Agdlerussakasit east face, Maujit Qoqarsassia (1,560 m) first ascent and new route. The members of our expedition were Jesus Bosque (cameraman), Cecilia Buil (Spain), Gorka Ferro (kayaker), and Roberta Nunez (Brazil). From Nanortalik we paddled in single kayaks to base camp opposite the Thumbnail in Torssukatak Sound. This 80km journey took three days and part of it took place on the open sea. On August 1 we all crossed the fjord in our kayaks and reached the foot of the wall. From there Bosque, Nunez, and I climbed up 50m from the water’s edge and reached a big ledge, above which rose a huge chimney-dihedral system. We slept the night here, while Ferro returned to base camp.

Our idea was to climb the slabs on the right of this chimney system to reach the halfway terrace, and even at this point we could see that the portaledge and much of the food and equipment we were carrying was unnecessary. While Nunez and I would climb, Bosque would jumar behind, filming our ascent. We climbed for three days, spending two more nights on the wall and in the end having to climb part of the chimney. This was generally damp and sometimes running with water. Several sections were rotten and run out. On August 4 we reached the midway terrace and decided to escape by following it left to the snow couloir and descending to the water’s edge.

After this the weather was bad and it wasn’t until the 9th that Bosque, Nunez and myself managed to return to the terrace. Arriving at 5 p.m., we set up our bivouac for the night and rested for the next day’s exertions. At 5 the following morning Nunez and I started up the wall above, left of the depression that would normally carry a waterfall. Bosque remained on the terrace. We took little gear and in contrast to the lower section, managed to climb 800m completely free. The rock and weather were perfect. All around the view was dominated by water and as we climbed higher we could see more and more potential for big wall climbing in this region.

Our route lay well left of the 2000 British first ascent and ended on a much higher summit, which we named Maujit Qoqarsassia (1,560m). We reached the top at 6 p.m. and called our two friends by radio. We saw no sign of any previous ascent and as we had to rappel from the very top, we believe this summit to be previously unvisited.

We set off down, thinking that we would be back at the terrace in a few hours. However, our rope jammed twice and we spent much time going up and down to retrieve it. In the end it was dusk as we started the final rappels. After a total of 15 rappels we arrived on the terrace at midnight. We rested here for two hours, then it started to rain, so we packed up and retreated across the terrace and down the couloir. By the time we were starting across the fjord in our kayaks, it was night once more. Not only was it raining but the wind was also beginning to rise. Forty-four hours after leaving the terrace for our final ascent, we arrived back at our tents wet and tired but happy. The weather remained bad for the next three days.

Nunez and I christened our all-female ascent, Hidrofilia. It gave 1,620m of climbing over effectively six days and had 31 pitches up to 6c+/7a and A2+. No fixed ropes or bolts were used and very little gear was left on the route.

Cecilia Buil, Spain