Climbing Narcissist » Traditional Climbing

Kruk & Kennedy Weigh In On Cerro Torre Controversy

Narc — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:14:34 +0000

Below is a press release from Jason Kruk and Hayden Kennedy about the recent controversy they found themselves embroiled in down in Patagonia:

“As a society we have removed other mistakes, like the Berlin Wall. History doesn’t stop. History is happening right now. Hopefully the bolts are history someday.” – Zach Smith

If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Cerro Torre on a rare, clear day, you will understand why many consider it the most beautiful and compelling mountain in the world. Messner called it ‘a shriek turned to stone’. The contradiction between its great beauty and its intimidating aspects will make the head spin of any enterprising climber wanting to one day try it.

In mid January, 2012, Hayden Kennedy and I completed the defining climb of our collective careers. But, the mountain and our route have been betrayed by the unfortunate controversy that enshrouds it like the clouds.

We agreed to meet in El Chalten, the gateway town to the range, in early December 2011. In the month leading up to our trip, Hayden and I hadn’t talked much. He was in Turkey sportclimbing and preoccupied with a Norwegian girl there. I was in Mexico flying paragliders. Despite seven seasons of cumulative experience in the range and a lengthy wish-list, we hadn’t talked about any specific objectives other than wanting to ‘climb on the Torres’ and do it in our favorite style – fast, light, and as free as can be. We knew the best laid plans would likely be scattered by the Patagonian winds. Better to be adaptable and simply go with the flow. We have always been on the same page, climbing wise, since our first time tying in together a couple years ago. That was at the base of Cerro Fitz Roy which we climbed via a Patagonian classic, the Supercanaleta (1600m 6a+ 85 degrees), a route that on the first ascent was a high water mark of climbing style. It was completed in 1965 by Argentine climbers Carlos Comesana and Jose Luis Fonrouge in perfect alpine style over a three day round trip, stats very impressive by even modern standards, infinitely more so considering the equipment of the time. It was also the second-ever ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy.

It wasn’t long upon our arrival in El Chalten before the weather looked good enough for an attempt on something. We chose to climb the classic Exocet (500m 6a WI5 MI3), on Aguja Standhardt, the perfect intro route to the specific nuances of Torre climbing. A week or so later we climbed Punta Herron via Spigolo dei Bimbi (350m 6b MI5) as well as the Huber-Schnarf (200m 6b+ MI3), summiting Torre Egger in a long day camp to camp. In this time we also climbed the classic Chiaro di Luna on Aguja St. Exupery and established a new route on Aguja de l’S.

We were certainly fulfilling our plans to ‘climb on the Torres’, having completed routes on three out of the four. Remaining only was Cerro Torre, a mountain I had tried to climb the year before. Chris Geisler and I had reached a point some 40 meters shy of the top of the headwall. We had attempted the southeast ridge, the line of the Compressor Route, but had avoided using any of Maestri’s bolts. When our best guess at the line of weakness up the headwall dead-ended we had two options: retreat, or continue up the bolt line.

We would not summit the Torre that year. Our attempt was soured by the reawakening of the Cerro Torre controversy that Chris and I were now swept up in. Loving the controversy, all the magazines wanted to know my opinion. The hype became too much – recycled garbage. Eventually I was tired of it all, the idea of comparing myself to someone else sickened me. My plan was never to promote my ascent nor defame David Lama.

Hayden and I would focus our energy on another line on the Torre this season: the north face. The wild face is full of adventure and the unknown. Feeling uber-fit and stoked to the max, we knew we had a shot if the weather continued to cooperate. However, the month of January was uncharacteristically warm in the mountains, and attempting the north face seemed just too dangerous. The most logical line to attempt was now my old friend the Southeast Ridge.

On the morning of January 15th Hayden and I left Niponino basecamp, approached Cerro Torre and climbed the 300m mixed ‘approach’ to the Col of Patience slowly, conserving as much energy as possible. Here we relaxed in the shade of our tent, and drank and ate as much as possible. With binoculars, we spied discontinuous features splitting the very left of the headwall that would possibly connect the line Geisler and I had attempted with the summit.

