0:00:18 > 0:00:20BIRD SCREECHES
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Hello. I'm Ella, and right now,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I don't know how the rest of my life is going to pan out.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30I guess it could go one of two ways - up...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32or a very long way down.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40I'm attempting to climb one of the world's biggest rock faces.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's called El Capitan, or El Cap for short.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's in the USA.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51It's nearly a kilometre high, which probably doesn't sound like much,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54but that's six London Eyes stacked on top of each other.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00In the climbing world, this is one of the toughest challenges there is.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02I kind of underestimated how big it was.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04It's much bigger when you come to this angle.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Many experienced climbers never make it to the top,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12but if I manage it, I'll be the youngest girl ever to do it.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20'I'm 13. I live here in Sheffield with my family.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'I split my time between my mum's house and here at my dad's flat.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26'He's a famous climber.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29'He travels all over the world to climb the biggest,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31'scariest rock faces he can find.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33'I've grown up with his love for it,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36'and I guess that's where it all began.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42'My friends all think I'm a bit mad for liking climbing so much.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45'But my head for heights does come in handy sometimes.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47'We all go cheerleading together
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'and I'm the one who gets to go flying through the air.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'Actually, everyone in my dad's family is nuts about climbing.'
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'Dad loves to talk about his climbing adventures.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'I've heard all his stories over and over again.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07'So, last year, to keep him quiet, I said, "I bet I could do that."'
0:02:07 > 0:02:10It's probably the first big decisions of my life to say,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14"Yes, I do want to do this and I am going to do this.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16"I'm going to persevere and, like, do it."
0:02:16 > 0:02:18'And we're off.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23'It's an 11-hour plane journey before we touch down in California.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'I've never been to America before,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'although I did once watch an episode of Friends!
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'This place is WAY bigger than Sheffield.'
0:02:35 > 0:02:36- BOTH:- Whoo-hoo!
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'El Cap is still four hours away by car.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:45'Only one thing for it - road trip.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'Finally, we're in Yosemite National Park.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02'And I get my first glimpse of what I'm going to be climbing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06'O...M...G.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Is that it? Whoa, that's big.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- I expect you feel...- Small.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16HE LAUGHS You are quite small, though.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'To most people, this looks like a cliff.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'But in the climbing world, we call it "a wall".
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'Climbing a big wall is a bit like taking a trip to the moon.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32'We take everything we need to survive,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'like food, water and clothes.'
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'We'll be climbing as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47'so I'm taking one last look
0:03:47 > 0:03:51'at where I'll be spending the next four days.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I kind of underestimated how big it was.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It's much bigger when you come to this angle.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Well, the main reason I'm climbing is cos not many people do it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02It's kind of an individual thing.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05You do everything for yourself. It's like no-one can help you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07It's just you and the wall.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Today's the day.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19It's boiling hot, and loads of people have decided not to climb
0:04:19 > 0:04:21because of the heat.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23But...we're going for it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Well, the height's obviously much bigger from here,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29cos you can just see it and it's kind of like...
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It shows you how big it is compared to in the valley.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It is bigger from here, definitely.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'And this is how we'll do it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'Super-climbers Paul and Aldo lead climb up the route,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47'using the friction from their hands and feet to move up the rock,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'and pulling on bits of equipment that they wedge into cracks.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52'They fix a rope to the wall,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'which is what I'm going to use to climb up.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'Here I go!'
0:05:05 > 0:05:07This is kind of make-or-break time.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09If she struggles on the first little bit,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12then it doesn't bode well for the rest of it.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16It's usually the worst bit, cos you have to dumar such a long way.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23'It's a long way up, and after years of dreaming,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27'months of planning and weeks of waiting, I'm finally on the wall.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'The technique I'm using to climb the wall is called dumaring.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39'Basically, I push myself up with my feet using this foot loop.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41'I slide this clip up the rope,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44'it locks on, and it won't slide back down again.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'To get to the top, I'll just have to do this about, mm...
0:05:47 > 0:05:49'4,000 times.'
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Ugh!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57The rope is 70 metres long,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59so the climb is split into rope lengths,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02or pitches, as climbers call them.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05At the end of each rope length, there's a place called a belay,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08where climbers before us have drilled metal bolts into the rock.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12We clip ourselves in to rest or camp overnight.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15There are 14 pitches on my route up El Cap.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Need to grab my cow's tail.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23'And I've done my first pitch. Only 13 to go.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'It's only eight in the morning, but it's already boiling.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- SHE SIGHS - Need to put some suncream on.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33'Dad is the last member of the team to make it off the ground.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'The whole team is now climbing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37'The only way is up.'
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'When we reach the top of a pitch, Dad has to haul up all the bags
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'with everything we need to survive on the wall.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:54So we've got five people's stuff and lots of water,
0:06:54 > 0:06:59so hauling is turning into a bit of a day-long nightmare.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It's the end of a long day of climbing.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'I'm exhausted. I can't wait to go to sleep.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12'So right here, 150 metres above the ground, is my bedroom for the night.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'The only thing between me and the rocks below is a tiny portaledge -
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'a lightweight metal frame that's a bit like a camp bed.'
