Climber masters 'daunting' El Capitan

SAN FRANCISCO - Alex Honnold had dreamed about climbing the mighty El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety gear for eight years. But every time he looked up the massive granite wall, he found it too daunting.

That was the case until this weekend, when the elite rock climber reached the summit in about four hours using only his hands and feet. The 31-year-old on Saturday became the first to climb the 914-meter granite wall alone without a safety harness or ropes to catch him if he fell.

"I was pretty much elated," Honnold said of reaching the top in a telephone interview on Sunday.