Alex Honnold’s legendary free solo climb of El Capitan (via the Freerider route) took 3 hours and 56 minutes from base to summit.

Quick Scoop: What Happened?

  • On June 3, 2017, Honnold became the first person ever to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite, meaning he climbed with no ropes or protective gear.
  • He chose the Freerider route, an approximately 3,000‑foot (about 900 m) line up the massive granite wall.
  • His total time on the wall was 3 hours and 56 minutes, an astonishing speed for a route that often takes experienced climbers multiple days with ropes.

Why 3:56 Is So Wild

Most climbers tackle El Capitan as a multi‑day big wall objective, hauling gear, food, and sleeping on the wall. Honnold moved in a continuous, almost unbroken flow, linking hundreds of precise moves with no margin for error, which is why many in the climbing world describe it as one of the greatest athletic feats ever.

In practical terms: what’s a 3–5 day climb for elite roped teams became a sub‑4‑hour solo for Honnold.

Extra Context: Other El Cap Times

To put that 3:56 into perspective, here are a few other notable El Capitan speed numbers associated with Honnold:

  • With Tommy Caldwell, Honnold set a sub‑2‑hour speed record (1:58:07) on The Nose, another famous route on El Capitan.
  • Honnold also holds or has held other El Cap speed marks, including fast ascents of the Salathé Wall (with partner Sean Leary in 4:55, and a solo in 11:18).

These numbers show that his 3:56 free solo wasn’t just about surviving; it was about moving confidently and efficiently on terrain most climbers only tackle with heavy protection.

TL;DR: It took Alex Honnold 3 hours and 56 minutes to climb El Capitan without ropes, a sub‑4‑hour ascent of a wall that usually takes several days.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.