Joe Puryear. David Gottlieb

(Back to: Departments, In Memoriam)

Joseph Nicholi Puryear: 1973–2010

By Mark Westman

On October 27, 2010, while unroped on a ridgecrest low on unclimbed Labuche Kang in Tibet, Joe Puryear broke through a cornice and fell 700 feet to the glacier below. Joe was one of the authentic talents of the American climbing community, an inspiration to friends and strangers alike, and he lived an extraordinary life of pure devotion to all that he loved. He was only 37 years old.

Joe was raised on a winery in Washington’s Yakima Valley. His parents, Gail and Shirley Puryear, are a remarkable couple who provided a supportive atmosphere that would allow Joe’s many talents to flourish. Joe was very close to his family, including his sister Tash and her husband, Ben Summit. In his youth Joe became an expert carpenter, an all-around farmhand, and a professional vintner. In his teenage years he also began to take a keen interest in the mountains. This started with skiing and progressed to climbing after his parents took him up Mt. Adams when he was 15. Throughout his life, Joe had a devious and eccentric sense of humor. He loved puzzles, games, and most of all, pushing people’s buttons, but it was always good natured. Unsurprisingly, he took a math degree from the University of Washington, though he knew he would never work in that field. He was a problem solver by nature and endlessly curious, traits that would drive him toward mountain climbing as a full-time pursuit…. (read more)

The route line followed by David Gottlieb and Joe Puryear on the east face of Takargo (6,771m). Joe Puryear

(Back to: Articles, 2011 AAJ)

Nepal’s Rolwaling Valley delivers a paradise of unclimbed waterfall ice and a 6,771-meter virgin summit.

By Joe Puryear

I screamed down to David as I desperately groped for a hold below me, trying to reverse the move I had just made.

“I’m coming off!!!”

The screech of my crampons against rock echoed across the ravine. I was keenly aware of the double-zero Camalot three meters below and a half-driven Lost Arrow piton just below that. These were the only pieces that could possibly keep me off the deck. My mind raced as I thought of an old saying.

Rule #1: don’t fall while ice climbing.

Rule #2: don’t fall while ice climbing in a super-remote location in the middle of nowhere in a Third World country.

Shorty thereafter, I pitched….

* * *

I’d never done the first ascent of a waterfall before. Ice climbing had always been a means to an end. I used it to train and to hone my skills for what I always considered the more dignified objective: alpine climbing. But now things felt different. This place was filled with beautiful unclimbed waterfalls, perhaps a higher concentration than anywhere else in the Himalaya. And there was also a major unclimbed peak near the head of the valley. This journey was like no other…. (read more)

Pedra do Elefante: (1) Pai João (540m, 5.11a X). (2) Sarah Brum (300m, 5.10). (3) Dumbo na Festa do Céu (420m, 5.9). (4) Meleca do Elefante (90m, 5.7). (5) Suvaco de Cobra (130m, 5.11b). (6) Vidas Secas (400m, 5.7 R). (7) Ni’um Homizin (370m, 5.9). (8) Pata de Camelo (480m, 5.11 R/X). (9) Raja (640m, 5.12a). (10) Dona Jararaca (360m, 5.9). (11) Todas as Mulheres do Mundo (400m, 5.10 R). (12) Maria Bonita (125m, 5.12b). (13) A Cerveja do Diabo pro Dono do Céu (475m, 5.13a/A2+). (14) Saracura (540m, 5.11). Otto Faber Jr.

Pedra do Elefante, Saracura.

By Ana Alvarenga, Brazil

After three years of attempts, on August 1, Helena Fagundes and Ralf Côrtes established Saracura (6° VII D4 E3 (BR), which could translate to: 540m, 5.11a), on Pedra do Elefante, near the rural village Taquaril in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro. See pictures at www.abrigodoelefante.com. The route is the eighth to the mountain’s summit. The best season for climbing in the area is from April to October, when the weather is cooler and drier…. (This is the entirety of the report, but the official page is here.)

The new route on Morangma. Mike Libecki

(Back to: South America, Guyana)
Morangma.

