Deep in Jungle, Brazilians Climb New Tepui Route

Monte Roraima, on the border of Venezuela and Guyana, was first scaled in the 1800s, and tales from the adventure inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to pen The Lost World. Even two centuries later, when Eliseu Frechou first approached Monte Roraima by helicopter, his pilot got scared two kilometers from the wall and refused to continue.

Monte Roraima is the largest of the Pakaraima tepuis, huge plateaus that rise from the dense jungles of Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana...

Taken from: Alpinist Magazine.

Americans Climb New Route in Chile

Ian Nicholson and Graham Zimmerman have climbed the east face of Los Gemelos in the Torres del Paine area of Chilean Patagonia, likely making the third ascent of the mountain. The Slash (IV+ 5.10b A2) diagonals across the lower of the twin peaks and then up the southeast ridge of the higher peak...

Taken from: Climbing Magazine.

Winter Routes Erupt Across Europe

From Norway and Scotland to Italy and Spain, ice-climbing conditions have been prime this month. Numerous hard winter lines and notable repeats have been climbed in February, and the momentum for new routes seems only to be growing.

After establishing Spray On, the controversial route documented in the February 1, 2010 NewsWire, Will Gadd headed to Norway with Andreas Spak. Spending February 9-15 in Eidfjord in central Norway, the two, along with photographer Christian Pondella, climbed three big waterfalls. The team believes they were first to climb Skykkjedalsfossen (WI5+ R, 400m) and two challenging falls they left ungraded: Fun Fossen (300m) and Skrikjofossen (500m)...

Taken from: Alpinist Magazine.

Famous Falls Freeze in Norway

In Norway, seven adjacent waterfalls famously drop into Geirangerfjord, a fjord so impressive that it has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Seven Sisters (De syv sostre as they're called in Norwegian), stream over the fjord's 400-meter walls and are a popular attraction in summer months.

In winter, The Seven Sisters flow as usual, the sea-level temperatures warm enough that the falls infrequently solidify. But this year, an extreme and sustained arctic snap convinced four Norwegians to scout the waterfalls in hopes of finding them frozen. Bjarte Bo, Henki Flatlandsmo, Eiliv Ruud and Sindre Saether rented a boat on February 1 and found two obvious, beautiful ice lines. After controlling their excitement, they decided they would split into two rope teams but climb the main icefall, on the left...

Taken from: Alpinist Magazine.

Pit of Zombies

What could have been better to complete a great Saturday? Attending a death metal gig, of course! After coming down from the mountain, Octavio, Odi and I headbanged at a looong & aggressive setlist of Cannibal Corpse's brutal music :)

The Mexican Alps?

Sometimes a few pictures are better than a bunch of words...

On Saturday morning I made a direct climb of Nevado de Toluca in its current alpine conditions. I believe most of the mountain's couloirs and arêtes haven't been so snowed (and icy) for 15 years at least. My time from car to summit: 3 hours 44 minutes, 6 hours 12 minutes for the full roundtrip.

I made a brief stop for a quick lunch at the crater's lip after coming down from the summit. The weather was perfect, the day beautiful and the views awesome! I felt like I was having a day out in the French Alps but, fortunately, this was Mexico :)

All photos can be seen here.

Eleven First Ascents in Antarctica

Over three weeks in November and December of 2009, Austrians Christoph Hobenreich, Paul Koller and Karl Pichler explored three areas east of the Ulvetanna Group—Holtedahlfjella, Kurzefjella and Conradfjella—in Antarctica's Queen Maud Land. The trio summited 15 peaks and nunataks, including the already-established Tungespissen (2277m), Mundlauga (2455m) and Sandneshatten (2280 m); they believe 11 of their climbs were first ascents...

Taken from: Alpinist Magazine.

Solo New Route on Aconcagua South Face

American Chad Kellogg has soloed a dangerous new line on the famed south face of Aconcagua (6,962m/22,841').

Kellogg traveled to Argentina with Rory Stark, aiming to acclimatize on the normal route on Aconcagua's north side and then attempt a line on the south face. Kellogg also wanted to try a one-day round trip on the normal route.

As planned, Kellogg summited via the normal route on December 17, but Stark was stricken with altitude sickness high on the mountain. With the help of some fellow Americans, they descended all the way to base camp that day, but Stark remained severely ill and had to be helicoptered to town for treatment; he eventually returned to his home in Alaska and recovered...

Taken from: Climbing Magazine.

Steck Solos Ginat in 2:08

Ueli Steck, the talented and speedy Swiss mountaineer, has soloed the Ginat route (ED: V M4+ 85 degrees, 1000m), the classic north-face line on Les Droites (4001m) in the French Alps above Chamonix. Though the ice route has been solo climbed numerous times, Steck made the ascent on January 19 in what may be record time: 2 hours and 8 minutes...

Taken from: Alpinist Magazine.