Most seven-year-olds celebrate their birthdays with balloons, cake, and gifts. Joey Danger Evermore spent his birthday climbing one of the most famous granite walls in the world. Suspended thousands of feet above the ground inside Yosemite National Park, Joey climbed El Capitan with his family, becoming the youngest known person to complete the ascent.
This feat astounded climbers around the world not only because of Joey’s age, but also because El Capitan is considered one of the most demanding and technically challenging big wall climbs in the world. However, to Joey, the eerie granite face looked like a massive adventure playground suspended above Yosemite Valley.
how Joey is dangerous Climb El Capitan
Joey began the ascent when he was six years old and completed it after he turned seven during the climb, making the accomplishment seem almost surreal even to experienced climbers following the story online.The climb reportedly lasted for five days, during which Joey remained attached to ropes and climbing aid systems while navigating sections of the nearly vertical granite wall. According to his father, Joe Evermore, the family dealt with harsh winds, exposure to the elements, exhaustion, and limited food and water supplies while spending nights suspended above Yosemite Valley.Unlike shorter recreational climbs, big wall ascents on El Capitan require climbers to live directly on the face of the mountain for days at a time.
Climbers often sleep on suspended tents known as portal ledges attached to the cliff itself.Much of the climbing requires Joey to manage ropes and movement techniques independently while remaining securely in order throughout the ascent, Joe Evermore said.
Why is El Capitan one of climbing’s greatest challenges?
Although the summit of El Capitan lies about 7,569 feet above sea level, the famous granite wall rises more than 3,000 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley, making it one of the most popular big wall climbing destinations in the world.Its granite face remained unclimbable for decades because many early climbers thought the wall was impossible to scale. That changed in 1958 when climber Warren Harding and his team completed the first ascent after 45 days using ropes, pitons, and fixed climbing equipment.Since then, El Capitan has become a proving ground for elite climbers attempting challenging multi-day ascents, setting records for speed and free climbing using minimal artificial support.The mountain gained even greater global fame in 2017 when Alex Honnold completed the first ropeless free solo ascent of El Capitan, which was later documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo.Climbing in Yosemite National Park carries significant risks, with the National Park Service reporting more than 100 climbing accidents and 15 to 25 climbing rescues annually across the park. Multiple reports over the years have also stated that more than 30 climbers are believed to have died on El Capitan since the early 1900s due to falls, rappelling accidents, and rock collapses.
The Evermore family’s extraordinary climbing legacy
Joey’s achievement was not the first historic ascent within the Evermore family.Before Joey, the youngest known climber of El Capitan was his older brother Sam Evermore, who completed the climb at the age of eight in 2022.Before Sam’s ascent, climber Salah Schneiter became internationally known in 2019 after climbing El Capitan at the age of 10.The Evermores, based in Colorado Springs, have earned a reputation for adventurous outdoor living and involving their children in challenging wilderness trips from a young age.Joey completed the climb with his father, brothers Sam and Sylvan Evermore, and a documentary crew recording the ascent.
Videos that stunned the Internet
Photos and videos from the climb quickly spread across the Internet due to the extraordinary contrast between Joey’s small frame and the massive granite wall surrounding him.In snapshots shared by the family, Joey appears suspended thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley wearing a bright blue jacket and a colorful climbing helmet emblazoned with a mohawk-style logo.Instead of appearing frightened, the child often appeared calm and playful as he gently jumped down the vertical cliff attached to the ropes.One particularly surreal moment reportedly showed Joey and his brothers playing chess on a narrow ledge while resting high above the valley floor.As Joey approached the summit, supporters gathered below in Yosemite Valley and sang “Happy Birthday” from the ground as Joey continued his climb above.The combination of childhood innocence and extreme exposure helped turn the climb into a viral Internet story almost instantly.
Praise, criticism, and parental discussions
The ascent sparked a heated debate online about parenting, adventure sports and acceptable levels of risk for children.Many people praised Joey’s confidence, discipline and courage, describing the achievement as inspiring.Others questioned whether children should be exposed to such dangerous environments regardless of training or supervision.Critics have argued that El Capitan remains dangerous even for experienced adult climbers and have accused parents of introducing severe dangers too early in childhood.Joe Evermore defended climbing by saying that children are often capable of doing much more than adults assume when they are carefully trained, suitably challenged and properly protected.Speaking about the experience, he said:“Joey’s getting more than just a record. He’s got a new identity.
I can see his confidence building.This debate reflects a broader cultural divide over parenting styles, external risks, and whether challenge or protection benefits children more in the long run.
Joey’s last joke after the historic rise
After completing one of the world’s scariest climbs, Joey reportedly responded to it with humor rather than fear.According to his father, the young climber joked:“I recap at six and seven.”The line refers to the fact that Joey started climbing at the age of six and completed it after he turned seven during the ascent.For most children, turning seven involves birthday parties and gifts. For Joey Danger Evermore, that meant sleeping on a vertical cliff thousands of feet above the ground while climbing one of the world’s most legendary granite walls alongside his family.
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