Google Street View Takes Us to the Dawn Wall

In January of this year, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captured the attention of the world with their free climb of the massive and iconic Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park. We all watched with baited breath as the two men struggled for days on a rock face that is incredibly smooth, difficult, and terrifying. And when they eventually finished the herculean task that they had set before themselves, we all cheered their efforts mightily.

Most of us will never get the chance to attempt the climb it for ourselves, as the Dawn Wall is definitely not for the faint of heart or those lacking in world class climbing skills. But, thanks to the magic of Google Street View, we can all experience what it was like for Tommy and Kevin.

Using high tech cameras that capture images in 360º at the same time, Street View takes us to pitch 15 on the Dawn Wall, which many argue is the toughest section of the entire climb. Through this technology, you'll gain even more respect for what Caldwell and Jorgeson were able to accomplish just by getting an up close and personal look at their obstacle without ever having to leave the comfort and safety of your own home.

The most striking thing about these Street View images for me are just how few hand and footholds there are for the climbers to use on their way up this pitch. But on top of that, being able to pan the camera around and see how far below the Yosemite Valley actually is has to be incredibly nerve wracking as well. This is a good way to put the climb into perspective for non-rock climbers for sure.

Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

Mammut's #Project360 Takes Us Up Iconic Mountains Without Ever Leaving Home

An ambitious new undertaking from Mammut is giving armchair mountaineers an opportunity to climb some of the most iconic mountains in the world without ever having to leave those armchairs.

The gear company sent top climbers up major peaks such as the Eiger, El Capitan, and the Matterhorn while wearing specially built camera systems that captured their routes in full 360º images. Those images were then stitched together and placed online, allowing us to take a virtual expedition up those same mountains from the safety of our homes.

Dubbed #Project360, the website hosting these virtual climbs is now online and accessible by the general public. In addition to the mountains listed above, it also offers a virtual climb of Mt. Elbrus – the tallest peak in Europe – and Rübezahl, a massive frozen waterfall in Switzerland. The Mönch – another iconic European peak – is listed as "coming soon."

These virtual climbs work much like Google Street View in that it gives viewers the opportunity to move up and down these mountains, and pan the camera around 360º to get a better view of the landscapes. The result is an opportunity to see what these climbing routes are like, and just how high up they actually are, to better appreciate what climbers must overcome on the way to the top.

This is definitely a fun and impressive way to kill some time on your computer without fear of altitude sickness or vertigo. You can check it out for yourself by clicking here. And if you want to know more about how the project was created, watch the video below.