本文為翻譯文章，文件段落格式依原始文章編排，中文放在原文段落之上方便大家對照。因為我的英文很破，中文的文筆又不好，所以如果有翻得不通順或翻錯的地方，就再麻煩各位多多指教，直接留言或私訊都可以，請不必客氣。
歷史新頁： 首度以自由攀登完攀黎明之牆的兩個人
Duo Completes First Free Climb of Yosemite's Dawn Wall, Making History
Tommy Caldwell 與 Kevin Jorgeson 終於完成了他們的考驗 成功寫下黎明之牆的自由攀登首攀記錄。
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson finish their quest to be the first to free climb the Dawn Wall.
作者：Andrew Bisharat | PUBLISHED JANUARY 14, 2015
翻譯：陳震宇 (若有任何問題請來信：maurice.chen67@gmail.com)
經過漫長的努力，Tommy Caldwell站在酋長岩頂端，享受著光榮的片刻。 Tommy Caldwell enjoys a long-awaited moment of triumph on the pinnacle of El Capitan. PHOTOGRAPH BY BLIGH GILLIES, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
2015 年 1 月 14 日，在 Tommy Caldwell 和 Kevin Jorgeson 決定展開這場被譽為攀岩界最艱鉅挑戰的 19 天後，他們倆終於登上了優勝美地裡的著名地標 – 高達 915 公尺的酋長岩 – 的峰頂，以自由攀登的方式完攀了一條攀岩界裡眾所週知的困難路線：黎明之牆。
Tommy 和 Kevin 在剛過 18:00 (美國東岸標準時間) 時登頂，而在現場等待他們的，除了一隊多達 40 人的親友外，還有一群等著採訪他們的媒體記者，他們以徒步的方式從岩壁的另一端健行 13 公里到達岩壁頂端，一見到兩人登頂，他們便遞上香檳，舉杯為他們慶祝完成這項創舉的這一刻。(相片集 – 由一位專為 Tommy 和 Kevin 記錄他們寫下歷史過程的攝影師所拍攝)
他們的成功，展現了 Tommy 的獨到眼界，能夠找出自由攀登黎明之牆的方法並加以實踐 – 絕大多數人都認為這片岩壁太陡峭、太困難，根本不可能以自由攀登方式完成 – 而這個夢想，早在七年前 Tommy 開始探勘這片充滿歷史的花崗岩壁時就已展開。
Nineteen days after they set out to achieve one of climbing's most difficult challenges, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit of the 3,000-foot rock known as El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, marking the first free ascent of a notoriously difficult section called the Dawn Wall.
Caldwell and Jorgeson reached the summit just after 6:00 p.m. EST, where a contingent of 40 friends and family members, plus a group of reporters, stood ready to greet them, having arrived via an eight-mile (13-kilometer) hike around the backside of the mountain. The crowd had already begun toasting the duo's accomplishment with champagne. (See pictures from the photographer who is documenting Caldwell's and Jorgeson's attempt to make history.)
The ascent represents the realization of Caldwell's vision to find a way to free climb the Dawn Wall—widely considered too steep and too difficult for free climbing—a dream that began seven years ago, when Caldwell began exploring this historic granite face.
「這計畫和『征服』無關，」Kevin 在星期二時，在酋長岩上 610 公尺高的位置，連上 Twitter 並發了一則短文。「而是實現一個夢想。」(延伸閱讀：Why Caldwell and Jorgeson are sanding and Super Gluing their fingers for the climb.)
兩週半前，當他們剛開始這項計畫時，原本只有攀岩界在關注著他們的進展。但隨著他們兩人的高度不斷上升，加上 Tommy 和 Kevin 先後成功完攀了路線上最難的段落後，消息便在國際間傳開了。他們兩個只靠著自己的指尖，用盡全力讓自己牢牢地攀附在幾百公尺高的光滑岩壁上，這樣的畫面讓世界各地的人們深深地著迷。
"This is not an effort to 'conquer,'" Jorgeson said Tuesday on Twitter, from 2,000 feet (610 meters) up the side of El Capitan. "It's about realizing a dream.” (Read why Caldwell and Jorgeson are sanding and Super Gluing their fingers for the climb.)
From the start, two and a half weeks ago, the climbing world has been charting their progress. But as the pair moved up the wall and first Caldwell and then Jorgeson successfully made it past the most difficult sections, a much broader, global audience became captivated by the imagery of two men clinging to the most improbable-looking surface of rock by the very tips of their fingers, thousands of feet above the ground.
紅色線條即為Tommy與Kevin在優勝美地酋長岩上攀登的黎明之牆。延伸閱讀：A history of achievements on El Cap. The red line shows the route followed by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson on the Dawn Wall on Yosemite's El Capitan. Click to see a history of achievements on El Cap. NG MAPS; CLAY WADMAN; ALDO CHIAPPE
自由攀登，是指攀岩者僅憑藉自己的手腳和身體，靠著岩壁上的天然特徵攀爬，只有在不慎墜落時才會使用身上的繩索與裝備來止住墜落。而高達 915 公尺的黎明之牆，是由 32 段繩距 (攀岩繩的長度) 的攀登所組成。
Tommy 和 Kevin 的目標，是以自由攀登的形式，將這 32 段繩距全數完攀 – 全程不可墜落，也不回到地面。他們之中只要有一人墜落，他就必須回到該段繩距的起點重新再試一次。(延伸閱讀：Jorgeson's attempts to catch up to Caldwell )
12 月 27 日，他們在酋長岩上展開了他們的攀登行動，堅決以自由攀登的方式完成每一段繩距，並做好在岩壁上長期抗戰的心理準備。他們的基地營，是以三個岩壁帳 (Portaledge) 組成 – 每個岩壁帳有著 1 米寬、2 米長的人造平台，以外帳覆蓋後，再以尼龍製成的扁帶扣入岩壁上的固定錨栓 (bolt)，就這樣吊掛在陡峭的花崗岩壁上。他們的早餐，是全麥貝果夾奶油起司、紅椒、黃瓜、還有義大利臘腸或鮭魚。入夜後，他們會小酌一點威士忌。每隔幾天，在平地等待他們的好友，會從岩壁底部沿著長達 366 米的工作繩，將新一批的補給和飲水送上他們的基地營。
Free climbing means using one's hands and feet to ascend a rock's natural features, employing ropes and other gear only to stop a fall. At roughly 3,000 feet (915 meters) tall, the Dawn Wall comprises 32 "pitches"—or 32 rope-lengths—of climbing.