We slept through our 11 p.m. alarm, waking at 2 a.m. We pounded coffee, got psyched, and were climbing by 2:45. Joyous, splitter climbing comprises the majority of the lower SE Ridge. We hooted and hollered into the night as we made very quick time in the dark. We reached the Salvaterra-Mabboni variation just before first light, around 5:00am. The integral ridgeline above was attempted as early as 1968 and finally climbed in 1999 by Ermanno Salvaterra and Mauro Mabboni. From here the Compressor Route beelines inexplicably right, across blank rock and hundreds of bolts. Hayden led the beautiful A1 splitter crack above, using a couple knifeblades in between small cams. The climbing on the ridge above is absolutely brilliant – immaculate 5.10 edges in an exposed position on the arete. Short-fixing off a two-bolt anchor, Hayden continued up the arete at top speed while I followed on the jumars as quickly as possible. I reached the belay, an incredible position at an apex above the south face, gasping for breath. Looking right, ice and mixed terrain led through the ice tower features. Grabbing the rack and changing into crampons, we high-fived and I took off, navigating the ice and mixed pitches, short-fixing the rope for Hayden to follow all the way to the base of the WI5 chimney. This long, steep pitch, first climbed by Josh Wharton and Zack Smith, bypasses yet another bolt ladder up a blank wall to its right. The ice was cold, bullet-hard. I ran it out between three ice screws, Hayden followed. We were at the base of the headwall, elated.

Donning rock shoes, Hayden cast off on the steep ground above. The first two pitches were comprised of athletic 5.11- climbing over large, positive flakes. Deviating just right, then left, of the Compressor bolts, Hayden ran it out between solid cams, commenting on the bliss of the quality movement in such an extreme environment. Reaching a mid-way ledge, Hayden free climbed directly left off the belay, finding free-climbable edges where Chris last year, in a weakened state, had resorted to techno-aid. From this point Chris had placed a bolt in a blank section of rock and had climbed right, across a feature that would eventually deadend on us last year. Hayden reached the bolt and lowered to the level of my belay. Running back and forth across the headwall, Hayden stuck an edge at the apex of this King Swing. More edges led down to a small perch on the immediate left edge of the headwall. Cleaning the pitch and lowering out off the bolt, I joined Hayden at this belay stance, a spot so exposed we may as well have been on the moon.

Above, discontinuous cracks, edges, and ice blobs provided passage up perfect red patina granite. Hayden expertly navigated the complex terrain with a mixture of free and ice climbing. The only aid was in the name of alpine efficiency – stopping to stand in a sling to chop a couple cam placements out of iced-up cracks. After another belay, Hayden, still feeling psyched to lead, lead a brilliant traverse a stones throw from the top of the headwall, following a magic splitter crack. The crack dead-ended and Hayden, arms failing from dehydration, hooked the ultimate moves to the top of the headwall. Hayden started screaming and I knew it was in the bag. I followed the pitch with a massive shit-eating grin. We had held our breath till this point, honestly expecting to be shut down at any moment.

We dropped our gear on the summit snowfield and ran up the final mushroom to the summit. We had just done the first fair-means ascent of the Southeast Ridge of Cerro Torre in 13 hours.

There has been a lot of talk over the years about chopping the Compressor bolts. Undoubtably, it is a lot easier to talk about it than to actually do it and deal with the consequences. After a lengthy introspection on the summit, we knew the act needed to be initiated by one party, without consensus. The tribes will always remain too polarized to reach a common ground. Of course at cocktail hour in El Chalten there was much talk of those ‘what ifs’ of climbing the SE Ridge. Truthfully, during our climb and the days preceding it, Hayden and I talked nothing of removing the bolts.

Fair means does not mean no bolts. Reasonable use of bolts has been a long-accepted practice in this mountain range. Often, steep, blank granite would be folly without the sparing using of this type of protection. We clipped four bolts placed by Salvaterra on his variation – two in a belay and two for protection. At that point on the route, Hayden was short-fixing with a 35 meter loop of slack, surely a death-fall anyways. He could have clearly skipped them, but that’s not the point. These bolts were placed in blank granite, by hand, on otherwise un-protectable terrain. Higher we used the bolt placed by Chris on our attempt last year. Five bolts for four hundred seemed like a pretty good trade to us. We also used two of Maestri’s original belays on the headwall. These were in spots in close-proximity to other natural anchor options. Believe us, we know how to build gear anchors. The fact that we were planning on leaving these bolts in anyways, meant it was too silly not to use them on the ascent. Our ultimate goal was respect for the mountain. The headwall rappels could have been chopped and replaced by nuts and pitons. However, considering that on a beautiful and popular line there will inevitably be rappel anchors in place, it seemed more logical to leave the established anchors, rather than remove them, and let the anchors slowly degrade into the 5 and 6-piece rappel anchors of tattered cord that are found on other popular routes in the range.