By Mike Libecki, AAC

In mid-September, three other guys and I flew to Georgetown, Guyana. None of us knew each other before leaving. It was for a TV show, and I was asked to join at the 11th hour as a climbing guide. The goal was to find a way through the jungle to a large tepui named Weiassipu, climb its first ascent, and explore its unknown sinkholes. Neither the videographer nor the main character had any climbing experience. I had a gut feeling of disaster before we left home.

The Prime Minister of Guyana arranged a helicopter that we needed to get out of the jungle, given the schedule for the project. A couple of Cessnas flew us to the small village of Phillipai. In dugout canoes, we then traveled to a smaller village called Wayalaleng. With more than 20 local porters, we spent several days walking through the jungle to Weiassipu. Absolute mayhem with our local outfitter turned into continuous drama. I’ve never experienced anything like it…. (read more)

Behind the Rainbow, La Proa wall, Monte Roraima. Klaus Fengler

(Back to: South America, Venezuela)

Monte Roraima, Behind the Rainbow.

By Press release provided by Take One Cont@ct for Stefan Glowacz, Germany, AAC

You can still sense the excitement in Stefan Glowacz’s voice. During a short phone call last week, the adrenaline in his blood has not calmed down yet and neither has the joy in his voice! Together with his climbing partner Holger Heuber, the pro climber has reached his great goal of conquering a new route, the La Proa wall, located at the Roraima Tepui in Venezuela.

Stefan Glowacz felt the pressure on this expedition. He and Heuber had to reach their goal without their friend, Kurt Albert, who died in a climbing accident earlier this year. Overwhelmed by grief over the loss of Kurt and also aware of the failure on their first attempt in spring 2010, they came prepared this time with a film team and enormous desire to complete the route…. (read more)

Some of the routes on one aspect (southeast face) of the massive Acopan Tepui: (1) Hasta Luego Taurepan. (2) Jardieneros de Grandes Paretes. (3) Rey Aruagato. (4) Takamajaka. (5) 10 pounds of Tequila. (6) Lapa, Yuca y Kachiri. (7) Chicatino. (8) El Sendero de los Indigenas. Ruediger Helling

(Back to: South America, Venezuela)

2010: Acopan Tepui, Chicatino and Takamajaka.

By Ruediger Helling, Germany

In March, German climbers Jens Richter, Tino Kohbach, Michael Baensch, and I, accompanied by Brits Tony and Sarah Whitehouse, spent two weeks in the Gran Sabana. Inspired by a Stefan Glowacz report from 2007, describing a 700m first ascent, we came prepared for a big wall but instead found the faces and pillars not higher than 300–450m (including the buttress where Glowacz opened his route). Nevertheless, the rock was excellent, providing perfect climbing on steep faces. After two days of jungle experience to explore the base of Acopan, guided by the very friendly local chief Leonardo, we went for a major pillar beside a huge cascade, where, in December 2009, a Polish-Venezuelan team established Lapa, Yuca y Kachiri. That route, however, avoided the impressive upper headwall and moved left around half height to a gully to the top. We chose a line starting to the right and continuing directly through the central pillar to the top…. (read more)

El Camino del Danto, the first route on Adankasima Tepui, rising from the Valle del Tirica. Cheo García, climtepuyes.com

(Back to: South America, Venezuela)

Adankasima Tepui, El Camino del Danto.

By Cheo García, Venezuela, climtepuyes.com

The Adankasima Tepui, in the heart of the Bolivar State, is one of 13 tepuis comprising the Chimanta Massif. It is a magical land, where miles and miles of tepuis and sandstone walls make us forget the chores and daily problems of the city. The magic overcomes us. Adankasima had no recorded visits, though domestic and foreign adventurers have visited other parts of the ChimantaMassif—like Acopan, Upuigma, Amuri, and Churi. There is so much to discover and learn…. (read more)

Saturno from the west: (1) Camino de la Luna y del Sol (Calisaya- Pratt). (2) Plaza Alonso de Mendoza (Garrison-Phillips). Everett Phillips

Cordillera Quimsa Cruz, Monte Rosa, Minute Men, and Saturno, Plaza Alonso de Mendoza.

