Lafayette man completes 100th ascent of El Capitan
Hans Florine reaches the final anchor on the Nose Route up El Capitan.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KTVU) -- A Lafayette man completed his 100th climb of the Nose Route of Yosemite National Park's iconic rock formation El Capitan on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.
Hans Florine, 51, world-renowned rock climber and manager of Diablo Rock Gym in Concord, began the vertical climb on Thursday and reached the summit two days and more than 3,000 feet later.
For this particular ascent, Florine brought along two first-time El Capitan climbers -- adventure writer Jayme Moye of Boulder, Colorado, and adventurer Fiona Thornewell, of London, according to the park service.
"I chose to do it with people who haven't done it before to experience their emotions," Florine said. "There is a crazy excitement and joy in being on a big wall for the first time and seeing it through their eyes."
Even though this was the 100th time Florine reached the top of the El Capitan, he has climbed the famous rock 160 times, according to the park service.
"El Capitan is both the most beautiful rock and has the best routes of any rock in the world," Florine said. "It is super wild and big and very accessible. That combination doesn't exist anywhere else in the world."
According to Florine, he will be dedicating a chapter to this milestone climb in his book, "On the Nose: A Lifelong Obsession with Yosemite's Most Iconic Big Wall Climb."
Florine is also the record-holder for speed-climbing El Capitan's Nose Route in two hours, 23 minutes, and 46 seconds with fellow climber Alex Honnold on June 17, 2012, according to the National Park Service.
Florine's 100th ascent coincidentally falls on Yosemite National Park's 125th anniversary year, which officially falls on Oct. 1, according to the park service.
He said he plans to return to Yosemite next weekend for the park's "Facelift" event, an annual park-wide volunteer cleanup effort following the busy visitor season.
Referring to his 100th ascent, Florine said, "In my way, it's my celebration of national parks."