how long did it take alex honnold to climb el capitan

Alex Honnold’s famous free solo of El Capitan on June 3, 2017 took just under 4 hours—about 3 hours and 56 minutes from base to summit.

Quick Scoop

• Alex Honnold climbed the 3,000‑foot El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes in about 3 hours 56 minutes.

• This ascent, featured in the film Free Solo , is widely described as one of the greatest feats in climbing and sports history.

• On a separate occasion, he also climbed El Capitan’s Nose route with Tommy Caldwell in 1 hour 58 minutes 7 seconds, but that was a roped speed climb, not the free solo.

So, if you’re asking “how long did it take Alex Honnold to climb El Capitan” in the context of his legendary free solo, the answer is: about 3 hours and 56 minutes.

Mini timeline

1. 1958: First ascent of El Capitan’s Nose took about 45 days spread over 18 months.

2. 2017: Honnold free solos El Capitan in just under 4 hours.

3. 2018: Honnold and Caldwell set a Nose speed record of 1:58:07 with ropes.

Helpful clarification table

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Ascent type	Climbers	Route	Time	Ropes?
Free solo (famous ascent)	Alex Honnold	El Capitan (Freerider)	~3 hours 56 minutes	No
Speed record on The Nose	Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell	The Nose, El Capitan	1:58:07	Yes

**Meta description (SEO)** Find out how long it took Alex Honnold to climb El Capitan, including the time of his legendary free solo ascent and his record-breaking speed climb, plus current context and background.

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