How Sebastien Berthe Scored the 4th Ascent of The Dawn Wall

Few climbs have captured our collective imagination quite like The Dawn Wall. This notoriously difficult route on El Capitan in Yosemite became a crucible for legendary climber Tommy Caldwell, who spent years developing it.

When Caldwell and partner Kevin Jorgeson finally ascended the entire route in 2015, their triumph became a seminal moment in the history of rock climbing. It has only been repeated by Czech phenom Adam Ondra (in 2016), and it is now widely considered the most difficult big wall climb in the world.

Almost a decade later, Belgian climber Sebastien Berthe has become the fourth person to score an ascent. Climbing mostly with France’s Soline Kentzel in a continuous 14-day push, the duo topped out on January 31.

The 31-year-old overcame a back injury, bad weather, and a bit of despair to etch his name into climbing history. But he still sounded stoked about the accomplishment during a recent interview. Berthe had first attempted The Dawn Wall in 2022, but the 5.14d traverses (the crux of the route) proved as difficult for him as for Jorgeson, whose famous night climb of the traverse became the stuff of legend.

We caught up with Berthe about how he pulled off one of rock climbing’s greatest challenges.

Sebastien Berthe on climbing the Dawn Wall

Sebastien Berthe did much of the climbing at night when the colder temperatures improved friction against the tiny holds. Photo: Soline Kentzel

Why were you inspired to climb The Dawn Wall? 

Berthe: It’s hard to say when I first thought about it. In 2019, I climbed the Nose in eight days. And that was probably my best achievement so far. I had a good feeling about climbing this route. Somehow, I got confident that I was quite good in the Yosemite style and also that I really liked it a lot.

So, after this trip, I was hoping to get back to Yosemite and try a really big goal. I wanted something hard, even if it was too ambitious. I was there in the Valley when Adam climbed it in 2016. It was a dream I had, even though I didn’t know if I could even try it. After the Nose, I knew I had at least a chance.

When did you first learn about The Dawn Wall? 

Berthe: I remembered when Tom and Kevin topped out. I was following their push at the time when I was in Belgium. I remember I was watching when they topped out, and the media circus around it was incredible. It was the first time I had seen that in climbing.

Freeing El Cap

Next year, I came to Yosemite, where Adam was working on it. Seeing him struggling, then doing it, was a big inspiration. At the time, it wasn’t a proper goal or a dream. I hadn’t considered it. I spent too long in the Valley that year. The first month was just going up Astroman and other classics there, and it felt so hard. After my first month, I got somehow used to the climbing and could climb some 5.12s. After two months, I could free El Cap on some routes.

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How would you compare climbing The Dawn Wall to the rest of the Valley? 

Berthe: It’s really a big labor. The big difference is just about the amount of work you have to do just to go climbing.

The first time I tried it two years ago, we spent two weeks just trying to get to the pitches. It was hard to free-climb most of it. We were mostly pulling on cams. It took a lot of time and energy. Even when the lines are fixed, you have to jug up 400 or 500 meters just to practice a 5.14d pitch.

You jug for an hour and a half, usually while hauling gear, sometimes in the full sun. Other times it’s very cold. It’s a lot of work just to get to the climbing. It’s worth doing all that work. But I totally get people who don’t want to get into that.

What Tommy did with this first ascent is even harder. What he did is really crazy.

One boulder after another

How do you think about this route now that you’ve sent it? 

Berthe: It’s really crazy that you can find such a sustained route from the very first all the way to the end. Every pitch is great. There is no one pitch you would take away. What is crazy about it is that it’s just one boulder after another for 600m. And that’s something quite unique.

Are you more attracted to big walls now? Or do you need a break? 

Berthe: It’s hard to say what’s going to be the next thing for me. I really like being up there. I feel like it’s where I’m the most focused, compared to sport climbing or bouldering. But I also know I can’t do it all year. I need some breaks. I’d like to open a big wall one day or free something. That’s been a dream of mine for quite a few years now. There are many other lines on El Cap, but you just need to trust it.

Photo: Soline Kentzel

What was the hardest moment for you?

Berthe: The most difficult moment of the first half was Pitch 14. And I had this back problem. I knew I could do it, but I kept falling, and I couldn’t understand why. To change that was kind of hard. I think I could have stopped there. If I had failed on the second day, I’m not sure I would have kept going. That was a big turning point for me.

Pitches 14 and 15

Mentally, the hardest moment was when I sent Pitches 14 and 15 and saw the weather was turning bad in two days, and I had to get out of there. That was a big challenge. I hadn’t practiced the rest of the pitches as much because I didn’t take the time. The weather forced me to start the push a little earlier than I wanted.

At some point, I realized I might not be able to finish it, and that would have been hard for me. If I would have failed after Pitch 14, I don’t think I would have recovered mentally for an attempt later in the season.

You need to climb The Dawn Wall when it’s really cold. Which means between November and March. But that means storms coming in every two weeks. And you need at least a few weeks to climb the route. So I think that’s how you need to climb it: rushing between the storms. There are so many factors that make it difficult. You also need to have some partners to help you.

Do you have any methods to help you retain focus? 

Berthe: This year, I’ve been working with a climbing coach who helped me to deal with an intense moment, either failure or send. We were working on the momentum, like trying to stay in the positive momentum, even when I was failing…We were working on how to fight better, how to breathe better…That was something that probably made the difference this year than when I tried two years ago.

Photo: Chris Nathalie

Shoes the key

What would you say to another climber who’s considering an attempt on The Dawn Wall? 

Berthe: I would say very practical things, like the shoes, are really key. I don’t like to say that, but you need to bring quite a lot of pairs of shoes. Some shoes are really not working, and some do. Some pitches require more smearing. Other times, you need a really stiff edging shoe. I personally found the Mystic from Scarpa worked best for me.

I was sandpapering my shoes between every try on most pitches, and especially on 14 and 15. I had to be really focused on how I treat the shoe. I would sandpaper each shoe for 3 minutes each until the edge was smooth again. Every time, you’d break a bit of the shoe’s rubber, so you want to equalize.

The skin game

Also, consider your skin and figure out how to build really strong skin. The Dawn Wall has taught me some interesting ways to deal with my skin. Finally, take time to rest because all the work is intense and hard. Don’t rush it too much.

What’s special about The Dawn Wall? 

Berthe: I don’t know. Maybe it’s not so special. The idea of going all free in such a steep and big smooth face is quite amazing. It’s quite a lucky and amazing thing. It’s just a bit harder than other routes. But it’s still only just a climbing route. The uniqueness is about what you bring to it.

I think Tommy’s story makes it special. I was talking a bit with Tommy after the ascent and I felt really thankful for him creating this route. It was more than just the climbing. It was a big part of my life, and I lived some really intense moments up there with the people who supported me, and I think that’s what makes it special.

Do you have plans to climb something even cooler than The Dawn Wall?

Berthe: When you tackle a goal like The Dawn Wall, you feel like it’s a feeling you can have only once. Once I finally climbed my first 9a, I felt like I was just starting. I don’t think I can find something cooler than The Dawn Wall. At least not without spending the next 10 years in the Valley — and I don’t have the time for that! Or the visa.

This article first appeared on GearJunkie.