Dean Potter †

Dean S. Potter (April 14, 1972 – May 16, 2015) was an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, BASEliner, and highliner. He was noted for hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite National Park and Patagonia. Potter died in a wingsuit flying accident in Yosemite National Park.

Potter climbed many new routes and completed many solo ascents in Yosemite and Patagonia. He free-solo climbed a small part of El Capitan in Yosemite, where he pioneered a route he called 'Easy Rider' by climbing down the slabby upper pitches of the route 'Lurking Fear' (hardest moves rated grade 5.10a) and then traversed 'Thanksgiving Ledge' to complete the last six pitches and six hundred feet of the route Free Rider (hardest pitch 5.11d, two pitches of 5.10d, 5.10b, 5.10a and 5.7). This was the first major section of El Capitan to be free soloed, but his path avoided the significantly more challenging climbing on what is the easiest way up El Capitan below (several 5.12 pitches, with difficulty up to 5.12d on 'Free Rider').

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