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Yosemite Climber Pushing To Catch Up To Partner In Record Ascent

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of two climbers attempting a grueling assent up a half-mile of sheer granite in California's Yosemite National Park is making a push to catch his partner.

Thirty-year-old Kevin Jorgeson has been behind 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell for about a week as the two try to scale the Dawn Wall on El Capitan.

On Monday, Jorgeson will try to catch up with Caldwell, of Colorado, at a rare ledge.

From there, it will be a push to the 3,000-foot summit, possibly by mid-week.

Last Friday, Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, California, got past one of the most difficult stretches after days of failed attempts and waiting.

The climbers are two weeks into what is billed as the first free climb of the Dawn Wall.

Free climb means the men are climbing with only safety ropes to guard against deadly falls.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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