Most seven-year-olds celebrate birthdays with balloons, cake and presents. Joey Danger Evermore spent his birthday climbing one of the world’s most iconic granite walls. Suspended thousands of feet above the ground inside Yosemite National Park, Joey climbed El Capitan alongside his family, becoming the youngest known person to complete the ascent. The achievement stunned climbers around the world not only because of Joey’s age, but because El Capitan is regarded as one of the most technically demanding and challenging big-wall climbs in the world. For Joey, however, the intimidating granite face appeared almost like an enormous adventure playground hanging above Yosemite Valley.
How Joey Danger climbed El Capitan
Joey began the ascent as a six-year-old and completed it after turning seven during the climb, making the achievement feel almost surreal even to experienced climbers following the story online.The climb reportedly lasted five days, during which Joey remained attached to ropes and aid-climbing systems while navigating sections of the nearly vertical granite wall. According to his father, Joe Evermore, the family dealt with harsh winds, exposure to the elements, exhaustion and limited food and water supplies while spending nights suspended high above Yosemite Valley.Unlike shorter recreational climbs, big-wall ascents on El Capitan require climbers to live directly on the mountain face for days at a time. Climbers often sleep on hanging tents known as portaledges attached to the cliff itself.Joe Evermore said much of the climb required Joey to manage ropes and movement techniques independently while remaining safely clipped into the system throughout the ascent.
Why El Capitan is one of climbing’s greatest challenges
Although El Capitan’s summit sits around 7,569 feet above sea level, the famous granite wall rises more than 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley floor, making it one of the world’s most recognised big-wall climbing destinations.Its sheer granite face remained unclimbed for decades because many early climbers believed the wall was impossible to scale. That changed in 1958 when climber Warren Harding and his team completed the first ascent after 45 days using ropes, pitons and fixed climbing equipment.Since then, El Capitan has become a proving ground for elite climbers attempting difficult multi-day ascents, speed records and free climbs using minimal artificial support.The mountain gained even greater worldwide fame in 2017 when Alex Honnold completed the first rope-free free solo ascent of El Capitan, later documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo.Climbing in Yosemite National Park carries significant risks, with the National Park Service reporting more than 100 climbing accidents and between 15 and 25 climbing rescues annually across the park. Multiple reports over the years have also stated that more than 30 climbers are believed to have died on El Capitan since the early 1900s due to falls, rappelling accidents and rockfalls.
The Evermore family’s unusual climbing legacy
Joey’s achievement was not the first historic ascent inside the Evermore family.Before Joey, the youngest known climber to summit El Capitan was reportedly his older brother Sam Evermore, who completed the climb at age eight in 2022.Before Sam’s ascent, climber Selah Schneiter became internationally known in 2019 after climbing El Capitan at age 10.The Evermores, based in Colorado Springs, have built a reputation for adventurous outdoor living and involving their children in demanding wilderness expeditions from a young age.Joey completed the climb alongside his father, his brothers Sam and Sylvan Evermore, and a documentary crew recording the ascent.
The videos that stunned the internet
Images and videos from the climb spread rapidly online because of the extraordinary contrast between Joey’s tiny frame and the enormous granite wall surrounding him.In footage shared by the family, Joey appears suspended thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley wearing a bright blue jacket and a colourful climbing helmet decorated with a mohawk-style crest.Rather than appearing frightened, the child often looked calm and playful while bouncing gently against the vertical cliff attached to ropes.One especially surreal moment reportedly showed Joey and his brothers playing chess on a narrow ledge during a break high above the valley floor.As Joey neared the summit, supporters gathered below in Yosemite Valley and reportedly sang “Happy Birthday” from the ground while he continued climbing overhead.The combination of childhood innocence and extreme exposure helped turn the climb into a viral internet story almost immediately.
Praise, criticism and parenting debates
The ascent sparked sharp debate online about parenting, adventure sports and acceptable levels of risk for children.Many people praised Joey’s confidence, discipline and courage, calling the achievement inspirational.Others questioned whether children should be exposed to such hazardous environments regardless of training or supervision.Critics argued that El Capitan remains dangerous even for experienced adult climbers and accused the parents of introducing extreme risks too early in childhood.Joe Evermore defended the climb by arguing that children are often capable of far more than adults assume when they are trained carefully, challenged appropriately and protected properly.Speaking about the experience, he said:“Joey is gaining so much more than a record. He’s got a new identity. I can see his confidence building.”The debate reflects a wider cultural divide around parenting styles, outdoor risk and whether challenge or protection benefits children more in the long term.
Joey’s final joke after the historic ascent
After completing one of the world’s most intimidating climbs, Joey reportedly responded with humour rather than fear.According to his father, the young climber joked:“I summited at six-seven.”The line referred to the fact that Joey began the climb at age six and completed it after turning seven during the ascent.For most children, turning seven involves birthday parties and presents. For Joey Danger Evermore, it meant sleeping on a vertical cliff face thousands of feet above the ground while climbing one of the world’s most legendary granite walls alongside his family.
