World-renowned climber Emily Harrington, 33, suffered serious injuries after a terrifying fall on Yosemite’s El Capitan on Sunday.
Based on where and how she fell, the biggest concern was serious spinal injuries
The section is a 3,200-foot, almost-sheer granite wall, the same one Alex Honnold free solo climbed in “Free Solo” in 2017. Honnold was there when she fell and helped stabilize her to prepare for evacuation.
Harrington, a five-time US sport climbing champion, posted pictures to her Instagram from her hospital bed Monday, showing the injuries on her face and the intense rope burn on her neck.
“I had an accident yesterday on El Cap. I’m banged up but gonna be ok thankfully,” she wrote.
Her boyfriend, Adrian Ballinger, posted to Instagram saying that Harrington is, “going to be okay,” after she, “crumpled on a ledge after a big fall in below-freezing temperatures with real injuries and a lot of reasons to suspect spinal injury.”
Ballinger recognized and thanked all the people involved in helping save Harrington while praising her for her, “warrior mentality,” and how, “she dealt with the pain, helped where she could, and stayed positive throughout.”
She has become one of the most famous figures in the sport, getting sponsored by outdoor companies like The North Face in support of her numerous achievements, including climbing Mount Everest.
