Given the unbelievable Yosemite achievement on El Capitan by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson yesterday, over here at Moja, we’re kind of on a Big Wall binge …
So, for this Friday Flick Pick we’re featuring Operation Hooker, an EpicTV showcase of Nik Berry’s free ascent of Sendero Luminoso on Wyoming’s remotely located Mt. Hooker from this past August. This line, first aided by Steve Quinlan in 1980, had never previously been successfully freed—but Nik changed that when he took to challenging the 1,800-foot king line with the support of David Allfrey and Mason Earle by his side.
A year prior, the team had freed seven pitches and aided the rest of this legendary route, but were compelled to return this past August for an attempt at freeing the entire route.
It is a perfect line and [Quinlan’s] vision was extraordinary
-Nik Berry
In beasting his way up this 15-pitch, 5.13d alpine route, Nik endured unfathomably cold and windy conditions, but nevertheless completed the climb in just a single push. Watch the tenacity and crushery unfold as Nik and team complete one of the hardest big alpine free climbs in North America.
