Photo of the Day

Kate Rutherford scaling a rock face next to Yosemite Falls
April 27, 2011

Freestone Climb, Yosemite Falls

This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos

Kate Rutherford can't hear a thing while climbing so close to the roar of Yosemite Falls. She can't find much to hang on to either. The water polishes the rock "like glass." Wearing tape on her hands, she has to repeatedly jam them into fissures for the ascent. Spectacular scenery makes up for the discomfort. The climbing route is called Freestone, Rutherford says, because "it's a peach of a route."

See more pictures from the May 2011 feature story "Daring. Defiant. Free."

Watch a behind-the-scenes video, share it, and unlock bonus footage.


See more pictures of extreme sports »
Learn more about Yosemite National Park »

Photograph by Jimmy Chin
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