Climbing the 3,000-foot vertical rock El Capitan may sound like an extreme sport to most people, but for Ken Yager, it’s a way to relax and be centered.
“I get a focus up there like I’ve never had before,” said Yager, who had his first attempt at the age of 13, and eventually succeeded in 1977, when he was 18 years old.
For decades after, he kept climbing and coaching the younger generation. Meanwhile, he established a climbing museum in Mariposa and an exhibit in Yosemite, as well as initiated and led a famous cleaning effort in Yosemite National Park.
“What I really like about it is that this energy that builds up as it goes, everybody’s feeling really good about cleaning the park. ... It’s one of the few times now—there’s a lot of animosity and a lot of kind of a split country right now, but this event seems to bring everybody together,” Yager said.
Today, Yager will talk about his climbing career and some of the most unforgettable experiences he had while hanging on the cliff, as well as his effort in promoting the sport and preserving its history.
