Joe Evermore says his 7-year-old son’s ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan brought multiple complaints about his parenting to child welfare officials.
The Colorado father told People that he and his wife, Ann, received a letter saying Child Protective Services had reviewed multiple complaints and declined to pursue them.
Joey Danger Evermore began the five-day ascent at age 6, turned 7 on the wall, and reached the top May 22. Climbing identified him as the youngest person known to ascend El Capitan, breaking a record set by 8-year-old Jackson Houlding in 2024.
The backlash extended beyond Joey’s age. Climbers questioned the family’s description of the ascent, the nine-person support team, a paid porter, safety decisions, and filming on the wall.
What the Ascent Involved
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In the ABC7 report, Joey hangs beside the granite face and calls out, “I’m going to the moon.” El Capitan’s summit is 7,569 feet above sea level, while the formation rises 3,593 feet from its base, according to the National Park Service.
Joey did not lead pitches. He and his older brother Sylvan used mechanical ascenders, or jumars, to move up fixed ropes installed by other climbers. Climbing reported that the nine-person team included two lead climbers, a chief hauler, a camera operator, and two others who helped with filming and equipment moves.
Evermore told Gripped that Joey carried his backpack and was never hauled. He said Joey trained for more than a year on a 30-foot rope five times a day, five days a week. The family also slept in a portaledge hung from a backyard tree and practiced on Yosemite’s Lost Arrow Spire.
Evermore said each son older than 5 gets one major annual mission. His older sons Sam and Sylvan had already completed rope ascents of El Capitan, and Sam later climbed the Matterhorn at age 11.
Why Climbers Objected
An anonymous porter told Climbing that at least one child cried on every pitch, Joey’s unbuckled helmet fell from the wall, and the final push intersected with a Yosemite Search and Rescue operation. The outlet reported that rescuers paused long enough for the children to complete the final pitch, then shared food, jackets, and sleeping bags with them.
Evermore disputed that portrayal. He told Gripped that Joey cried about once per day but never asked to descend. He described the porter as an unhappy, last-minute hire whose own conduct created danger, while acknowledging that he hired the man at the base to move gear.
Climbers also objected to calling the trip a climb because Joey ascended ropes established by the team rather than leading the route. Evermore now calls it an “all-rope ascent” but maintains that moving 3,000 feet up ropes remained a serious physical and mental achievement for a child.
What Yosemite Requires
Yosemite’s published wilderness climbing permit rules do not list a minimum age. Overnight big-wall parties need a free permit covering no more than eight people, and the park asks groups larger than four to discuss their plans with a climbing ranger.
Climbing counted nine people in the Evermore party. Yosemite’s 2026 superintendent’s compendium says filming involving more than eight people requires a permit unless an exception applies. The park also bars compensated services without authorization. The Yosemite Mountaineering School describes itself as the park’s only authorized climbing guide, while Evermore called the person he paid a porter.
The National Park Service says more than 100 climbing accidents occur in Yosemite each year and 15 to 25 parties require rescue. It warns that routes are not maintained, rescue is not guaranteed, and falling objects pose a serious hazard.
Evermore told People that falling objects worried him more than Joey falling because his son remained attached to the wall. “I admit that there are risks, but I think the benefits far outweigh the risks,” he said.