Poincenot, complete west ridge (DNV Direct) and Blood on the Tracks, free ascent; Desmochada, variation to The Sound and the Fury. In 2007 I was in the Torre Valley with a large group of Canadians. The weather was cold and dismal, making for less-than-ideal alpine climbing conditions. My stay was coming to a close when, through the swirling clouds, the west ridge of Poincenot caught my eye. My trip was done, but I vowed to return and try the line.

In mid-January 2008 I found myself in the Torre Valley again, this time with 20 year-old Jason Kruk. We are best friends and share a youthful enthusiasm about climbing and are always willing to get ourselves into some trouble. With a perfect three-day good weather forecast, I suggested the Poincenot line. Jason agreed.

The first day was mentally the toughest. It became obvious why the line had never been completed. The lower ramparts of Poincenot are composed of kitty-litter granite, Joshua Tree at its worst. By nightfall we neared the Fonrouge-Rosasco and Southern Cross routes. The next day we followed the Fonrouge-Rosasco to the summit and rappelled the Carrington-Rouse. We spent three days on Poincenot: two on the way up, one on the descent. About 30-40% of the route is new. The complete west ridge of Poincenot was originally attempted by a Polish party in 1986, the year I was born. We jokingly named the route the DNV Direct (1,500m, VI 5.11 + R/X A1) after the District of North Vancouver, the happy suburb where we grew up.

Next up was Desmochada. We hoped to climb something on the tower all-free on lead and second, without jumars. There is an enormous ledge at about ¼ height, clearly delineating the lower-angle climbing below from the steeper business above. On the ledge Jason and I scanned the terrain above, looking for the line most suited to free-climbing. We climbed a slight variation (700m, V+ 5.11+ A1) to The Sound and the Fury, a Freddie Wilkinson and Dave Shar ratt route. We diverged from the original line, because it looked too thin to free. Our variation’s crux involved a thin corner followed by a punishing finger crack. We took a couple of falls throughout the two-pitch variation, but restarted from a no-hands stance each time. At the top of the tower, Jason’s leg cramped up in an offwidth and he hung on toprope. We topped out at dusk and rappelled through the night in a gathering storm, shivered for a few hours on the big ledge, then walked down a terrifyingly loose gully to camp, thoroughly wasted.

While on Poincenot, Jason and I spent time staring at the beautiful north face of Rafael Juarez. Freddie Wilkinson drew us up a topo for his route, Blood on the Tracks (600m, V 5.12), that he established with Taki Miyamoto, Dave Sharratt, and Paul Turecki. Sharratt and Wilkinson had freed every individual pitch at 5.12 but hadn’t climbed the route free to the summit, in a push. [On their original complete ascent they used some aid. Miyamoto, Sharratt, and Wilkinson returned later and freed the individual pitches they’d previously aided—Ed.] Colorado hardman Mike Pennings joined us for our first attempt, but we were stormed off four pitches up. After a day of rest Jason and I tried again, this time freeing to the summit. I fell once on the crux pitch, pulled the rope, and sent second try. Jason followed clean, and the whole route was climbed free for both the leader and the second, without jumars.

For me this trip was a dream come true. There was a gung-ho crew of climbers from all over the world, always willing to roast a sheep and drink a few Quilmes cervezas. The weather was perfect, and the cracks were ice-free, perfect for free climbing. We tried hard, and we had fun.

Will Stanhope, Canada