From Hannah's rundown on YouTube:
When retired British competition climbers Alex Waterhouse and Billy Ridal set out to free climb The Nose on El Capitan last year, they caught the climbing world by surprise.
This iconic 3,000-foot big wall route in Yosemite has only been freed by eight climbers since Lynn Hill claimed its first ascent in 1993. Yet, what shocked people most wasn’t just the difficulty of the endeavour but the duo's unconventional background: both were retired competition climbers with no big wall experience and limited time on rock.
For many, it seemed improbable - even absurd - that they could apply indoor climbing techniques to one of the most revered rock climbs in the world. After all, how could gym-trained athletes tackle a route renowned for its exposure, crack systems, and logistical challenges?
According to Alex, there are no fewer than four coordination moves on the route—proof that dynamic indoor-style movement can appear even on Yosemite granite.
Alex and George were at Hangar Sheffield to host The Climbing Hangar's Big Wall Skills Workshop: a recreation of some of the key pitches from the world's most famous climb, as a series of unique boulder problems.
The member's only event was a chance for climbers to test themselves against some world renowned climbing without the sky-scraping, death-defying heights. Alex was on hand to coach them through the skills and techniques required to put these sections of the famous ascent together.