The two climbers trying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top.
A spokeswoman said yesterday that 30-year-old Kevin Jorgeson and 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell will likely finish the climb up El Capitan's Dawn Wall today evening.
For 17 days, the two have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men are "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot (914-meter) summit, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls.
Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. Plus, Jorgeson fell 11 times over seven days trying to get past one tough section.
