On the Nose: A Lifelong Obsession with Yosemite's Most Iconic Climb

Hans Florine is a big-wall climbing legend in his own time. He holds the speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that's considered the Everest of the rock-climbing world. Ascending the Nose takes most climbers anywhere from twelve to ninety-six hours. Florine, along with climbing partner Alex Honnold, does it in an astounding two and a half hours.

But Florine's story is not one of super-human athletic prowess; it's one of persistence and do...