Windstorm, Perilous Conditions Get The Best Of Men Attempting 'Free Climb' On Yosemite's El Capitan

YOSEMITE (KPIX5) -- Two men are attempting one of the world's toughest rock climbs at Yosemite.

The pair have been on the vertical face of El Capitan since December 27th, taking a route never attempted before.

The edge between victory and defeat is a few skin cells, and it appears one of the climbers is losing the battle.

There is nothing easy about climbing 3000 feet straight up with just your hands and feet, and Santa Rosa climber, Kevin Jorgeson has reached a critical juncture – Dawn Wall.

"It kinda gives me fits because you'll feel totally fine and then your foot will just pop off," said Jorgeson.

Facebook photos document hikers' struggle on #DawnWall at Yosemite – 2.5K likes – LA Times article here

In climber's lingo, a section of rock is "pitch" -- and Jorgeson appears to have met his match with Pitch 15. It's considered one of the toughest in the world.

On his Facebook page, he posted, "My battle with Pitch 15 continues. After 6 years of work, my Dawn Wall quest comes down to sending this pitch."

The problem is the skin on Jorgeson's fingers is gone.

He's using tape to prevent stop the rock from wearing through his flesh.

Mother nature isn't helping either. There's a cold arctic windstorm happening Thursday. It's getting pretty rowdy.

Kevin and his climbing partner, Tommy Caldwell chose to hike in the winter so their hands wouldn't sweat and their shoes would grip better.

But the winds that howl through the Yosemite Valley are bone-chilling.

While Jorgeson's trek is stalling out, Caldwell seems poised to conquer the rock.

He successfully climbed Pitch15, as well as 14 and 16 – both equally tricky.

Even before losing their precious skin, the climb hasn't been easy. There have been chunks of ice falling perilously close to the climbers.