Caldwell's and Jorgeson's goal was to free climb all 32 pitches—without falling and without returning to the ground in between. If one of them fell while attempting a pitch, he would have to try that individual pitch from its beginning again. (Read about Jorgeson's attempts to catch up to Caldwell.)
They began their ascent on December 27, and committed to living up on the side of El Cap for as long as it took each of them to free climb every pitch in succession. Their base camp consisted of three portaledges—each one a six-foot by four-foot (2-meter by 1-meter) platform with tent fly, suspended by nylon straps and hanging from bolts in the sheer granite wall. For breakfast they ate whole-wheat bagels topped with cream cheese, red bell pepper, cucumber, and salami or salmon. At night, they sipped whiskey. Every few days, one of the friends waiting on the ground ascended 1,200 feet (366 meters) of rope to bring the team a new cache of supplies and water.
在投入如此巨大的心力後，Tommy和 Kevin 對於完成這段充滿開拓性的攀登計畫感到如釋重負，欣喜萬分。 After their extraordinary effort, Caldwell and Jorgeson show their happiness and relief at completing their trailblazing climb. PHOTOGRAPH BY BLIGH GILLIES, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
剛開始的前六天，他們快速地完攀前面 14 段繩距 – 其中幾個是整條路線中最困難的。然而，他們在過去這幾年發動的五次嘗試裡，甚至連第 12 段都無法完成。當他們在 1 月 1 日完攀第 14 段繩距時，看來似乎已是勝券在握。(延伸閱讀：國家地理探險部落格 – Beyond the Edge )
Over the first six days, they made quick work of the initial 14 pitches—some of the hardest pitches of all. During their five previous attempts at the Dawn Wall, spread out over as many years, they had never even made it past pitch 12. When they both accomplished pitch 14 on January 1, it seemed as though the duo stood a real chance of success. (Read National Geographic's adventure blog, Beyond the Edge.)
突破 BREAKING THROUGH
在完成第 14 段繩距之後，兩人中較為老練的攀岩者 – 36 歲的 Tommy，繼續往上挺進，並在接下來的七天內，接連完攀一段又一段極其累人的繩距。在岩壁上待了兩週後，Tommy 已經完攀了整條路線的前面 20 段，接下來，就只剩較為簡單的繩距了。
然而此時的 Kevin，卻還卡在第 15 段繩距的難關。在為期長達 10 天的時間裡，他不斷在每一次的嘗試中墜落。然而時間是如此地至關重要 – 攀岩者待在岩壁上的時間越長，就越有可能因碰上惡劣天候而被迫撤退。成功的機會正悄悄地從 Kevin 那纏著繃帶、血跡斑斑的指縫中一點一滴地流逝，而他也痛苦地體認到一件事：自己正在拖累自己的繩伴。如果他不儘快把第 15 段繩距爬完，那麼 Tommy 就會面臨必須決定是否該獨自繼續前進的窘境。
After pitch 14, Caldwell, 36, the more experienced climber of the two, kicked into high gear. He continued to complete grueling pitch after grueling pitch over the next seven days. After two weeks on the wall, Caldwell had free climbed the first 20 pitches, beyond which only easier sections remained.
Jorgeson, 30, meanwhile, stalled out on pitch 15. For ten days in a row, he continued to fall during each of his attempts. Time was a factor—the longer the climbers were on the wall, the greater chance of a weather front moving through and forcing the climbers to descend. The chance for success was literally slipping through Jorgeson's bandaged and bloody fingertips, and he was painfully aware that he was holding his partner back. If he didn't do pitch 15 soon, Caldwell would have to decide whether to move on alone.
「我想一起登頂，沒有任何事比這更重要。」Tommy 在第 13 天時說道：「我們一定要想辦法一起登頂。如果完攀時沒有 Kevin 的話那就真的爛透了，我無法想像那樣的場景，真的。」
1 月 9 日，身心俱疲的 Kevin 終於有了重大突破，順利將第 15 段繩距完攀了。而成功的喜悅也再 次為他們兩人注入滿滿的能量。Kevin 稍後描述自己的心境轉變：當時的他下定決心要趕上繩伴的進度，一起站上第 20 段繩距的頂端。於是他帶著重新燃起的鬥志，繼續攀登。
「在這長達 7 天，多達 11 次的嘗試後，我和黎明之牆第 15 段繩距之間的戰鬥終於結束了。」Kevin 在 Instagram 上寫道。「那種感覺真的很難用言語形容。雖然後面還有一堆困難的繩距在等著我，但現在的我，有著無比堅定的決心，一定要把剩下的繩距全部爬完。」
到了週一，Tommy 和 Kevin 終於攀上了一處俗稱「酒鬼塔 / Wino Tower」的平台。而他們的下方，是一條長達 610 米的首攀路線，同時也是酋長岩上最困難的自由攀登路線。接下來的兩天裡，這兩個攀岩者繼續攀登他們未完成的繩距 – 和他們先前的經歷相比，剩下的繩距就跟散步沒兩樣。
"More than anything, I want to top out together," Caldwell said on day 13. "We gotta make that happen. It would be such a bummer to finish this thing without Kevin. I can't imagine anything worse, really."
On January 9, Jorgeson finally broke through and completed pitch 15 without falling. The success reenergized the team in a major way, as Jorgeson caught a second wind. He describes experiencing a profound "resolve" to match his partner's high point, at the top of pitch 20. He started to climb as if a fire had been lit within.
