Yosemite speed climber who set record for scaling El Capitan dies in Sierra Nevada accident

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA: Jake Whisenant, a 30-year-old climber who made headlines for racing up Yosemite’s famed El Capitan in record time, has died in an accident in the Sierra Nevada.

Whisenant, a Mammoth Lakes climber known for his speed ascents, died August 3, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Coroner. Officials have not released further details about the circumstances of the accident.

Friend confirms speed climber Jake Whisenant’s death

Whisenant's longtime friend Bailee Moore paid tribute to him on social media, writing that his loved ones take solace in knowing he was doing what he loved when he passed. “It is with an impossibly heavy heart that I share the passing of my lifelong friend and confidant - Jacob Daniel Whisenant,” Moore wrote.

She further added, “Our family is absolutely devastated by this news but find solace in the fact that Jake died doing what he loves in the beautiful Sierra Nevada.” The announcement prompted an outpouring of condolences from fellow climbers and members of the climbing community.

Whisenant gained national attention in October 2024 when he and South Lake Tahoe climber Brant Hysell completed the Lurking Fear route on El Capitan in just 2 hours, 55 minutes and 32 seconds.

Their record-setting ascent came just two days after they had completed the same route in a little over four hours. Climbing magazine Gripped reported that their effort broke the previous speed record held by Yuji Hirayama and Nick Fowler.

Jake Whisenant continued pushing Yosemite’s toughest routes

Whisenant continued climbing in Yosemite after his record-setting ascent, taking on some of the park’s best-known and most demanding routes.

In May, the Yosemite Climbing Association reported that he and Noah Fox climbed the Nose route twice in a single day, completing both ascents in a combined 14 hours and 38 minutes. The feat added to Whisenant’s record of high-level climbing in Yosemite, where he had already gained attention for the speed at which he tackled big-wall routes.

The Nose is one of El Capitan’s most famous climbing routes and is considered a classic big-wall climb in Yosemite. The massive granite formation rises thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley and has long been known for challenging climbers with its demanding routes.

Whisenant’s accomplishments placed him within Yosemite’s competitive speed-climbing scene, where climbers push to complete established routes in increasingly fast times.