Freeing Freerider - The first SA free ascent of El Cap     I was acutely aware of where I was and all my senses were buzzing! I smeared my left foot carefully onto a slightly darker part of the otherwise flat golden rock. It was just the contact of the rubber of my climbing shoe keeping me on the wall. I was in a vertical sea of granite that was totally blank apart from the six-inch vertical crack five feet to my left, which soared up for 55 metres to the Alcove. This was the Monster off-width and I was trying to traverse into it. As I weighted my foot I could see down 500 metres of clear air and the tall trees that covered the valley floor looked small and pointy. Mayan Smith-Gobat and Sean Villanueva were shouting down encouragement from above; Andrew Porter and Ant Hall were rooting for me from where they were belaying and from nine pitches below, Nico Favresse started shouting, 'Go Clinton!' in his distinct Belgian accent. I could hear them all with crystal clarity as I dropped my right hand under my left to a small vertical crack half a finger pad deep. I leant over my left foot as far as I dared. My right foot lifted off the rock as I stretched my left arm out and wrapped my fingers around the rounded edge of the Monster. From this crucifix-like position I cut my feet free and swung them into the crack. Then with an awkward flick I pivoted my upper body into the off-width. I had just climbed into the bottom of hell. Read more... IMAGE: Clinton midway up the Monster, the notorious off-width crack that splits the smooth golden wall for 55 metres of torture. Photo SEAN VILLANUEVA