By Everett Phillips, Intervale, NH

The northern fringe of the Quimsa Cruz comprises Bolivia’s stash of alpine granite. North of the mining town of Villoco, spires and gendarme-protected ridges occupy the sky between 4,000m and 5,000m. Josh Garrison and I visited this area twice between May 1–10. The information we’d collected online and around La Paz before our trip suggested that some of the best climbing was located one ridge north of Villoco in the Mocoya Valley. We completed two new routes there. In our first stay we climbed Minute Men (350m, III 5.8) to the top of Monte Rosa’s (4,710m) south face. The route begins on slabs rising from Laguna Blanca’s northern edge. It trends right on mossy splitters (mostly 5.4/5.5) before moving back left to the ridge at the top. After that, weather closed in so we returned to La Paz to recharge. We returned three days later to climb the west buttress of Saturno…. (read more)

Chamaka, on the southwest face of Serkhe Khollu. Another route, Durch das Nasenloch, by Austrian climbers, has been climbed on the face, but it largely disappeared with glacial retreat. florianhill.com

(Back to: South America, Bolivia, Cordillera Real)

Serkhe Khollu, Chamaka.

By Florian Hill, Austria-Germany

From our base camp on the glimmering shores of Sirki Khota Lake, Robert Rauch, Stefan Berger, and I spotted a logical line on the southwest face of 5,546m Serkhe Khollu, which is the main summit of the Serranias Serkhe and Murillo, situated between Mururata and Chacaltaya. On June 10, in total darkness and sub-zero temperatures, we searched for access to its base. Not even three meters wide, the icefall soared vertically upward. We sorted our gear, racked up, and stepped into unknown terrain…. (read more)

The start to the new route on the south face of Illimani. florianhill.com

(Back to: South America, Bolivia, Cordillera Real)

Cordillera Real, Illimani, Deliver Me.

Compiled from correspondence with Florian Hill and Robert Rauch

At the end of July, Florian Hill (Austria and Germany) and Robert Rauch (Bolivia and Germany) began climbing new ice, rock, and mixed terrain below the gable- end of the southwest ridge of Illimani. The initial passages were threatened by large, broken seracs and had ice to 90°, difficult mixed climbing, and rotten 5th-class rock. Above, they joined much easier terrain on the Sanchez-Mesili southwest ridge route, and endured an unplanned bivy after 17+ hours and about 1,000m. Four days after beginning their climb they reached the main summit (south summit; Pico Sur, 6,439m). Their route gained approximately 1,600m vertical and 6km length. They descended the normal West Ridge route in another two days. The climbers’ individual accounts of the climb differ in many other aspects. (This is the complete text, but more photos are here.)

The new routes on Vicunita, Manon Dos, and Suiricocha. Sophie Denis

(Back to: South America, Peru, Cordillera Central)

Suiricocha, Manon Dos, Vicunita, new routes.

By Sophie Denis, AAC

Over the course of a week in the Cordillera Central in late May, Beto Pinto and I opened three new lines of difficulty MD+. The north face of Suiricocha (5,495m) had nine pitches, finishing with a steep (80°+) pitch of ice and loose rock. The west face of Manon Dos (5,500m) was short, about three pitches of 70–90° ice, but with bad snow, avalanche danger and giant crevasses. Last, we climbed the west face of Vicunita (5,538m), seven pitches including a crux 60m pitch of mixed climbing to 90°.

(This is the complete report, but the page is here.)

Llama Karma, on the southwest face Huaguruncho. Tom Chamberlain

(Back to: South America, Peru, Cordillera Central)

Huaguruncho, Llama Karma to summit ridge.

By Tom Chamberlain, U.K.

Tony Barton and I returned to the Quebrada Huaguruncho after a two-year absence. Our objective was the first ascent of the southwest face of Huaguruncho (5,730m), by the same line we had attempted in 2008 with Olly Metherell. Barton had also previously visited on three other occasions between 2003 and 2006.

