Watch Pirmin Bertle Send Chile’s Second 5.14d

Pirmin Bertle has pieced together Chile’s second 5.14d and the third of the grade in South America.

The strong German sender sent Ruta de Cobre 5.14d at Quebrada de Nacienmento in Socaire in the Atacama Desert. The high desert is over 3,600 metres above sea level and is one of the driest places on earth. Good sending conditions?

Bertle wrote on his blog lizardclimbing.com, “People call it the Mal de la Puna, the illness of the Altiplano, that is due to the lack of oxygen on this as vast as beautiful as lifeless plateau on 4000m, that spreads over thousands of kilometres in between Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru.”

It took Bertle 17 tries to send and is named after the copper stone in the area. “Finest resistance climbing on small pockets in a slightly overhanging wall of copper red colour (and lots of copper in the rock).”

Bertle is currently travelling through South America with his family. Previously in South America, he established Azul es el Cielo de Los Ciegos and Cold and Smelly Breath of Death V14/15.

Earlier this year, Alex Megos sent Chile’s first 5.14d with his sent of Pasito a Pasito in Valle de Los Condores.