“We've got to pace ourselves.”
Por qué es buena
A four-word order that names the one virtue an endurance climb demands.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
We have got to pace ourselves in the first ten kilometres.
00:00 / 03:29
00:00 / 03:29
Day Three on the Dawn Wall, Explained
The Dawn Wall · 2017
Capítulo 10 de 24 · 3'29"
Three days up, both men sick with colds, they push through pitch after pitch and decide to rest before a storm. Down in the meadow, a small crowd gathers with binoculars to watch, and "It's definitely a moment in history," one onlooker says. "We've got to pace ourselves," Tommy notes, even as the forecast warns of seventy-five-mile gusts.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:44–1:06
❝ Monólogo · 6 frases Watching a Moment in History
22s - 1:10–1:57
Pacing Themselves on the Wall
48s - 2:13–3:20
A Winter Storm Hits the Wall
67s
Day Three on the Dawn Wall, explained
What happens
Day three on the wall: Tommy and Kevin are both fighting colds, stuffy and achy, yet they finish pitch 10 and decide to slow down to one or two pitches a day. Below, a small crowd gathers in the meadow with telescopes to watch the historic attempt. A winter storm is forecast, with winds that will make the portaledges fly.
What's really going on
The chapter is about the strange audience a private obsession attracts. Up on the wall it is a battle with a cold, a runny nose and aching muscles; down below it has become a public event, with strangers driving in from Sacramento and peering through binoculars. "It's definitely a moment in history," one of them says, and the line carries both the excitement and the oddness of it. Tommy and Kevin answer with discipline rather than drama: "We've got to pace ourselves," they remind each other, saving their strength for the hard pitches ahead. Then the weather turns, and the film shows what the record really costs — fifty-mile winds, gusts of seventy-five, portaledges slamming into the rock. And Tommy, impossibly, feels at home in it.
Key lines & what they mean
- “We've got to pace ourselves.”
- The plan stated mid-climb: with many hard pitches still ahead, the goal is to save energy rather than burn it.
- “There's nobody else on the Wall.”
- A line that measures both the danger and the privilege: in these conditions, they are alone on El Capitan.
- “It's definitely a moment in history.”
- The spectators' verdict on what they are watching, said with the certainty of people who came specifically to witness it.
- “These guys are up there in the middle of winter, which is almost unheard of.”
- The feat framed by how rare it is: attempting the wall in winter has essentially never been done.
- “To be able to be a part of that and witness it is pretty phenomenal.”
- An onlooker's gratitude at being present for the attempt, describing the experience as remarkable.
- “I usually don't come in the winter, but this is big news in climbing.”
- The reason even a winter-averse photographer shows up: the attempt is important enough to break his own habits.
- “I don't know what's wrong with me, but I love this shit.”
- Tommy's confession at the end: suffering in the cold and wind, he admits he cannot help loving it.
Theme
- Courage — Sick and facing a winter storm, Tommy and Kevin keep climbing and pace themselves for the harder pitches ahead.
- Ambition — A private attempt becomes a public spectacle, with crowds and photographers watching a moment they believe is history.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel6/8
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“There's nobody else on the Wall.”
Por qué es buena
No drama, just an observation that makes the isolation and the feat real.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
At six in the morning there is nobody else in the pool.
“It's definitely a moment in history.”
Por qué es buena
A flat declaration that turns watching into witnessing something historic.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Seeing her first solo show was definitely a moment in history.
“These guys are up there in the middle of winter, which is almost unheard of.”
Por qué es buena
Season and rarity in one clause make the praise without a single exclamation.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
He finished the race in winter, which is almost unheard of.
“To be able to be a part of that and witness it is pretty phenomenal.”
Por qué es buena
Witnessing becomes a privilege, ambition wrapped in genuine awe.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
To be able to be a part of that opening ceremony is an honour.
“I usually don't come in the winter, but this is big news in climbing.”
Por qué es buena
Breaking a personal habit to show up says how big the news really is.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I usually don't travel for work, but this is big news for us.
“I don't know what's wrong with me, but I love this shit.”
Por qué es buena
A swear seals the admission: this ordeal is exactly what he loves.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I do not know what is wrong with me, but I love this weather.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ the photographer's vigil
My name is Tom Evans. I've been for many years photographing climbers on El Cap. I usually don't come in the winter, but this is big news in climbing. And we've all been pulling for him for many years. I was on a little vacation from work, and I decided to come out from Sacramento to watch these guys climb the Dawn Wall. It's definitely a moment in history. To be able to be a part of that and witness it is pretty phenomenal.
The photographer introduces himself, then builds quiet awe into a declaration of witness.
Siguiente · 11a far cry fromLa escena: Ice Missiles Hit the Dawn WallIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- The cold itself is equipment: it keeps the hands from sweating.
- Watchers below turn a private climb into public history.
- Pacing matters more than strength on a long wall.
- Tommy treats the storm as home.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseHow did Tommy and Kevin feel on day three?
Both were sick with colds, stuffy and achy, but they still completed pitch 10. They decided to slow down and rest because of the harsh weather forecast.
Why are people gathering below the wall?
The attempt has become a public event. A small crowd, including a photographer who usually avoids winter, gathers in the meadow with binoculars and telescopes to watch the climb.
Why would they want it to be cold?
Cold, dry conditions let their fingers grip the tiny holds better. That is why they climb in winter even though the wind and temperatures are punishing.
Why don't they climb faster?
Because the hardest pitches are still ahead. They decide to pace themselves, taking one or two pitches a day so their fingers and bodies can recover for the crux sections.