"After 11 attempts spread across 7 days, my battle with Pitch 15 of the Dawn Wall is complete," Jorgeson wrote on Instagram. "Hard to put the feeling into words. There's a lot of hard climbing above, but I'm more resolved than ever to free the remaining pitches.”
By Monday, both Caldwell and Jorgeson had reached a ledge dubbed Wino Tower. Below them was 2,000 feet (610 meters) of the hardest free climbing ever completed on El Capitan. Over the the next two days, the climbers continued the remainder of their ascent—a stroll compared to what they had already been through.
黎明之牆，是優勝美地國家公園知名地標 - 酋長岩上的一片花崗岩壁。圖中 Tommy 正利用以繩索架設而成的交通網，在黎明之牆的不同區域間上下移動。在岩壁上住了 19 天後，Tommy 和 Kevin 終於在今天登頂，順利完成黎明之牆的自由攀登首攀。 Tommy Caldwell uses a network of ropes to move between sections of the Dawn Wall, a granite expanse of Yosemite National Park's El Capitan. After living on the wall for 19 days, Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit today, becoming the first to ever free climb the entire Dawn Wall. PHOTOGRAPH BY COREY RICH, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
酋長岩：全美最大獨立岩體 EL CAP: AMERICA'S BIGGEST ROCK
黎明之牆，是酋長岩上最陡峭、最高聳、也最光滑的一塊區域 – 同時也是這座花崗岩體上擁有最多故事的岩壁。1970 年，Warren Harding 和 Dean Caldwell (和 Tommy Caldwell 非親屬關係) 首度以人工攀登方式成功首攀了「破曉曙光之牆」，又稱「黎明之牆」。所謂人工攀登，是指將固定支點設置在岩壁上，並將尼龍繩梯扣入固定支點後，再踩著繩梯逐步往上攀登。
Warren Harding 和 Dean Caldwell 當年的攀登行動躍上了全美各大新聞的頭條。當時的他們一共花了 22 天住在岩壁上 – 睡在吊床裡，而且還喝了一大堆紅酒 – 並且正好碰上一場持續四天的暴風雨，而這兩位攀岩先驅卻因為拒絕接受國家公園管理處的救援行動而聲名大噪。
The Dawn Wall is the steepest, tallest, blankest section of El Cap—and one of the monolith's most storied sectors. Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell (no relation to Tommy) aid climbed the "Wall of the Early Morning Light," aka the Dawn Wall, for the first time in 1970. Aid climbing involves standing on nylon ladders that are clipped to pieces of gear attached to the wall.
Harding's and Caldwell's ascent became the subject of national news when, after 22 days of living on the wall—sleeping in hammocks and drinking numerous bottles of wine—a four-day storm blew in, and the two climbers famously turned down the National Park Service's attempt to rescue them.
在 1970 年，只要是嘗試攀登酋長岩，無論使用任何手段，都會被視為是值得投入的目標。因為當年的攀岩技巧、裝備、與技術水準等等，和現在相比，就像是史前文化一樣。在那個年代裡，從來就沒有任何人會相信酋長岩能夠以自由攀登的方式完成。
而如今，風水輪流轉，在全然不同的局勢下，黎明之牆再度成為眾所矚目的舞臺。對 Tommy 和 Kevin 而言，這場冒險，並不只是站上這座巨大花崗岩壁的頂端，真正的挑戰，是他們究竟能否以自由攀登的方式完成這整條路線。
In 1970, simply trying to reach the summit of El Capitan, by any means, was considered a worthy goal. Climbing techniques, equipment, and levels of skill were still quite rudimentary compared to today. In 1970, for example, no one would've ever believed that El Capitan could be free climbed.
Now, in a strange twist, the Dawn Wall has returned to the spotlight under very different circumstances. For Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, the adventure lies not in just getting to the top of the great granite monolith. The challenge is seeing if they can do it all free.
Tommy 攀登第 16 段繩距，也是黎明之牆最困難的繩距之一。即便是一月，在加州的陽光直射下，以自由攀登而言這裡的岩壁溫度還是太高了，因此 Tommy 和 Kevin 被迫只能在夜晚攀登大部分的繩距。 Caldwell climbs pitch 16, one of the most difficult sections of the Dawn Wall. Even in January, it was still too hot for free climbing in the direct California sun, forcing Caldwell and Jorgeson to do most of their climbing at night. PHOTOGRAPH BY COREY RICH, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
為自由奮戰的後勤作業 LOGISTICS OF GOING FREE
無論從哪一個面向而言，這兩位攀岩者的表現都是一次精彩而偉大的演出。一套以繩索建構而成，精密且複雜的道路網，讓他們在逐一完成各個繩距後，得以在不同的繩距間上下移動，同時也讓一組攝影團隊能夠從旁紀錄他們奮鬥的每個過程。另外，一條由基地營延伸到地面的繩索，也讓他們的好友能夠隨時為他們運送補給、飲水、與食物。
和人工攀登相比，自由攀登更像是一種運動。自由攀登和無繩獨攀 (free soloing) 不同 – 無繩獨攀是一種風險極高的攀岩形式，在攀岩圈裡也相對少見。然而，它仍是一段艱辛的過程，攀岩者只能利用天然的岩壁特徵上攀 – 碰到裂隙時，只能將手塞入裂隙中；碰到小岩點時，只能靠指尖摳住。
攀岩時，攀岩者會穿上吊帶，並在一條長約 60 米的攀岩繩兩端，以繩結繫上自己與繩伴。在攀登過程中，攀登者會將快扣或鉤環扣入各種不同的固定點上：例如卡在裂隙裡的岩楔，或是預先設置在岩壁上的錨栓 (bolt)，然後再將身上的繩索扣入鉤環中。而這些裝備，只有在他們發生墜落時才會派上用場。
自由攀登就像拼圖。攀岩者在岩壁上面對的，是一連串不同大小、形狀、與不同距離的手腳點。而他們的目標，就是要設法在這一連串由手腳點組成的路線上找出移動的方式。而這些動作越困難 (例如扭轉、伸展、動態、擺盪、懸掛等等)，這片拼圖就會需要越多的心力才能完成。
In every way the performance of these two climbers has been a giant production. An intricate web of rigged ropes allowed the climbers to move from pitch to pitch, as they worked on free climbing each one in succession. The ropes also provided a way for a small camera crew to document their efforts. A line to the ground allowed friends to provide the climbers with supplies, water, and food.
