10-year-old Selah Schneiter just became the youngest person to climb the Nose on Yosemite’s El Capitan when she reached the top at 5:45 p.m. on June 12, 2019. If you’re in the climbing community, you know this is no easy feat. At 3,000 feet, the Nose has seen several records for fastest ascent with a wide range of difficulty on each pitch, and now a 55-pound, 4’2”, 10-year-old girl has conquered this beast.
Selah, her dad, Mike, and his friend, Mark, climbed the nose in a 5-day push. Selah handled 31 pitches of free and aid climbing like a pro. She’s still learning to lead trad, but she’s quite familiar with big-wall climbing in her young years. Selah led the first pitch and the bolt traverse that crosses from Texas Flake to Boot Flake according to Chris Van Leuven, Outside Magazine.
Both of Selah’s parents climb, and her dad owns Glenwood Climbing Guides where he teaches ice climbing, sport climbing and vertical self-rescue. Climbing is pretty much in her DNA. How many kids can boast that they climbed Independence Monument, a five-pitch, 5.8+ tower, on their seventh birthday? Probably not many, but Selah sure can.
Selah’s name is among greats on the Nose. Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell’s speed record is still yet to be beat when they climbed it in 1:58:07 in June 2018. That’s just ridiculously fast. Other record holders include Hans Florine, the late Dean Potter along with the late Sean “Stanley” Leary, Libby Sauter, Chantel Astorga, and many others.
There’s no doubt we’ll be hearing the name Selah Schneiter more as she crushes it climbing. At 10-years-old and already defeating the Nose? Yeah, stay tuned.
