Squamish Climbers Open Bold 5.11cR/X in Colombia

Squamish climbers Kieran Brownie and Paul McSorley were joined by El Cap ace Dave Allfrey for a new route up a 600-metre slab in Colombia in 2018.

Their route is called El Abrazo de la Serpiente V 5.11cR/X and climbs a nice line on Cerro Pajarito in the Guyania region of Eastern Colombia.

The route is named after Ciro Guerra’s drama El Abrazo de la Serpienta (Embrace of the Serpent), the first Colombian film ever to be nominated for an Oscar.

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3/5 . first pic(1000'): Paul takes a moment after ascending our fixed ropes.. We have been in the Jungle for barely 48 hours. It is 2:30am, it is 24 degrees with 100% humidity.. While not the hardest day on rock in our lives, this would prove to be the hottest. . . 2nd pic(1200'): Dave attacks the first new pitch; a full rope length of 5.11 face climbing, 200' straight up as the sound of the hammer drill rattled into the Amazonian expanse. The ear-to-ear grin that greeted us at the belay said it all.. . . Stay tuuuned.. . To celebrate a feature article in @rockandicemag I'll be showcasing some of my favourite images from the Colombian Amazon over the next week. .

A post shared by KB (@browniephoto) on Jun 18, 2018 at 7:05am PDT

McSorley wrote about their new route for Arc’teryx here: “After a tough start, Kieran, Dave and I eventually found our groove. The climb snaked its way up a 600 meter slab that could only be protected with bolts. Between natural stances, we’d run the rope out as far as we dared, moving as fast as possible to avoid the oppressive midday sun. As we rounded the top of the mountain and topped out through a final jungle bushwhack, the fireball in the sky caught us.

“Sunstroke and dehydration were our reward for sneaking past the Serpent but we’d managed a wild new route on a mountain so far off the radar, it’s likely few climbers will ever repeat it. For us, this chance to visit such an enchanted land and discover something new, was more than enough.”

Embrace of the Serpant