Free climbing is much more athletic than aid climbing. Free climbing does not mean climbing with no ropes—that's free soloing, a highly risky style of climbing practiced only on occasion by relatively few in the climbing world. Still, it's an arduous process, requiring a climber to use only the natural features of the rock to advance—cracks in which to wedge one's hands and edges to curl one's fingertips over.
The climbers wear harnesses and are each tied to one end of a 200-foot-long rope (61 meters), which is clipped, via carabiners, to various types of climbing gear, from camming units that fit in cracks to expansion bolts that have been pre-drilled into the rock. They only rely on this equipment to catch them if they fall.
Free climbs are puzzles. On any given pitch, a climber faces a series of holds that vary in size, shape, and distance from each other. The goal is figuring out how to move between this unique combination of holds. The harder the movements get—twisting, stretching, lunging, swinging, dangling—the more painstaking the process of solving the puzzle becomes.
在嘗試黎明之牆的這段期間，Kevin (圖左) 和 Tommy 一直住在距離平地約 500 米高的岩壁帳裡。在他們的高空小屋裡最方便的設施是什麼？就是可以用爐具煮咖啡的法式濾壓套件，以及他們的 iPhone (靠太陽能板充電)。 Jorgeson (at left) and Caldwell have been living in a "portaledge" 1,500 feet (457 meters) above the valley while working on the Dawn Wall route. The best amenities in their studio in the sky? A French press for coffee and their iPhones (charged with a solar panel). PHOTOGRAPH BY JIMMY CHIN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE
岩壁上的芭蕾 BALLET ON THE ROCK
攀岩者會不斷地練習。墜落之後，他們會吊在主繩上反覆練習路線上的每一個動作，並記住所有動作的順序。他們會用刷子仔細將手腳點上的塵土刷乾淨，藉此增加它們的摩擦力。他們偶而也會用止滑粉在岩壁上做記號，清楚標示出那些難以看清的手腳點。
自由攀登還有一個很重要的部分，就是攀岩者如何控制他們前臂肌肉裡不斷累積的乳酸 – 精準地以恰到好處的力氣抓住手點，讓自己可以持續攀附在岩壁上。另外，如何將體重分配在手腳上，並且在不斷移動的過程中保持完美的平衡，這也是至關重要的元素之一。
當然，最好還能擁有像工具鉗一樣強而有力的手指、鋼鐵般的肌肉、瑜伽大師的柔軟度、還有零脂肪的身體。而當攀登者墜落時，他的繩伴會以確保器為他止住墜落。確保器就像煞車一樣，會將繩索緊緊咬住，所以只要沒人受傷，墜落其實是無關痛癢的，攀登者也可以繼續嘗試直到成功完攀。
Climbers fall, hang, and rehearse each and every move, over and over. They memorize sequences. They scrub the rock with toothbrushes to remove any dust or dirt and improve the texture and friction on the hold. They place "tick marks," white chalk marks, to indicate the location of hard-to-see hand- and footholds.
Another important aspect of free climbing is for climbers to manage the lactic acid building up in their forearms—by holding on with no more than the precise minimum amount of energy needed to keep attached to the wall. Distributing body weight among hands and feet, and maintaining a perfect balance among these constantly moving appendages, is yet another crucial element.
Of course, it helps to have fingers as strong as vice grips, iron core muscles, the flexibility of a yoga master, and virtually no body fat. When a climber falls, his partner catches the fall using a belay device, which acts like a brake and stops the rope. As long as no one is injured, it's no big deal. The climber simply tries again until successful.
然而，想完攀那些世上最難的路線，有時可能需要花上幾個星期、幾個月、甚至好幾年，不斷反覆練習和訓練才有機會。除此之外，其他像是手皮的狀況、岩壁的濕度、環境的溫度、平靜的心靈、心無旁騖的頭腦、以及充分休息的身體等等，這些因素也都必須同時具備，才有機會成功完攀。
例如最棘手的第 15 段繩距，Kevin 就提到：「當下真的很奇妙，過去那 10 天就只有那一刻，天空的雲夠多、溫度夠低，讓我能在白天的時候爬，而我的手皮也康復得足以應付那些小手點，所有的條件都湊在一起，形成一個完美的狀態。」
黎明之牆之所以如此意義非凡，是因為它包含了許多極其困難，且連貫在一起的繩距。酋長岩上大約還有 13 條自由攀登的路線，但沒有一條像黎明之牆那樣充滿挑戰。這些路線裡或許有著一兩段極為困難的繩距，但黎明之牆有 17 段；其中兩段，第 14 和第 15，無論是在優勝美地或其他任何地方，絕對都是最困難的。
像這樣艱鉅的計畫，日復一日住在狹小侷促的岩壁帳裡，一次又一次地攀登如此困難的路線，對任何人而言都是遙不可及的目標，即便是像 Tommy Caldwell 這樣的高手。
With the hardest routes in the world, however, that success sometimes takes weeks, months, or even years of practice and training. Even with all that work, skin conditions, humidity, air temperature, a calm and unattached state of mind, and a well-rested body also all need to align.
About the troublesome pitch 15, for example, Jorgeson said, "The conditions were just magic. It was the one moment over the last ten days when it was actually cloudy and cold enough to climb during daylight. It all lined up to create this one moment in which my skin was good enough and the conditions were perfect.”
