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History Made with One Day on Walker Spur in Winter Laps

Strong alpinists took advantage of the great weather in the Alps to make the first one-day and second one-day ascent of Walker Spur V M5 on Grandes Jorasses. The route was first climbed in 1938 by Luigi Esposito, Ugo Tizzoni and Riccardo Cassin.

French alpinists Léo Billon, Sébastien Ratel and Benjamin Védrines spent 12 hours climbing climbing the big mixed route before Swiss climber Caro North and Argentina’s Carlos “Carlitos” Molina topped out.

Planetmountain.com points out the “two teams had chosen the same goal independently, and only when they met at the bivouac the night before did they realise they were eyeing the same line.” The first winter ascent was by Walter Bonatti and Cosimo Zappelli Jan. 25 to 30, 1963.

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