#15 - Surprise Summits in Pakistan, New Honnold Speed Record and Hard Boulder Ticks
This week's ticklist is a very mixed bag of high mountain ascents in Pakistan, a Red Rocks speed record by Alex Honnold and some hard Euro bouldering...
First Ascent of K6 Central (7155m) & Third Ascent of K6 West by Jeff and Priti Wright
Seattle-based husband-and-wife team Jeff and Priti Wright are dark horses in the mountaineering world, but they have just returned from a trip to Pakistan where they made the first ascent of K6 central and the third ascent of K6 west. The Americans are taking a break from work this year and are enjoying a climbing sabbatical, which they seem to be making the most of despite the hurdles of 2020, having also made some major ascents in Patagonia and the European Alps earlier this year. It's been a quiet time for the Karakorum and high altitude mountaineering in general, but Jeff and Priti's ascent is surely the most significant of 2020. Stay tuned for an in-depth UKC interview with the couple, and check out Priti's photos and videos of the trip in the meantime...
Sani Pakkush South Face (6951m) First Ascent by Symon Welfringer and Pierrick Fine
Also in Pakistan, this French duo made the first ascent of the South Face of Sani Pakkush, naming their line Revers Gagnant
2500m ED+ 90° / M4+ / WI4+. The pair took five days to summit, making possibly only the second ascent of the peak following a successful summit in 1991 by a German team.
Alex Honnold sets Speed Record on Epinephrine 5.9 in Tribute to Brad Gobright
Having set a speed record on the classic 600m Red Rocks (Nevada) 5.9 Epinephrine that was later broken by Brad Gobright, who passed away last year, Alex Honnold returned to break Brad's record in a tribute of sorts to his friend. Alex beat Brad's time of 38 minutes 15 seconds with a time of 34:51. Honnold wrote on Instagram:
'After he died, I thought maybe he should just keep the record indefinitely as a nice tribute. But as the season has changed this year I haven't been able to resist taking a few laps up the route, just to see...Today I did 34:51, and I feel an urge to thank Brad for the continuing motivation.'
Ground Up Ascents of The Young
Cal Coldwell-Storry and Alex Moore have climbed The Young (f7C+) (Font 8A) at Callaly ground-up. These were the first ground-up repeats of Andy Earl's full line, which takes a direct approach at the top of the tombstone-like buttress in Northumberland.
Below is a video of Niall McNair who repeated the climb a few weeks ago:
Another Font 8B+ for Isabelle Faus
Isabelle Faus has made the first ascent of a new Font 8B+ in the Camp Dick Cave, Colorado. She has called the problem 'The Emasculator' and it 12 moves into the existing Circle Jerk (Font 8B), followed by a rest and then a Font 7B. Faus completed the problem before the National Park sadly closed due to huge forest fires.
The problem was her third 8B+ this year and fifth overall.
Vadim Timonov climbs new Font 8C/+
Russian beast Vadim Timonov has climbed a new Font 8C/+ in the Caucasus area, Southern Russia. The area is in the foothills of Mt Elbrus at an altitude of 2200m.
Timinov has named the problem 'Low Priora' and believes it is his hardest climb to date. He has previously climbed ten Font 8Cs.
Font 8C for Théo Ravanello
French climber Théo Ravanello has climbed his first Font 8C with an ascent of Clément Lechaptois' Malédiction assis in Rioupéroux in Isère, an area not too far from Grenoble. The problem adds a sit start to a Julien Nadiras 8B and features a high, scary slab at the top which Ravanello had to tackle in the wet!