Jake Whisenant, Who Raced Up Yosemite’s El Capitan at Record Speed, Dies in a Fall

Authorities in California said he died in a climbing accident. He set a record in 2024 for climbing El Capitan’s Lurking Fear route in under three hours.

Jake Whisenant, a climber known for setting speed records in Yosemite National Park, has died in a climbing accident in California.

Jake Whisenant, 30, renowned for his record ascent of El Capitan, died in a Sierra Nevada accident on August 3.

Jake Whisenant, a 30-year-old Mammoth Lakes climber known for record-setting speed ascents on Yosemite's El Capitan, died in a Sierra Nevada accident on August 3, per the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Coroner. No cause of death has been disclosed. His friend Bailee Moore confirmed the news on Instagram, prompting trib

Jake Whisenant Cause of Death: Yosemite speed climber dies in Sierra Nevada accident  MARCA

Jake Whisenant gained national attention in October 2024 when he and a fellow climber completed the Lurking Fear route on El Capitan in just under 3 hours.