We initially planned to acclimatize by climbing the S-couloir of Huarancaya Sur, which had appeared icy and viable in 2008. But conditions were far more dry in 2010, so, instead, we acclimatized on an unclimbed ridge on the rock peak Yanacocha (5,150m), on the south side of the valley…. (read more)

The Spanish climbing on the west face of Mituraju, with Está el Barrio Que da Miedo on the left (ending at the ridge). Equipo Español de Alpinismo

(Back to: South America, Peru, Cordillera Huayhuash)

Mituraju, west face and other activity.

By Sergio Ramírez Carrascal, Peru

The Equipo Español de Alpinismo (Spanish Alpine Climbing Team) installed base camp at Jahuacocha lake – Gocha Cutan (4,066m) on May 20. From there they crossed a dangerous glacier and carried their equipment to high camp (5,000m) on the plateau beneath Rondoy, Mituraju, Jirishanca, Yerupajá Chico, and El Toro. Conditions in most of the mountains last May were very dry and dangerous, with falling rocks and many crevasses.

The brothers Martín and Simón Elías (director of team) attempted a new route on Yerupaja Grande’s (6,634m) southwest face/ridge, reaching 6,200m. Afterward, Alex Corpas, Silvestre Barrientos, Mikel Bonilla, and Simón Elías tried the first repeat of the 1985 Joe Simpson–Simon Yates route the west face of Siula Grande (6,354m), also reaching 6,200m…. (read more)

El Sueño de los Excluidos (right) and La Teoría de la Gota de Agua, with the advanced camp on the vegetated shelf. Roberto Iannilli

(Back to: South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca)

Nevado Quillujirca, El Sueño de los Excluidos and La Teoría de la Gota de Agua.

By Sergio Ramírez Carrascal, Peru

In the Rurec Valley, called by many climbers the “Little Yosemite” of the Andes, an Italian expedition opened two new routes on Nevado Quillujirca (5,040m; Quillujirca is the local name, a.k.a. Huantsán Chico or Shaqsha). The team installed base camp on May 6, with a main objective of Punta Numa’s west face, where in 1997 a Spanish team opened the first route on the impressive granite wall. Due to unfavorable weather, the Italians decided on Nevado Quillujirca instead. On May 11, Roberto Iannilli and Andrea DiDonato climbed 300m up to a large shelf where they installed bivouac equipment and then returned to base camp, leaving fixed ropes…. (read more)

Illusion, on Huantsan North. Sophie Denis

(Back to: South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca)

Huantsan West, Les Trois Mousquetaires; Huantsan North, Illusion.

By Sophie Denis, AAC

From the Rajucolta Valley on July 20, Beto Pinto, Rolando Morales, and I crossed the moraine onto the glacier, navigated extensive crevasses, and camped at approximately 5,100m. The next day, carrying little, we approached the bottom of the face. It was a mess. Hip-deep snow made trail-breaking a challenge and increased the crevasse difficulties, but we finally crossed the bergschrund and began climbing the south face of the west ridge of Huantsan’s west summit. A nice couloir, 50–60° with deep snow and loose rocks, steepened to 70°, 80°, and 90°. At the end of the last pitch, we tunneled through a hanging mushroom, continued to the summit at 7 p.m., and endured an open bivouac. We called our route Les Trois Mousquetaires…. (read more)

Artesonraju, Southwest Face, variation.

By Sergio Ramírez Carrascal, Peru

On June 13, Michael Sanchez Adams (Chile) made a probable new variation (900m, D+ 70–80° M1/M2), solo, to the classic Southwest Face route. He began at 3 a.m., believing that he was on the classic route but he actually was farther right, on the rock band where there are no known routes. He climbed a 350m 70–75° couloir to reach a rock ridge with hard snow and pitches M1/M2. Then, at 5:30 a.m., he traversed left under the characteristic hanging serac. In the final difficult (80°) section he self-belayed 45m, 50m, and 60m pitches. Finally he reached the summit (6,025m) at 3 p.m. and began the long descent.