In the end, we removed the bolts on the entire headwall and on one of the pitches below. Our best guess would count around 125. We would have continued chopping below, if not for our friends Victor and Ricardo, dependent on the bolts of the 90-meter bolt traverse to descend themselves.

The question that remains, is why? Maestri’s actions were a complete atrocity. His use of bolts and heavy machinery was outrageous, even for the time. The Southeast Ridge was attainable by fair means in the ’70s, he stole that climb from the future.

Cerro Torre, a mountain so perfectly steep on all sides, is the postcard for the ideal that is alpinism. There should be no easy way to the top. The fact that there was a glorified via-ferrata to its summit deeply offended a global community of dedicated alpinists. If Cerro Torre was any more accessible, someone would have chopped Maestri’s bolts a long time ago, returning the mountain to its former grandeur.

Who committed the act of violence against Cerro Torre? Maestri, by installing the bolts, or us, by removing them?

As long as the hardware remained it was justification for the unreasonable use of bolts by others. We are part of the next generation, the young group of aspiring alpinists. This is a statement we felt other young alpinists needed to hear.

Our real feelings were confirmed by three young Argentine climbers we passed on the Torre Glacier while hiking out of the range. Their eyes lit up as they told us how inspired they were to climb on Cerro Torre now, to train harder, to be better. To rise up to the challenge that has been restored to the mountain. Two days later they would make a rare ascent of Aguja Standhardt, via Festerville. Respect.

A bunch of people climbed the Compressor Route and had fun, but now it’s a new era for Cerro Torre. Days after our ascent, young, talented Austrian alpinists, David Lama and Peter Ortner free-climbed their own variation on the Southeast Ridge. This news was greatly inspirational to Hayden and I, and is further proof that the bolts were unnecessary.

It would be hard to claim more authority than Comesana, who, upon hearing the news of our actions responded:

“In my name and the others that resign the dream to climb for first this fantastic mountain I claim for our rights to delete from the walls of Cerro Torre all the remainings – compressor inclusive – of the rape made by Maestri in the ’70′s and I think that no one – for any reason – can have more rights than ours.”

–Jason Kruk, Squamish, BC

–Hayden Kennedy, Carbondale, Colorado

Kruk & Kennedy Weigh In On Cerro Torre Controversy from Climbing Narcissist

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The Plot Thickens On Cerro Torre

Narc — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:04:19 +0000

The plot thickens on Cerro Torre as Kennedy & Kruk’s “fair means” ascent of the Compressor route is quickly followed by David Lama’s first free ascent. Lama posted this update on his Facebook page:

I can’t believe it… For more than three years I was driven by the idea of freeclimbing the Compressor route on Cerro Torre and now this dream has become true!

My partner Peter Ortner and I started on January 19th from El Chalten and hiked in to Nipo Nino, our first camp. The next morning we climbed up to the Col de la Paciencia, rested there for a few hours and then started our attempt at around 1pm. We climbed to the start of the Bolt Traverse, but instead of turning right, we went straight up on the technically difficult arete, a few meters left of the Salvaterra crack. I took a couple of falls, until I figured out the right sequence and then was able to send the pitch on my second try from the belay. A few pitches higher we reached the Iced Towers, where we picked a small ledge into an icefield to bivi. Early the next morning we climbed to the start of the headwall. The fact that Hayden and Jason had chopped Maestri’s bolts a couple of days ago made my endeavour even more challenging, especially mentally as the protection was poor and I had to do long run outs. Climbing on hollow and loose flakes we followed the original Compressor route for three pitches. About 20 meters below the compressor we traversed to the right and then reached a system of cracks and corners that lead us to the summit. Climbing the route in alpine style took us 24 hours from the Col.

To me this first free ascent of the south east ridge of Cerro Torre is the end to the probably greatest adventure I experienced in my life so far. I’m especially proud having it done without adding any bolts. I learned a lot during the past years and climbing in this amazing mountain range has simply been great. Realizing dreams – it couldn’t be any better!

