In the world of rock climbing, Tommy Caldwell is one of the all-time great climbers. His many accomplishments, speed records and first ascents are even more impressive when you factor in a traumatic kidnapping in 2000 and the loss of his left index finger in an accident in 2001. Rather than holding him back, Caldwell used these events as fuel, becoming even more determined to reach to top of his game.
He's perhaps best known for his free ascent of the Dawn Wall in 2015, alongside Kevin Jorgeson, which was widely regarded as one of the greatest climbs in history. The achievement was documented in the critically acclaimed 2017 film The Dawn Wall and brought both Yosemite big wall climbing and Caldwell to wider audiences. He also featured prominently in 2018’s smash hit Free Solo, which documented Alex Honnold’s incredible free solo climb of Freerider on El Cap.
