Emily Harrington free-climbs storied El Capitan summit in a day

American Emily Harrington is being celebrated for becoming one of the few women to free-climb Yosemite National Park's famous El Capitan within a day.

She is also the first woman to have used a challenging route known as the Golden Gate to reach the 3,000ft (1,000m) summit within 24 hours.

The achievement comes a year after she was sent to hospital after a 150ft fall during an El Capitan climb.

Free-climbers do not use ropes to ascend, but have them for safety.

"I never believed I could actually free-climb El Cap in a day when I first set the goal for myself," the 34-year-old wrote on Instagram.

"Impossible dreams challenge us to rise above who we are now to see if we can become better versions of ourselves."

She set off with her boyfriend, Mount Everest guide Adrian Ballinger, and renowned climber Alex Honnold, who made history when he scaled El Capitan in 2017 solo and unassisted.