Sam Baker, 8, Becomes Youngest Person to Attempt Climbing Yosemite's El Capitan

An 8-year-old boy is the youngest person ever to attempt to scale El Capitan, a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park that has become one of the most well-known and challenging destinations for rock climbers.

If Sam Baker makes it up the rock face, he will also become the youngest ever to reach El Capitan’s summit, which stands taller than two Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other. 

Sam took to rock climbing at an early age, but there is concern that he may be too young to tackle the challenge.

The National Park Service says there are 100 climbing-related accidents in Yosemite every year.

Sam’s dad, Joe Baker, is with his son every step of the way. He says Sam is using a harness for safety. They spoke to “Good Morning America” Wednesday during an overnight break about one-third of the way up.

The two appeared to be in good spirits and were looking forward to finishing the challenge. 

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