For most of us, making an ascent of ‘The Nose’ isn’t in the cards. But thanks to the minds at Google, we can now climb El Cap with the gentle instruction of Lynn Hill and Alex Honnold.
“The Nose” is arguably the most famous big wall climb in the world. It heads up the prow of Yosemite’s massive El Capitan.
Google decided to take on this vertical terrain and add it to a growing number of Street View explorations. (See “Mount Everest Street View” as another example.)
Pro climbers Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold, and Tommy Caldwell direct you pitch by pitch up The Nose, with full 360-degree shots and narration at each stop.
From The Stovelegs to The Great Roof, it lets you experience El Cap from a unique vantage point. Each pitch has links to click that give specifics about techniques and equipment as well as a short video that explores the feature.
Google spent several days climbing with Hill, Honnold, and Caldwell all while hauling 360-degree cameras.
The vantage points give you views of the Yosemite Valley, and they let you experience what it’s like to camp out on a granite ledge 3,000 feet off the ground.
You can also jet over to watch Tommy Caldwell climb a few pitches of the Dawn Wall and even explore Honnold’s campervan.
This is the closest you can get to the real thing on a screen. No chalk bags or ropes required.
El Cap is the latest addition to Google Street View’s epic destinations that include Everest Base Camp, The Kumbu Valley, and The Great Barrier Reef. We’re stoked to see what the team will dream up next.
