On the 19th day, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, completing a quest that included years of planning and that many considered the most challenging rock climb in the world.

Dozens of family members and friends greeted the climbers when they reached the top at 3:25 p.m. on a cloudless day.

They are the first to free climb every inch of the 3,000-foot Dawn Wall in a single expedition, long considered impossible, using only their hands and feet to pull themselves up. Ropes were merely safety devices to break the occasional fall. By virtue of its scale and difficulty, the climb was considered by some to be the most difficult ever accomplished.

The view was stunning. What was less clear was just what it was that they accomplished.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/sports...