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, the Mammoth Lakes speed climber who shattered the record on one of Yosemite's most punishing rock faces, has died at 30 following an accident in California's Sierra Nevada. The Tulare County Sheriff's Office Coroner confirmed Whisenant's death on August 3, but officials have not released details about the circumstances of the accident or […] The post Jake Whisenant, speed climber who set El Capitan record, dead at 30 after Sierra Nevada accident appeared first on American Almanac .
Jake Whisenant, the Mammoth Lakes speed climber who shattered the record on one of Yosemite's most punishing rock faces, has died at 30 following an accident in California's Sierra Nevada. The Tulare County Sheriff's Office Coroner confirmed Whisenant's death on August 3, but officials have not released details about the circumstances of the accident or the precise location within the Sierra Nevada where it occurred. No information has been made public about whether Whisenant was climbing alone or with partners at the time. Whisenant had built a reputation as one of the fastest big-wall climbers in the country. In October 2024, he and climbing partner Brant Hysell completed El Capitan's Lurking Fear route in 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 32…Open