For the first time, two women have won the so-called Yosemite Triple Crown. Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau climbed the three highest peaks in Yosemite – Mount Watkins, Half Dome and El Capitan – in 23 hours and 36 minutes.
On June 8, Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau wrote a piece of climbing history: They were the first women duo to Yosemite Triple Crown – climbing the three highest peaks in one day. Climbing just one of the three often takes amateur climbers several days.
77 pitches and almost 2.500 meters of climbing
With the nose on El Capitan, the northwest face of Half dome and the south wall at Mount Watkins The Yosemite Triple Crown consists of a total of 77 pitches and 2.448 meters of climbing. Plus, there's 30 kilometers of running to connect the routes.
Yosemite Triple Crown: current best times
The current men's record for the Yosemite Triple Crown has been set since the ascent of Tanner Wanish and Michael Vaill at 17 hours and 55 minutes. Kelleghan and Pineau have now set a new record for women with their First Female Ascent.
The number of teams that have mastered this particular challenge can currently be counted on two hands. One exception is Alex Honnoldwho climbed the three peaks solo in around 19 hours.
Kelleghan & Pineau: a dream duo has been found
The first women’s ascent of the Yosemite Triple Crown was on the bucket list of 32-year-old Kate Kelleghan for many years. The American regularly climbs the biggest walls in the USA and is familiar with speed ascents: in 2022 she climbed Half Dome and El Capitan in one day, in 2023 she climbed the Nose in 8 hours and 38 minutes.
In the eight years younger Laura Pineau After a long search, Kelleghan found a partner for her project. The French climber recently climbed the classic Greenspit, previously she had Freerider She gained her first big wall experience on El Capitan. In 2024, she climbed the Nose in just under 13 hours.
No time for breaks, no time for sleep
With their goal set, Kelleghan and Pineau began intensive preparations for the triple in April. The necessary benchmarks for their two-month training: Mount Watkins in five hours, the Nose in seven, and Half Dome in six—just enough time for the descents and ascents, no time for breaks.
On the afternoon of June 7, the duo started on the south side of the Mount Watkins, where they made up a valuable 40 minutes with a personal best time. The subsequent ascent of the Nose went according to plan and the two climbers decided to continue despite threatening storm clouds.
23 hours and 36 minutes after their start, Kelleghan and Pineau finally stood on the Half dome – without sleep or breaks, but with 2.500 meters of climbing and 30 kilometers of hiking under our belts.
It doesn't feel real yet.
Kate Kelleghan
The Yosemite Triple Crown is not the first joint success of Kate Kelleghan and Laura PineauJust this spring, the duo broke the women's speed record on Naked Edge (6c+), one of Colorado's most popular trad routes. The pair climbed the five pitches and nearly 5 meters in 200 minutes and 37 seconds.
That might interest you
- Laura Pineau climbs classic crack Greenspit in Valle dell'Orco | Video
- Soline Kentzel | Solo ascent of the Nose in Yosemite
+ + +
Credits cover photo: Jacek Wejster