Patagonia climbing ambassador Tommy Caldwell and partner Kevin Jorgeson make history, summiting after 19 days on the wall

Dawn Wall route. Image courtesy Patagonia.

Dawn Wall route. Image courtesy Patagonia.

PATAGONIA //ย Patagonia congratulates ambassador Tommy Caldwell and partner Kevin Jorgeson on the first successful free climb of the Dawn Wall, the hardest route up El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Caldwell first conceived the idea of the climb in 2007 and has been working towards it ever since. Today marks the successful end to Caldwellโ€™s seven-year-long relationship with the Dawn Wall.

The Dawn Wall, considered to be one of the hardest climbs in the world due to its extremely blank face, has never been climbed without pulling on gear to aid in the ascent. Caldwellย and Jorgesonย successfully climbed each pitch using only the natural features of the rock andย theirย own physical strength and endurance, with a rope to catchย themย in case of a fall.

โ€œWhen we first climbed the North American Wall on El Cap in 1964, we thought, โ€˜Well, that proves that any big wall in the world can be climbed.โ€™ We never dreamed they could be climbed all free!โ€ notes Yvon Chouinard, Patagoniaโ€™s founder and owner.ย โ€œSending the Dawn Wall leavesย Pope Francis with no choice butย to admitย ourย closest relative is the chimpanzee.โ€

Caldwell, 36, has been part of the Patagonia family since 2008. He climbed his first route in Coloradoโ€™s Rocky Mountain National Park at the age of 3. Today he is recognized as one of the best all-around climbers of his time and is currently one of National Geographicโ€™s 2015 Adventurers of the Year. In February 2014, with partner Alex Honnold, Caldwell also completed the first ascent of theย Fitz Traverseย in Patagoniaโ€™s Fitz Roy massif โ€“ an iconic alpine objective encompassing seven major summits in one five-day push.

Check out these exclusive photos courtesy Patagonia from their final top out:

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