This is the complete report,but the page is here.

The Chilean attempt on the east face of Torre Norte. A 1993 French route (Bernard-Cayrol-Fabre-Giot-Petitjean) runs fairly parallel and just right of this line, continuing to the summit. Francisco Parada

(Back to South America, Argentina/Chile, Southern Patagonia)

Torre Norte, east face, attempt.

By Francisco Parada, Chile, AAC

Felipe Gonzalez Donoso and I, both from Chile, climbed on the east face of Torre Norte in Torres del Paine National Park in January and February 2009. We climbed all new territory, following three main dihedrals and then through a large overhanging section in the upper wall. We climbed for 11 days with one three-day stop for bad weather. Most of the climbing was icy, forcing us to aid a lot of pitches. Atop pitch 5 we camped for ten nights, as this was the only natural refuge on the wall, protecting us from frequent rockfall. One day we fixed ropes to the top of pitch 8, with plans to try an alpine attack from there to the summit. The next day we climbed for 15 hours in bad weather and darkness, with snow on our climbing shoes and cold in our bones…. (read more)

The lines on Cerros Norte and Moyano. Inset: original route (left) and the new route. Robert Koschitzki

(Back to South America, Argentina/Chile, Southern Patagonia)

Cerro Moyano, correction.

By Markus Kautz, Germany

In the 2009 AAJ, pp. 209–210, Robert Koschitzki reported our climbing what we thought was a new variation on Cerro Moyano. Now, after personal contact with Héctor Cuiñas, a member of the Argentine 1976 first ascent party, we have learned that our route is not a variation of the Argentine Route, but a completely independent one. [The Argentine Route ascends a gully on the left side of the north face (barely visible on the shaded north face in the inset photo in AAJ 2009), then the northeast ridge to the summit—Ed.]

Aguja Desmochada from the east: (1) The Sound and the Fury (Sharratt- Wilkinson, 2006). (2) El Facón (Bowers-Bransby-Tresch, 2004). (3) CoDa (Kauffman-Wharton, 2011). (4) Circus Pets (Fasoldt-Simon, 2011). (5) Puerta Blanca (Huber-Walder, 2007) and (v) Haley-von Birckhahn variation. Colin Haley

(Back to South America, Argentina/Chile, Southern Patagonia)

Aguja Desmochada, CoDa. 

By Josh Wharton, AAC

In mid-February 2011, Neil Kauffman and I climbed a new route on Aguja Desmochada. After climbing the first five pitches of Golden Eagle we traversed right for 500′, below the south face, to a point just right of the obvious overhanging pillar that flanks the wall’s right side. From here we climbed seven new pitches in mostly steep, right-facing corners, before gaining the lower-angled slabs above, and traversing back left to Golden Eagle’s finish. The route is relatively high quality (all routes on Desmochada have a bit of “ball-bearing rock”), and would be a worthy candidate for repeat ascents. I named the climb CoDa (V 5.12- A0), which means the end of a musical movement, and honors my dear friends Jonny Copp and Micah Dash. (This is the entire report, but the page is here.)

Josh Wharton leading the Wave Effect. Nate Opp

(Back to South America, Argentina/Chile, Southern Patagonia)

The Wave Effect (Desmochada, De la Silla, Fitz Roy enchainment).

By Whit Magro, Bozeman, Montana

One tower at a time, Nate Opp, Josh Wharton, and I wanted to do it right. The Wave Effect started with Aguja Desmochada. We linked parts of two different routes: the original Bridwell line, El Condor, and the Huber route, Golden Eagle. The key was freeing the A2 pitch on El Condor, which went at 5.12+, using the rivet and bolt Bridwell placed on the original ascent. We called our free line The Brass Parrot.

Atop Desmochada, as with every summit, the bivy was the main concern. With some work we’d carve little spots for the three of us to cram into our two-man tent with one sleeping bag. We compromised comfort for the ability to travel extremely light. Also, between every tower was extremely exposed ice and snow. We had crampons, and the leader took our single ice tool, while the two followers carried sharp rocks—not ideal, but light…. (read more)