0:07:24 > 0:07:28'At this height, you really wouldn't want anything to go wrong.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- CRASHING - Oh!
0:07:33 > 0:07:38'Because of a rope tangle below, my portaledge has become unstable.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- Move your feet.- I am. Right, can you lift it up a bit?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It's fine. I'll just wait until I sort out these stupid straps.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Agh!
0:07:50 > 0:07:51I'll do it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57'Luckily, I'm roped into the wall, as I always am.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59'Dad sorts out the problem.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05'But that's one bedtime I won't be forgetting in a hurry.'
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- BIRDS CALL - 'I'm awake at the crack of dawn.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10'I don't think I've ever seen dawn before.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'But after last night's portaledge incident,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15'I'm just happy to be here.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Time for school.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18No, it's not.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21MUSIC: "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbra
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'When you're climbing big walls, you have to get used to early starts.
0:08:25 > 0:08:31'I am trying, but it's just gone 7.30am, and it's hot already.'
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I think it's at times like this when you start thinking,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37"Was it a good idea?" really, but she'll get up this bit.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It just might take longer than you'd like, really.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42'I've finished the second pitch of the day,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'but Dad's having some problems.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Dad, you've really tangled the rope.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49'He's somehow managed to twist his rope
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'around the bags he's pulling up,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'and if he doesn't untangle it we're going to grind to a halt.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'To fix it, he has to swing out and around.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59'Rather him than me.'
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Whoo!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'We haven't yet reached our planned camp for the night.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'The whole team is exhausted, but we have to keep climbing.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38'I don't mind so much - it's much cooler at night.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:44'Throughout the day on the wall we just eat snacks,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'but at night we have our meal,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'and tonight Paul and Aldo were the chefs.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'On the menu is a wrap with tuna and cream cheese
0:09:52 > 0:09:53'and some curry couscous.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'It may seem like an odd combination
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'but when it's your only meal of the day, it goes down well.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Ow, got indigestion from eating too fast.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Thank you, Paul and Aldo, you made my day.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21# Holiday, oh, holiday The best one of the year... #
0:10:21 > 0:10:26'It's day three of the climb and we are now too far up to go back down.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28'We have to make it to the top.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I'm spraying everyone because everyone smells.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34And it's not nice.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41'These have been the most exhausting days of my life.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'I'm doing 1,000 pull-ups a day,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'I'm burning more calories than I'm eating,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49'and I'm not getting enough sleep.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'But we can't fall behind schedule.'
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So I feel really, really, really tired...
0:10:54 > 0:10:57SHE YAWNS
0:10:57 > 0:11:01..and try and sort of sleep but um...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06..I think on a scale of nought to ten, I'm definitely ten,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08I'm like, so tired.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Doing well, Ella.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It's harder than it looks, seriously.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- Ella?- Yeah.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33What are you going to do when you get on the top?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Er...fall asleep.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- Why don't you sing a song? - I don't want to sing a song.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43# I like to move it, move it I like to move it, move it
0:11:43 > 0:11:47# I like to move it, move it I like to...
0:11:47 > 0:11:49# Move it. #
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'Yeah. Thanks, Dad.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:58I had a mini emotional moment when I was like,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01really sad cos I dropped my iPad.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02It's just sad.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It's been a really hard day.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It looked easy but it's really not. It's horrible
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'It's day 4 and hopefully the last.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'There's no sign of it being any cooler.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'And we're close to the top,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24but it will still take a full day of tough climbing to make it.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- Two more pitches to go - have you got it in you?- Yeah.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Really?- Yeah.- Really?- Yeah.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33'But the end is in sight,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36'and after four days and 13 pitches
0:12:36 > 0:12:40'there's only one more rope length between me and success.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42'I've got to make it.'
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Dad, can I free-climb this last pitch?
0:12:48 > 0:12:50You couldn't talk a few seconds ago!
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Where have you got the energy from?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Well, no, cos dumaring takes more effort.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57OK, I'll belay you up, over.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00'I'm going to attempt to free-climb this last pitch.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'This means using just my hands and feet to scale the rock.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08'I'm still clipped into Dad via the rope, just in case.'
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Come along, it's like climbing on the edge of the world.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'At the start of this journey,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27'I didn't know which way things would work out.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31'But now I do, because I'm about to make it to the top of El Capitan.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:34# Cos, baby, you're a firework
0:13:34 > 0:13:38# Come on, show 'em what you're worth... #
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Remind me never to do that again with any other of my children.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44'I'm Ella.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'I'm 13 years, ten months and eight days old
0:13:47 > 0:13:51'and I'm now the youngest girl ever to climb El Capitan.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53'Oh, yeah. Thanks, Dad.'
0:13:53 > 0:13:56# Cos, baby, you're a firework
0:13:56 > 0:14:01# Come on, show 'em what you're worth
0:14:01 > 0:14:04# Make 'em go "Ah, ah, ah"
0:14:04 > 0:14:07# As you shoot across the sky... #