What makes the Dawn Wall so significant is that it contains so many hard free-climbing pitches in a row. There are about 13 other free climbs on El Cap, and none of them are even close to being as challenging. Those other routes might have one or two extremely difficult pitches total. The Dawn Wall has about 17. Two of them, pitches 14 and 15, are the most difficult in Yosemite and at the upper limit of what has been achieved in rock climbing anywhere.
The idea that anyone would be able to free climb at such a high level, day after day, while living out of a tiny portaledge the size of a twin mattress, seemed far-fetched if not downright impossible. Even for Tommy Caldwell.
為了記錄這次的壯舉，一支由製片小組和平面攝影師組成的隊伍，藉著岩壁上錯綜複雜的繩索系統，長時間在兩位攀岩者周遭不停地上上下下捕捉畫面。為了捕捉 Tommy 在第 15 段繩距上的這張照片，攝影師 Brett Lowell 必須吊掛在一條長達 800 米，由地面小組拉住的繩索上。 To document the epic climb, a team of filmmakers and photographers relied on a complex network of ropes to ascend and descend around the climbers. To get this shot of Caldwell on pitch 15, photographer Brett Lowell had to dangle from a 2,700-foot-long (823 meters) rope held by a crew on the ground. PHOTOGRAPH BY BRETT LOWELL, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
「手眼協調障礙，笨手笨腳的小鬼」 "CLUMSY KID WITH BAD HAND-EYE COORDINATION"
要說誰最有機會完成這項不可能的挑戰，來自科羅拉多州埃斯特斯市的 Tommy Caldwell，如果下注在他身上，穩賺不賠。他三歲就開始攀岩。十六歲那年，他一時興起加入了一場運動攀登賽事，打敗了一些美國職業好手，就這樣成了全美攀岩冠軍。隨後，他付出了自己職業攀岩生涯裡大部分的時光，不停地探索酋長岩上錯綜複雜的攀登路線。
「我小時候就是個有手眼協調障礙、笨手笨腳的小鬼」Tommy 在《登頂》雜誌中寫道：「而現在，我在酋長岩上感覺就像回到一個屬於我的世界裡。在這片陡峭的岩壁上攀岩，需要足夠的技巧、忍受痛苦的能力、還有我那與生俱來的牛脾氣。」
1999 年，Tommy 完成了他在酋長岩上的第一條自由攀登路線。自此之後，每年的他都會回到這座岩壁上尋找新的挑戰。由於他在各類型的世界級攀登領域中，舉凡抱石、運動攀登、到高山攀登 (一種獨特的攀登型態，需具備大量非常專精的技術與知識)，都有著絕佳的表現，因此他常被譽為「全方位」的攀岩者。想知道 Tommy 在垂直領域裡的跨界成就，不彷試想一位蹲踞在百米衝刺起跑板上的奧運選手，在馬拉松領域裡同樣有著過人的成就。
If anyone was to pull off this unlikely challenge, Tommy Caldwell, of Estes Park, Colorado, was a good bet. He started climbing at just three years old and became a national climbing champion at 16 when, on a whim, he entered a sport climbing competition and won, beating some of the nation's top pro climbers. Since then, he has dedicated most of his professional climbing career to exploring the nuances of the many climbing routes crisscrossing El Capitan's towering granite flanks.
"I grew up a clumsy kid with bad hand-eye coordination," wrote Caldwell in Ascent magazine. "Yet here on El Cap I felt as though I had stumbled into a world where I thrived. Being up on those steep walls demanded the right amount of climbing skill, pain tolerance, and sheer bull-headedness that came naturally to me.”
Caldwell free climbed his first El Cap route in 1999, and he has returned to the monolith every year since to find new challenges. He is routinely described as an "all-around" climber due to the fact that he consistently performs at world-class levels in each of climbing's various genres, from bouldering to sport climbing to mountaineering—distinct disciplines that demand very specialized skill sets. To understand the breadth of Caldwell's athleticism, picture an Olympic runner who is as talented in the marathon as he is in the hundred-meter dash.
還有件事值得一提，那就是 Tommy 是在少一根手指的狀況下完成這項成就的。2001 年，他在用桌鋸工作時，意外鋸斷了他的左手食指 – 對他而言這無疑是一次巨大的折損，特別是當你畢生的熱情都必須靠手指攀附在岩壁上。
當時的醫生告知 Tommy，手指是可以接回去，但活動能力將大不如前，他也無法再像過去那樣攀岩了。剛開始時，他被這個惡耗完全擊潰，但他的果決很快就讓他下了決定：截除受傷的手指，不讓它防礙他的行動能力。五個月後，他回到酋長岩上，以自由攀登的方式完攀了另一條路線：高達 915 米的 Salathé Wall，而且還是在 24 小時內完成。
It's worth noting that Caldwell has managed to achieve all this success despite missing a finger. In 2001 while working with a table saw, he accidentally cut off his left index finger—a debilitating loss when your life's passion involves hanging by your fingertips.
Doctors were able to reattach the finger, but told Caldwell that with its diminished mobility he'd never climb again. At first he was devastated, but then his determination kicked in, and he had the finger removed so as not to hinder him. Five months later, he free climbed the 3,000-foot (914-meter) Salathé Wall, another route on El Capitan, in less than 24 hours.
