Climbing Quarter Dome with Tommy Caldwell

Tyler Karow films a one-day linkup of Quarter Dome in Yosemite National Park with Tommy Caldwell. The ascent is described as six pitches with a 5.12 crux and a large bivy ledge; the team links several pitches into three long blocks, Tommy leading the first block and the crux, Tyler following and cleaning the 5.12 on top rope (opting for a static move rather than the dyno). The approach from the Yosemite Stables took just under three hours, the round trip was about 14 hours car-to-car, and a wrong pair of climbing shoes adds an unvarnished practical detail to the outing. The film is useful as a compact record of a long multi-pitch, showing route-finding, efficient linking, and the logistics of a fast, low-gear alpine-esque day in the Valley: old rope retrieved from a previous attempt, a bivy ledge stop, and the rhythm of two climbers trading blocks. It’s also notable for the presence of Tommy Caldwell on an objective where linking and hauling pace matter; the footage emphasizes technique on the crux and the decision-making (top-roping a sequence, using a static move, packing a follower rope) rather than stylized editing or narration.