Just three months after reclaiming the speed-climbing record from the Alexander and Thomas Huber, Yuji Hirayama and Hans Florine have now surpassed their own July 2 time by six minutes. [Photo] www.wikipedia.org
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On October 12, Yuji Hirayama and Hans Florine broke a new speed record on the Nose (VI 5.9 A2, 2,900′) on El Capitan, climbing the route in 2:37:05. Breaking the previous speed record set by the pair on July 2 (read July 8 NewsWire), Hirayama took lead and Florine belayed as the two simulclimbed the thirty-one pitch route.
On speedclimb.com, the pair reported that a previous October 8 ascent had at one point been on schedule to break their July 2 record, but “a few tiny rope snags and roughness on the top half cost us some 11 minutes.” Their report added “all the marbles are in Sunday’s basket.”
Coming just three months after they regained their title as record-holders, this recent ascent will further safeguard Florine and Hirayama’s speed-climbing claim on the route; on October 4 of last year, Alexander and Thomas Huber snagged the record which Hirayama and Florine had held since 2002 (see October 9, 2007 NewsWire).
Please visit www.sfgate.com and www.speedclimb.com for more on this story.