A 30-year-old climber who made headlines for racing up Yosemite’s famed El Capitan in record time has died in an accident in the Sierra Nevada.

Jake Whisenant, a Mammoth Lakes climber known for his speed ascents, died Aug. 3, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Coroner.

Officials have not released further details about the circumstances of the accident.

Jake Whisenant on a rock face, wearing climbing gear, with mountains in the background.5
Yosemite speed climber Jake Whisenant, who set a record for scaling El Capitan, died in a Sierra Nevada accident.Instagram/@jake.doubleyew
His self-described longtime friend Bailee Moore confirmed the death in an Instagram post shared this week.

Jake Whisenant speed climbing El Capitan.5
He died Aug. 3, and officials have not released further details about the circumstances of his fatal accident.Instagram/@jake.doubleyew
The announcement prompted an outpouring of condolences from fellow climbers and members of the climbing community.
Whisenant was part of a climbing scene known for tackling some of the most demanding rock routes in the country, with Yosemite serving as one of the sport’s most iconic destinations. El Capitan, the massive granite monolith rising thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley, is particularly renowned among big-wall climbers.

Whisenant gained national attention in October 2024 when he and South Lake Tahoe climber Brant Hysell completed the Lurking Fear route on El Capitan in just 2 hours, 55 minutes and 32 seconds.

Jake Whisenant, a speed climber, with a wide smile, wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a bright orange jacket, and red gloves, suspended high above Yosemite Valley.5
Whisenant’s death has rocked the climbing community.Instagram/@jake.doubleyew
Climbing magazine Gripped reported that the ascent broke the previous speed record held by Yuji Hirayama and Nick Fowler.

The pair’s record-setting effort came after they had already completed the same route in just over four hours two days earlier, underscoring the pace at which the climbers were pushing themselves on the demanding wall.

Whisenant continued climbing in Yosemite. In May, the Yosemite Climbing Association reported that he and Noah Fox climbed the Nose route twice in a single day, finishing in 14 hours and 38 minutes.

Jake Whisenant, a speed climber, smiling in front of a rock wall.5
Whisenant’s record-setting El Capitan effort came after he had already completed the same route in just over four hours two days earlier.Instagram/@jake.doubleyew
Jake Whisenant (left) and another climber celebrate setting a new speed record for climbing El Capitan.5
Jake Whisenant (left) is pictured. Whisenant had also successfully completed the Nose route at El Capitan an impressive two times in one day.Instagram/@jake.doubleyew

Feed name
The Nose is one of El Capitan’s best-known routes and is considered one of the classic big-wall climbs in Yosemite. Completing it twice in one day is an unusually demanding feat that requires sustained climbing over a lengthy route.

News of Whisenant’s death comes as the climbing community mourns a young climber whose accomplishments had made him a recognizable figure among Yosemite’s increasingly competitive speed-climbing scene.

Moore ended his tribute with a final message to his friend: “I will look for you in every life, my brother. Now go rest high up on that mountain.”

SOURCE: https://nypost.com/2026/08/09/us-news/yosemite-speed-climber-who-set-record-for-scaling-deadly-el-capitan-dies-in-sierra-nevada-accident/