As Lama indicated, the removal of over 100 bolts by Kennedy and Kruk caused him some unanticipated difficulty in his free climbing efforts. The removal of those bolts also stirred up quite the controversy down in El Chalten as Kennedy and Kruk were not well-received upon their return to town. Upon arrival they were met by an angry mob and questioned by police as outlined in this google-translated interview with Kruk, Kennedy, Colin Haley and Rolando Garibotti.

Chopped bolts from Cerro Torre

It will be interesting to get more information from Kennedy and Kruk once they get back to the States. Did they know that Lama was also making an attempt on the line this season? Given the reaction, do they have any regrets? How much is Kruk hoping this Cerro Torre attention makes people forget about this video?

The Plot Thickens On Cerro Torre from Climbing Narcissist

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Deep North: A Trip To The Arrigetch Peaks With Caldwell & Kennedy

Narc — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:02:39 +0000

A few weeks ago Tommy Caldwell and Hayden Kennedy were among a team of climbers featured on the TV show Flying Wild Alaska. In case you missed the show or you lost interest watching pilots fly freight around in the desolate Alaskan winter, here is a short video from Corey Rich and Dane Henry documenting the pair’s efforts:

Deep North: A Trip To The Arrigetch Peaks With Caldwell & Kennedy from Climbing Narcissist

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Kennedy & Kruk Climb Compressor Route By “Fair Means”

Narc — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:04:46 +0000

A lot of sites, including Alpinist, have picked up on the update Colin Haley posted on his Facebook wall indicating that American Hayden Kennedy and Canadian Jason Kruk pulled off the long-awaited “fair-means” ascent of the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre’s Southeast Ridge in Patagonia. The line was infamously bolted using a gas-powered compressor drill by Cesare Maestri during the line’s first ascent in 1970, and this is the first time someone has successfully climbed the line without the use of this bolt ladder. No word on how they managed to pull this off without a camera crew and a slew of extra bolts to aid said camera crew. Developing…

Kennedy & Kruk Climb Compressor Route By “Fair Means” from Climbing Narcissist

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Watch Tommy Caldwell & Others Tonight On The Discovery Channel

Narc — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:35:37 +0000

At this point it would be easy to assume that Tommy Caldwell spends his entire life living on the side of El Capitan, but it turns out that he does take a break every now and again to climb elsewhere. As video proof of this is an episode of the show Flying Wild Alaska which airs tonight at 10 PM EST/PST on The Discovery Channel. Tune in to see Caldwell, Corey Rich, Hayden Kennedy and others exploring a remote wall in Alaska’s Brooks Range.

Here are a couple of preview clips:

Watch Tommy Caldwell & Others Tonight On The Discovery Channel from Climbing Narcissist

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Trotter Does First Repeat Of The Prophet (5.13d R)

Narc — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:30:55 +0000

Tommy Caldwell wasn’t the only person hard at work on the flanks of El Capitan this fall.

Canadians Sonnie Trotter and Will Stanhope were also up on the Big Stone in a prolonged effort of their own to do the first repeat of The Prophet, a bold testpiece on the east edge of El Cap first freed by Leo Houlding in 2010. Trotter had been diligently providing updates on their progress via his blog as they sought to repeat the line in a similar style as Houlding, climbing as much of it in a ground up fashion as possible.

Trotter’s last update on their attempt reads like a Brave & Humble™ manifesto as one has to read very closely to even ascertain that yes, in fact, Trotter did complete the second free ascent of The Prophet. He spends most of the entry extolling the virtues of Stanhope and relishing in the full value of their experience:

It wasn’t just the A1 beauty pitch, it was everything, all wrapped up into one massive and ideal chapter. The beginning and end of everything. I think it was the most savage and satisfying rock climb of my life. One of the hardest routes I have ever done. My first El Cap route ever. And I’m glad it’s over.

Read Trotter’s full update and go back through the archives for the complete story and many great photos as well.

For more on the route, check out this excellent article Houlding wrote for Rock & Ice about the experience and then check out this excerpt from the film Psyche II which shows Houlding on the famed A1 Beauty pitch.

Trotter Does First Repeat Of The Prophet (5.13d R) from Climbing Narcissist

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Caldwell’s Dawn Wall Push Over…For Now

Narc — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:16:45 +0000

In an update on his Facebook page yesterday Tommy Caldwell indicated that he’s given up the hope of completing his Dawn Wall project in a single push, instead opting to go down to the ground to recuperate before returning to his current highpoint to forge higher. After over two weeks on the wall he was able to match his highpoint of pitch 12 from last year but was unable to send pitch 13 despite a prolonged battle.

