The number of things you can do from the comfort of your computer just went up. A long way up.
Google Maps has teamed up with a group of intrepid climbers to add a virtual tour of El Capitan, a 3,000 foot rock wall in Yosemite National Park, California.
By strapping high definition panoramic cameras to the backs of professional scramblers Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell, the latest Google Maps Streetview Trek is something of a vertigo-inducing spectacle.
Much like the standard version of Streetview, virtual climbers can negotiate the pre-set route by clicking through a series of shots. Each point on the climb features interactive elements pinned to the image, such as information on an anchor point, the height from the ground below and upcoming obstacles. Things get really special if you swivel the camera away from the wall of rock in front of the climber's view and take in the vista awaiting behind (and below).
We've embedded the experience below, but you can find more details on the project here.
Google Maps: Yosemite Street View
