Huge New Bolted Multi-Pitch 5.13 on Peru Big Wall
Charlotte Durif and Josh Larson spent nine days establishing the monster line
Charlotte Durif and Josh Larson recently established Vuelo del Condor, a new seven-pitch 5.13 up Kuntur Sayana in Peru. The climb starts well over 4,000 metres above sea level.
French crusher Durif and leading American climber Larson spotted the line last year and returned fully equipped with the gear needed to bolt the big wall. The first ascent took nine days and they freed it on Sept. 19.
The seven-pitch route breaks down to: 5.13+, 5.13-, 5.13-, 5.13-, 5.12+ and 5.10. “I made it to the anchor of the fifth pitch (5.13b) out of breath, cramped arms from climbing, belaying and hauling and maybe dehydrated,” said Larson. “It felt good knowing it was the last hard pitch – two more until the summit.”
They topped out in a thunderstorm and climbed quickly to tag the top of the route. “As Charlotte started to follow – thunder roared in the distance,” said Larson. “Then lightning. Wind picked up. You could see that it was a dark snow storm.
“It was about to get epic if we didn’t move fast. It seemed like Charlotte and the storm moved in sync, closer and closer. She arrived, took one min to catch her breath and she took off on the last two pitches – linking them into a 60-metre pitch (5.12 into 5.10). We reached the summit completely out of breath and wrecked but so damn happy we did it and did it together.”