Update: Caldwell returned for a brief attempt on Pitch 13 but decided to pack up and head home for the season:

In so many ways, free-climbing El Cap seems absurd and contrived. But it drives me in a way that I love, satisfying a deep-rooted curiosity. A need to explore not only what I see, but who I am. I choose to immerse myself in this project again and again because it stretches my imagination and reminds me that I am capable of much more that I am usually aware of. It would be empty without the allure of success. But it doesn’t always end that way. At least for now.

Caldwell’s Dawn Wall Push Over…For Now from Climbing Narcissist

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Caldwell Matches Previous Highpoint On Dawn Wall Project

Narc — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:52:18 +0000

Tommy Caldwell’s push to free a new route up El Capitan’s Dawn Wall is 10 days old now and the events over the past few days were really something.

In between bouts of snow and freezing weather Caldwell set to work on pitch 12 which was his highpoint¹ during last year’s push. Here’s how he described Saturday’s efforts on pitch 12 in an update on his Facebook page²:

That was a intense one today on pitch 12. First I pulled a few pitons and took big falls. Then I broke a few footholds. Five tries later I finally had the new sequence through the bottom worked out. Then I fell at the very end… Twice. Temps never got above freezing. Eight tries in all and no send. The good news is that I am feeling strong. This one just wasn’t in the cards for me today.

Sunday was spent hunkered down in the ledges as pictured above and Monday it was back to work on pitch 12:

Ah yeah!!!! Finally sent pitch 12. Thank god. 13 felt good too. Really sad to see Becca go down. But 10 days was a pretty amazing stretch. Really happy to have Kelly Cordess holding the rope and providing an endless stream of ridiculous comments.

So now it’s on to the heretofore unclimbed “thumbdercling” crux pitches 13 and 14 across the Molar Traverse. Those pitches are followed by one more 5.14 pitch and then the route lets up with some “easier” climbing in the 5.13 range.

But not the team’s highpoint as Jorgeson wasn’t able to free the pitch before the season ended ↩
This push has done wonders for his following on Facebook, growing from very few fans to 3300 and counting in just 10 days ↩

Caldwell Matches Previous Highpoint On Dawn Wall Project from Climbing Narcissist

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Tommy Caldwell Explains His New Approach To Sharing Dawn Wall Updates

Narc — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:08 +0000

Tommy Caldwell has freed the first 11 pitches of his Dawn Wall project and is now working on pitch 12. Of course, you already knew this if you’ve been following the updates and pictures on his Facebook page. For someone who has normally been rather reserved when it comes to the online climbing world, this new level of sharing by Caldwell has caught many by surprise. In this post on The Cleanest Line he explains to friend Kelly Cordes some of the thoughts behind this change:

Although it felt a bit unnatural at first, I decided to embrace the circus on this project. There are many reasons for this. First of all, it becomes a circus whether I like it or not. The Ask a Climber Program here in Yosemite has put the climbers on El Cap on display. There are daily blog updates complete with photos of what is going on. If you can’t fight ‘em, might as well join ‘em.

Tommy Caldwell Explains His New Approach To Sharing Dawn Wall Updates from Climbing Narcissist

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Dawn Wall Push Underway

Narc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:00:04 +0000

Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson returned to Yosemite over a month ago to resume work on their Dawn Wall free climbing project on Yosemite’s El Capitan. Unfortunately, Kevin is out for the season with an ankle injury, but that didn’t stop Tommy from continuing to prepare for a push later in the season.

The time for the push came last Saturday as Caldwell set off up the wall with wife Becca in support. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday he freed pitches 1 through 9 putting several 5.13 and one of the 5.14 pitches behind him. With the crux of the route forthcoming—five of the next six pitches are 5.14—Caldwell took a rest day yesterday and he should be back at it today.

Dawn Wall Project topo – Click to enlarge

Fortunately, Jorgeson’s embracing of social media has rubbed off on Caldwell and we can follow updates from the wall, straight from Caldwell himself, on his Facebook fan page. You’ll also find the updates pulled straight into this site’s sidebar for further convenience.

Best of luck to Tommy!!

Update: I forgot to be more explicit in mentioning this when I first posted this, but Tom Evans has many pictures and updates from Tommy’s push thus far on his excellent El Cap Report.

Dawn Wall Push Underway from Climbing Narcissist

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