Himalayan big wall free climbing?

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Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 4, 2011 - 11:17pm PT

Has a Himalayan big wall ever had a FA go "free" I am asking this out of curiosity because it appears a many people on this forum are proponents of such style.

Also...

Should the ethics of Zion and Yosemite be applied to all big walls or are those two just areas just special?

Note: I am not a big wall climber. I have just wondering what you guys think.

Example of a Himalayan big wall
Bhagirathi 3

john hansen

climber

Dec 4, 2011 - 11:39pm PT

I wonder if any of them have ever even been done, all free, at any time . Let alone on a first ascent.

Maybe that one Steph Davis did with Keenan Harvey and seth? Shipton spire I think,,, Grade 7 but I think there was one section they could not get past thus A0..
Not positive though..

Lotak?

Meru?

The Flame maybe?

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 4, 2011 - 11:49pm PT

The Russians did some serious aid climbing on Lotak 3 if I recall. I was told the Russian Big wall project finally summited this year.

http://teton.outerlocal.com/climbing/latok-iiis-w-face-climbed-at-last-share

The climb was done in capsule-style over 15 days.

The pamirs look to have some cool climbs that could go free in summer.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Dec 4, 2011 - 11:53pm PT

Trango Tower has some free routes.

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/huber_brothers_free-climb_trango_tower/

"Alexander and Thomas Huber have redpointed Eternal Flame (5.13a), a classic 35-pitch route to the summit of 20,508-foot Trango (“Nameless”) Tower in Pakistan. The German brothers managed 5.13 crack climbing at over 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet) on the granite needle. In all, their ascent required half a dozen 5.12 or harder pitches.

This is now the third free route up Trango Tower, after the Slovenian Route, free-climbed at 5.12a in 1988, and the Cowboy Direct (5.13a, 1995). Eternal Flame was established 20 years ago by the German team of Kurt Albert, Wolfgang Güllich, Christoph Stiegler, and Milan Sykora, who free-climbed about 80 percent of the route, with pitches up to 5.12; they were unable to free four pitches."

john hansen

climber

Dec 5, 2011 - 12:00am PT

So Clint, were any of those free climb's First ascents? Per the OP?

Or free ascents of existing climbs?

Edit . looks like the Slovinian route might have been a FA

Porkchop_express

Trad climber

Back in the Gunks for the winter

Dec 5, 2011 - 12:00am PT

Climbing that hard (13s) is almost beyond my comprehension, but doing it at that altitude, in those extreme conditions...those are feats of legend!

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 5, 2011 - 12:03am PT

Boreal makes "free" climbing shoes for the job

Anyone ever tried them out?

Cannot imagine trying to climb above 5.8 in them.

Karl Baba

Trad climber

Yosemite, Ca

Dec 5, 2011 - 12:03am PT

Didn't Todd Skinner do something on the Baltoro. I think the cruxes at least might have had lots of bolts so we can argue about but it was meant to be a free route

Bhagirathi 3, been on the Glacier below it which is the main source of the Ganges. Those peaks look badass. Could be the one blessing on climate change if it becomes less death defying to climb those wild walls

Peace

Karl

jfs

Trad climber

Upper Leftish

Dec 5, 2011 - 12:12am PT

Should the ethics of Zion and Yosemite be applied to all big walls or are those two just areas just special?

Limit your harm, clean up your trash, strive to set a new and higher standard, have fun, come home alive.

I suppose that would be my guiding "ethic" if I were to climb in that part of the world.

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 5, 2011 - 12:27am PT

Limit your harm, clean up your trash, strive to set a new and higher standard, have fun, come home alive.

I suppose that would be my guiding "ethic" if I were to climb in that part of the world.

I was referencing the 3000+ rants about Wing of steel FA team.