In 30 years of climbing, Hans Florine has ascended the Nose route of El Capitan over 100 times, more than anyone else has, and most likely ever will. In On the Nose, Florine describes the most dangerous, pivotal, and inspirational of those climbs, providing a rare look inside the adrenaline-charged world of competitive climbing in Yosemite Valley. He tells of his very first attempt on the Nose, which ended in failure after 14 hours, his friendships - and rivalries - with climbing's most colorful personalities, and his battle with the late Dean Potter to secure the definitive speed record on the Nose - an endeavor that's been called "the wildest competition known to man".