隔年，他與其他三位攀岩者，John Dicky、Jason Smith、以及 Beth Rodden (當時為 Tommy 的女友，兩人於不久後結婚)，在一場吉爾吉斯坦的遠征行動裡，再度遭遇了他人生中的重大時刻。這四名攀岩者在喀拉蘇山谷攀岩時，遭數名當地叛軍 – 烏茲別克伊斯蘭陣線連盟 - 的武裝份子挾持，並在接下來的六天裡，他們在叛軍槍口脅迫下被迫在夜晚的山區中行進。而期間叛軍仍不斷與當地政府軍交火。
當他們發現綁架他們的武裝份子只剩下一人時，情勢開始有了轉機。Tommy 一逮到機會，就將他們的挾持者推下峭壁後逃脫，接著他們再徒步近 30 公里，重回自由世界。
雖然 Tommy 認為當時的他不得不那麼做，但心中仍感到極度不安。然而就在一週後，從吉爾吉斯坦傳來的一則消息，讓整起事件有了巧妙的轉折；那名被他推下山谷的叛軍份子，其實只是摔在一處陡坡上，然後才滾落山谷，並且奇蹟似的生還了。
He faced another grave moment the following year during an expedition to Kyrgyzstan with fellow climbers John Dickey, Jason Smith, and Beth Rodden, who was then Caldwell's girlfriend and later became his wife. In the Aksu Valley, the four climbers were taken captive by militant rebels of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Over the next six days, they were held at gunpoint and marched at night through the mountains while their captors traded fire with the Kyrgyz army.
The defining moment of their kidnapping came when the four climbers found themselves alone with just one rebel fighter, and Caldwell shoved the gunman off a cliff. They escaped, hiking 18 miles (29 kilometers) to freedom.
Caldwell was distraught over what he thought he'd done. Yet in a bizarre twist, a week later word emerged from Kyrgyzstan that the rebel Caldwell had shoved had actually survived, having only tumbled down a steep hill.
揭開黎明之牆的序幕 BEGINNING THE DAWN WALL
雖然酋長岩上有著多達上百條的路線，但在這些路線中，只有 13 條曾以自由攀登的方式完成。1988 年，Todd Skinner 和 Paul Piana 首度以自由攀登完成了酋長岩最重要的路線之一：Salathé Wall。多年以來，這項成果一直被視為由頂尖攀岩者努力開創自由攀登路線的重大成就。
About 100 climbs zig-zag up the face of El Capitan, but only 13 of those routes have been free climbed. In 1988, Todd Skinner and Paul Piana became the first to free climb El Cap via one of its major routes: the Salathé Wall. Over the years, it has always taken a significant effort from a world-class climber or pair of climbers to establish a new free climb.
Tommy (圖左) 與 Kevin 於 2010 年嘗試自由攀登黎明之牆。在練習路線上的動作後，他們回到他們的岩壁帳稍作休息。 Caldwell (left) and Jorgeson take a break at their hanging camp while practicing to free climb the sheer expanse of El Capitan known as the Dawn Wall in 2010. PHOTOGRAPH BY JIMMY CHIN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE
只有極少數的攀岩者，能讓自由攀登酋長岩看起來很容易，而 Tommy 就是其中之一。因為他有著獨一無二的紀錄 – 自由攀登完攀酋長岩上 13 條路線中的 11 條。甚至還有一次，Tommy 為了訓練，在 24 小時內一口氣爬完酋長岩上的兩條路線。換句話說，他先爬完一條長達 900 米的困難路線，徒步健行 8 公里回到岩壁底部，然後再爬完另一條路線，全部都在一天內完成，而這只是為了攀登黎明之牆所做的訓練。
2007 年，Tommy 經歷了人生另一次的低潮：他與 Beth Rodden (同為知名的職業攀岩者) 離婚了。「那是我人生中最黑暗的一段時光」Tommy 在《登頂》雜誌中寫道：「而黎明之牆就成了幫我轉移注意力的絕佳選擇。」
即便自由攀登黎明之牆看似如此遙不可及，但 Tommy 還是將自己完全投入這項計畫裡。光是找出路線，就耗費他一整年的時光。在這段過程裡，他必須先垂降到岩壁上，然後在岩壁上來回擺盪，找出所有能用的手腳點，並且還要能串連起來，讓他可以不斷往上攀爬。而同樣曠日廢時的，是他必須在那些沒有裂隙可用的區域裡，將幾十個錨栓 (bolt) 設置在岩壁上。
通常，以手動工具在岩壁上鑽出一個 7.6 公分深的孔 (標準膨脹錨栓所需的深度) 約需 45 分鐘。而為了恪遵自由攀登的精神，Tommy 只在可能會發生致命墜落的地點，放置最少數量的錨樁。
Few have ever made free climbing El Capitan look easy. Tommy Caldwell, however, might be the one exception. He has free climbed 11 of those 13 routes—an unmatched record. For training purposes, Caldwell once free climbed two routes on El Capitan in a 24-hour period. In other words, he free climbed 3,000 feet of difficult rock, hiked five miles (eight kilometers) back down to the base of the wall, and then climbed a different route, all within a single day, and all in the name of training for the Dawn Wall.
In 2007 Caldwell underwent a painful divorce from Beth Rodden, another well-known professional climber. "I was amid the darkest period of my life," Caldwell wrote in Ascent. "The Dawn Wall became an excellent distraction."
Despite the fact that free climbing the Dawn Wall appeared to be impossible, Caldwell threw himself into the project. Simply finding the route took him a full year of exploration. This process involved rappelling down the face and swinging around to identify enough consecutive hand- and footholds to allow for continuous upward passage. Also time-consuming was installing the dozens of protection bolts needed to climb these crackless sections of rock.
To hand drill a single hole three inches deep—the size needed for a standard expansion bolt—takes about 45 minutes. Adhering to the code of free climbing, Caldwell placed the minimum needed to avoid a fatal fall.
