A man who was paralyzed after a ‘trust fall’ accident has scaled 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite, California.
Zuko Carrasco, 42, was paralyzed after a terrible accident while he led a corporate retreat in 2015.
A professional mountain guide for 10 years Carrasco was taking part in the ‘trust fall’ exercise, in which one person secured by a rope steps off a 40 feet high ledge only to be ‘caught’ by the handler of the rope below.
All the other participants had completed the fall safely and Carrasco was the last to go. However, his partner was not paying attention and allowed him to crash to the earth below, paralyzing him from the waste down.
Now, eight years later he has returned to his love of mountaineering and against the odds scaled the world’s most famous rock climb using only his arms.
Zuko Carrasco, 42, was paralyzed after a terrible accident while he led a corporate retreat in 2015
Now, eight years on he has returned to his love of mountaineering and against the odds scaled the world’s most famous rock climb using only his arms
Carrasco completed the monumental goal last October over the course of a week.
Using only his arms, a good pull’ moved him up about 4 inches.
The task was made even more difficult by the fact that his injury meant he couldn’t sweat properly leaving him vulnerable to heat stroke.
He also experienced dehydration and blisters across his hands.
Upon arriving at the base of the almost vertical cliff last year Carrasco told the LA Times he ‘wanted to puke.’
But his team of nine had spent a year preparing for the ordeal, so they pushed on.
They rigged climbing ropes with a specially designed pulley system, taking inspiration from Mark Wellman, the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan in 1989.
Once the ropes were in place, Carrasco was able to make progress almost completely on his own.
A professional mountain guide for 10 years Carrasco was injured while leading a group of insurance company employees on a rope course as part of an away day
Carrasco completed the monumental goal last October over the course of a week
He also experienced dehydration and blisters across his hands
Upon arriving at the base of the almost vertical cliff last year Carrasco recalled how he ‘wanted to puke.’
It was agonizingly slow, but more than 90 percent of the power came from him, he told the publication.
It was easiest for Carrasco when he was dangling in mid air not touch the wall.
However, when in contact with the rock face his legs were more than dead weight, they dragged across the granite, creating friction and making each pull far harder.
‘That was really, really bad both mentally and physically,’ Carrasco said.
‘What saved me was just being there and enjoying the view,’ Carrasco said about the moments of doubt along the journey.
‘Taking my time, breathing and enjoying the world.’
He reached the summit on October 6 to the delight of his team who shared tears and high-fives.
Reflecting on the accident that rendered him paralyzed and his feelings towards the person who was supposed to catch him Carrasco said he has ‘never talked to him about it.’
Carrasco said he tried to meet up with him once, but the friend didn’t show. ‘I still feel like I want to tell him, you know, don’t feel sorry.’
The adventurer is far from finished however and has already turned his mind to the next challenge.
Carrasco is now planning an epic 1,000-mile handcycle ride through the Peruvian Andes.
The route is wild and demanding, almost 90 percent off-road with 125,000 feet of vertical climbing.