Sean Leary

Leary was universally acknowledged as one of the most gifted and accomplished Yosemite climbers of his era, boasting an impressive résumé that included numerous ascents of El Capitan, a mountain he had grown intimately familiar with through repeated conquests. In fact, he had climbed El Capitan an impressive number of times, with his most notable achievement being the setting of the speed record for ascending the Salathé Wall alongside Alex Honnold in the year 2009. This remarkable feat was not a singular occurrence, as he went on to set a new speed record on the Nose, this time in partnership with Dean Potter, in the year 2010. Although this record would ultimately be broken in 2012 by Hans Florine and Honnold, Leary's impressive climbing credentials continued to grow, as he also achieved the remarkable feat of climbing three El Capitan routes in a single day alongside Honnold in the same year. Building upon this momentum, Leary teamed up with Mayan Smith-Gobat in 2012 to set a new mixed male-female speed record for the Nose, a testament to his versatility, skill, and dedication to the sport of rock climbing.