2008 年春天，一組製作紀錄片的攝影團隊加入了他的計畫，在酋長岩上為他提供了急需的支援與陪伴。隨後，這段紀錄片被剪入一支名為《Progression》的經典攀岩影片裡，片中呈現出 Tommy 在黎明之牆上努力的過程，並懷疑這條極其困難的路線究竟能不能被他或任何人完攀。「我當時的想法是，這支影片至少能夠讓攀岩界知道這條路線的樣貌」Tommy 說道：「如果我真的沒辦法完成，也許還有別人可以。」
《Progression》上市後，Tommy 說他「幾乎是馬上」就收到 Kevin 的 e-mail。Kevin 說他受到該片的啟發，希望能加入 Tommy 的計畫，「就算只學到自由攀登大岩壁的方法也好。」他寫道。於是在 2009 年秋天，從沒在酋長岩爬過任何路線的 Kevin 就這樣加入了 Tommy 的計畫。然而，對於這樣的組合，大家並不看好。
In the spring of 2008, he was joined on the wall by a documentary film crew, all friends who provided some much-needed company and support. The resulting cult classic climbing film, Progression, showed Caldwell working out the movements and wondering if the route would ever be done by him—or anyone. "I thought that the film would at least show the climbing world what this line was all about," said Caldwell. "If I couldn't do it, then maybe someone else could.”
Caldwell says he received an e-mail from Jorgeson "almost immediately" after Progression was released. Jorgeson said he was inspired by the film and wanted to join Caldwell for the adventure, "even if it's just a way to learn the ways of big-wall free climbing," he wrote. In the fall of 2009, Jorgeson, having never climbed El Cap before, joined forces with Caldwell. By all accounts, they made an unlikely team.
Kevin 正在將醫療用快乾膠塗在纏著膠布的手指上。快乾膠能夠將膠布重疊的部分緊緊黏住，避免在攀登過程中脫落。 Jorgeson brushes Super Glue onto one of his taped fingers. The glue helps keep the tape from separating at the overlaps while he climbs. PHOTOGRAPH BY BLIGH GILLIES, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
由花崗岩塑造出的攀登風格 STYLE DEFINED BY GRANITE
Kevin 來自加州的聖塔羅莎，位於優勝美地西邊約幾小時車程、舊金山北邊約一小時車程。他 11 歲的時候，在一座室內岩場開始接觸攀岩，16 歲時開始參加各種不同的室內攀岩賽事。
他被譽為具有爆發力的攀岩者，專精於抱石 – 泛指 6 米以下，不使用繩索確保的攀岩型態，多半由一連串困難的動作組成。後來，他更將他的專長延伸到有著更高風險的「高抱石」– 泛指不使用繩索確保，攀登更高大的孤立岩體或岩壁，一般定義高度在 18 米以內。
2009 年，Kevin 在加州畢夏普市郊區一處名為 Buttermilks 的天然抱石場，開發了一條名為 Ambrosia 的首攀路線，其特色在於，整條路線充滿各種複雜的動作組合。他當時完攀的這條長達 18 公尺的高抱石路線，被譽為當年最大膽的攀岩成就。
Kevin 在他 16 歲生日那年，初次造訪了優勝美地，並在那裡抱石。自此之後，每年的他都會在生日那天回到這片谷地，因為「這裡的花崗岩造就了我的攀岩風格，也奠定了我想追尋的目標」Kevin 說道：「它對我的影響如此深遠，讓現在的我能在黎明之牆上努力不懈。」
Jorgeson grew up in Santa Rosa, California, a few hours west of Yosemite and an hour north of San Francisco. He started climbing in a gym at age 11 and by 16 was competing in indoor climbing competitions.
He garnered a reputation for being a powerful climber. He specialized in bouldering, which is climbing boulders up to about 20 feet (six meters) tall via the most difficult sequence of moves known. His expertise expanded to include the much riskier "highball bouldering," which means climbing really tall boulders up to 60 feet (18 meters).
In the Buttermilks, a bouldering area outside of Bishop, California, Jorgeson established the first ascent of a boulder called Ambrosia, which features intricately difficult moves along its entire length. His climb of the 60-foot-tall boulder in 2009 was considered one of the boldest climbing achievements of the year.
Jorgeson first visited Yosemite for bouldering on his 16th birthday. He's made a tradition of returning to the valley for his birthday every year since. "The granite here has defined my style and what I like to seek out," Jorgeson said. "It's been hugely influential in leading up to what I'm doing right now on the Dawn Wall."
Tommy 正在攀登「Loop」繩距 – 他為第 16 段繩距開發出來的變化版 – 同樣被列為黎明之牆上最具挑戰性的繩距之一。 Caldwell climbs the Loop Pitch—his variation of pitch 16—which ranks among the most challenging sections of the Dawn Wall route. PHOTOGRAPH BY COREY RICH, BIG UP PRODUCTIONS/AURORA PHOTOS
高低起伏 HIGHS AND LOWS
2008 年春天，黎明之牆計畫開始的六個月後，Tommy 的注意力已經逐漸從離婚事件上轉移，同時也認識了 Rebecca Pietsch，一位看起來「完全另一個世界的女人啊！」Tommy 說道。
當時的 Rebecca 剛開始接觸攀岩，便問 Tommy 能不能給她一點建議。接著，他們在相識後的一年內結婚。他們的兒子 Fitz，現在已經 21 個月大 – 大概比 Tommy 第一次攀岩時小一歲。
「在過去七年裡，黎明之牆是我生命中唯一不變的目標」Tommy 上週在他的岩壁帳裡透過手機說道：「所有東西都變了，但黎明之牆沒有。」他開玩笑地說：「如果我們真的爬完了，我完全不知道我接下來的生活要怎麼過。我覺得我一定會進入中年危機。」
Rebecca 在她的部落格寫道：「Tommy 為了逃避與他前妻分開的巨大悲傷，因而開始了黎明之牆計畫，當時的他認為這面岩壁是不可能自由攀登的。一年後，他再度回到岩壁上，而我們之間慢慢開始萌芽的情感激勵了 Tommy，讓他相信黎明之牆或許是有機會的。我們的關係和這條路線一起開始，而在這過去的六年裡，黎明之牆一直都和我們的生活交織在一起。」
In the spring of 2008, six months after starting the Dawn Wall project partly to take his mind off his recent divorce, Caldwell met Rebecca Pietsch, a woman who seemed "way out of my league," says Caldwell.
