1000 metre aid route 'Picaflor' freed for the first time
A team made up of Jacob Cook, Hayden Jamieson, and Will Sharp have made the first free ascent of Picaflor, a 1,000 metre route on Cerro Capicua in Cochamó Valley, Chile.
In May last year, Jacob Cook and Robbie Phillips repeated El Niño 5.13c (8a+) on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The self-confessed 'goofballs' both freed every pitch and took six days in total to climb the route. The line was first freed by the Huber Brothers in 1998 and has since seen two free ascents by British teams; Leo Houlding and Patch Hammond shortly after the Huber's ascent, as well as James McHaffie and Dan McManus in May 2014.
Last year, Robbie told UKC:
"Just sending you a wee update from Yosemite - Jacob Cook and I just managed to free "El Nino" (5.13c) on El Capitan. It was my first big wall on granite and my first route on El Cap - it's been a hard lesson this granite shizzle! It's Jacob's 4th trip to the valley but the first attempt at "El Nino" and we both freed every pitch."
Jacob has released a very fun short film of their ascent:
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