20th Anniversary Collection: Tommy Caldwell — born to climb The Dawn Wall

Tommy Caldwell grew up exploring Yosemite, looking up at El Capitan's punishing 3000ft sheer rock face. After years of training, he was ready to climb it. 

Tommy is regarded as the world’s best big wall climber.

He spent 15 years ascending various routes on El Capitan, the Yosemite National Park mecca for big wall climbers, until he was finally ready to attempt a route christened 'The Dawn Wall'.

The Dawn Wall is a 3000-foot ascent up sheer rock on the southeast face of El Capitan.

It took Tommy and his partner Kevin Jorgeson 19 days, but in 2015 they became the first to successfully free climb The Dawn Wall.

The accomplishment was the culmination of years of endurance, just only on the wall, but also on the ground. 

As a younger man, Tommy was kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan and he later lost a finger in an accident, which is a particularly devastating loss for a climber. 

Through it all, Tommy says climbing is what kept him sane.

Further information

First broadcast in August, 2019.

A documentary about Tommy and Kevin's climb, The Dawn Wall, is available on Netflix.

2025 update: Tommy has published a best-selling memoir, ‘The Push’.

You can read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores rock climbing, bouldering, California, National Parks, outdoor pursuits, free climbing, sports injuries, documentary, adrenaline sports.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.