 127cm tall, Selah climbed the 880 metre wall on June 13th after spending five days on the vertical face with her climbing instructor dad and his climbing partner. The 31 pitch route is a huge feat in itself, on the tick list of pretty much all experienced climbers – many of whom would be stoked to be able to climb the route before their 40s, let alone before the big 11th birthday.

Alex Honnold arguably put El Capitan on the mainstream map with last year’s Oscar winning documentary Free Solo, which follows the ballsy yank as he becomes the first person in the world to free solo the punchy Freerider route up El Cap in 3 hours and 56 minutes – totally solo, sans rope.

So what would 10 year old you crave after spending five days climbing and living on this huge face? Pizza? Yep, that was exactly what Selah wished for as she came down from The Nose – with the grom climber and her dad reportedly making a beeline for the closest Pizzeria for a quick slice of the good stuff. Nice work Selah. Well earned pizza, that.

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