The north face of Grandes Jorasses offers 3,937 feet of rock climbing. Dani Arnold broke the speed record this summer, completing the Cassin route in 2 hours 4 minutes without a rope.
Arnold, a Mammut athlete, focused on the bold north face climb in 2016 and 2017 but had to cancel any attempts because of weather. When he finally got the ideal weather window, he blazed up the climb, setting a new speed record.
Over 80 percent of the Cassin route on Grandes Jorasses consists of rock. The attempt required more technical rock skills than the ice and alpine climbing Arnold is known for. Interestingly, he wore aggressive climbing shoes, La Sportiva Futuras, for the feat.
In 2016, Arnold set the speed record on the Matterhorn. And earlier this year, Arnold free soloed Beta Block Super, one of the hardest ice routes in the Alps.