Pietsch had just started climbing and approached Caldwell, asking if he knew anything about the sport. Within a year after they met, the two were married. Their son, Fitz, is now nearly 21 months old—about a year younger than when Tommy first started climbing.
"The Dawn Wall has been the only constant in my life for the past seven years,” he said last week by phone from his portaledge. “Everything else changed, but the Dawn Wall has still been there.”He added jokingly, "I'm not going to know how to live if we send this thing. I'm totally going to go through a midlife crisis for sure.”
Posting on her blog, Rebecca wrote, "The Dawn Wall started out as a little bit of an escape from a deep pain Tommy felt from the sadness of splitting up with his former wife. He deemed the wall impossible to free climb. He came back to it a year later, and with the excitement of a budding relationship between us decided that the Dawn Wall just might be possible. Our relationship began with this route, and the Dawn Wall has weaved its way through our lives together over the past six years."
黎明之牆同時也是一次機緣，讓 Tommy 成了 Kevin 的良師益友。「有好幾年，我根本完全無法完成第 16 段繩距上的動作」Kevin 說道：「然後這禮拜，我在那一段完全沒墜落。這一切都要歸功於過去這五年內和 Tommy 相處的那些時光。因為有他，我才能學會這種型態的攀登方式。」
過去這五年內，Tommy 和 Kevin 在黎明之牆上總共進行了五次嘗試，每一次都是從平地起攀。而這一路上也充滿了許多高低起伏。2011 年，Kevin 在第 16 段繩距上的一次墜落，讓他拉傷了腳踝的韌帶，導致他在那一年裡不得不暫時退下戰線。
2013 年，Tommy 在一次拖吊背包 (haul bag) 掉落的意外中傷到了他的肋骨。當時他那重達 45 公斤的拖吊背包，正以一條長達 30 米的工作繩扣在他吊帶背後的拖吊環上，當拖吊背包意外掉落後，巨大的衝擊力道將他的上半身往下拉扯，並導致一根肋骨與胸骨之間的軟骨斷裂。同年，美國政府也宣布暫時關閉所有國家公園，包括優勝美地。這也奪去他們所剩不多的寶貴時間，讓他們無法回到路線上繼續嘗試。
在他們嘗試的這幾年裡，也有許多世界頂尖好手加入 Tommy 和 Kevin，一起嘗試那些最困難的繩距，試圖協助他們解開這片困難而複雜的「自由攀登拼圖」。許多美國攀岩界的重要角色都曾經嘗試過黎明之牆，包括 Jonathan Siegrist、Alex Honnold、以及 Chris Sharma。
The Dawn Wall has also been an opportunity for Caldwell to be a mentor to Jorgeson. "For so many years, I could never do the moves on pitch 16," said Jorgeson. "Then, this week, I never fell on that section. A lot of that comes from spending so much time with Tommy over the last five years. Through him, I've learned how to approach this type of climbing."
Caldwell and Jorgeson have made five attempts over the past half decade to free climb the Dawn Wall from bottom to top. Over the years, highs and lows have abounded. In 2011, Jorgeson took a fall on pitch 16 and pulled ligaments in his ankle, sidelining him for the rest of the year.
In 2013, Caldwell fractured a rib when he dropped a hundred-pound haul bag that was attached to his harness via a hundred-foot rope; the force of the bag hitting the end of the line pulled the rib out of place. Also that year, the government shutdown closed all national parks, including Yosemite, stealing away valuable time for the climbers to spend on the route.
Over the years, some of the strongest free climbers in the world have joined Caldwell and Jorgeson to work on unlocking the free-climbing "puzzle" of the hardest pitches. Some of the biggest names in American rock climbing have tried their hands at the Dawn Wall, including Jonathan Siegrist, Alex Honnold, and Chris Sharma.
自 2009 年開始，Kevin 參與了 Tommy 每一次的嘗試，也一直都是 Tommy 最堅實的繩伴。剛開始時，他從未在酋長岩爬過任何路線，是以酋長岩新手的身份加入；而現在，經過五年的努力，他終於完成了他在酋長岩的第一條路線，而且還是最困難的路線。
「Tommy 和我有著截然不同的個性和態度」Kevin 說道：「但我覺得我們磨合得非常好。這條路線之所以能夠完成，有很大一部分是因為 Tommy 的樂觀。因為在過去這六年裡，有太多事可以讓我們決定它是一項不可能完成的計畫。在這個計畫裡學到的樂觀態度，讓我的人生受益良多。」
對 Tommy而言，這項成就已然成為他攀岩生涯裡的最高峰，而那些經歷也讓他學會了要不斷追尋人生中的遠大目標。「對我來說，我希望能讓 Fitz (Tommy 的兒子) 知道一些最重要的價值觀，而黎明之牆就是最完美的地方」Tommy 在 Instagram 一張他抱著兒子的照片上寫道：「樂觀、毅力、全然地投入、和懷抱遠大夢想的重要。」
Jorgeson has been Caldwell's most consistent partner, and since 2009 he has joined Caldwell on every attempt. He started out having never free climbed even one route on El Cap. Today, after five years of work, he has finally completed his first, the most difficult of them all.
"Tommy and I have very different attitudes and personalities," Jorgeson said. "But I think they balance each other out really well. Tommy's optimism is, in a lot of ways, why this route is coming together. It would be really easy to write off the Dawn Wall as impossible over the last six years. I've benefited from having that optimistic attitude in my life for this project."
For Caldwell, this achievement has come to represent the culmination of all his years of climbing, and all that climbing has taught him about achieving big goals in life. "For me the Dawn Wall is the perfect venue for some of the most important values I want to show [my son] Fitz," Caldwell wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of him hugging his son. "Optimism, perseverance, dedication and the importance of dreaming big."
Andrew Bisharat 是攀岩者，也是國家地理探險部落格的作家。可在 Twitter 上追蹤他的動態。
Andrew Bisharat is a climber and a writer for National Geographic's adventure blog. Follow him on Twitter.