Two climbers trying to scale a sheer granite face of the 3,000-foot (900-meter) El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park without climbing tools made a final push toward the summit on Wednesday, hoping to reach the top by late afternoon.
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson were making "great progress" as they sought to become first to climb El Capitan's so-called Dawn Wall without bolts or climbing tools, spokeswoman Jess Clayton said.
Caldwell and Jorgeson, who began their climb on Dec. 27, were expected to celebrate privately with their families at the summit before speaking to reporters in a Yosemite meadow the following day.