In August, Rolando Larcher and his son, Alessandro Larcher, and Federica Mingolla (all from Italy) climbed a new route up the left side of the north face of Demirkazık (3,756m). Close to Heaven (700m, 7b+/7c, 7b obl.) has 15 pitches, with widely spaced bolts and some traditional protection. The meat of the route is three pitches from 7b to 7c (5.12) up a steep limestone slab in the middle of the climb.

During their early efforts on the route, while rappelling during a rainstorm, Mingolla was hit by rockfall, injuring her head and one leg. After evacuating to the nearest town for treatment, then four days of rest at Aladağlar Camping, Mingolla was able to return to the climb. The team redpointed the route on August 11.

Rolando Larcher, who has put up long free routes all over the world, completed a new route up the east face of Demirkazık in 2005: Üç Muz (650m, 8a), climbed with Maurizio Oviglia and Michele Paissan.

The north face of Demirkazık was first climbed in 1972, by Joe Friend (Australia) and Rick Jamieson (New Zealand), following a weakness far to the right of the 2025 route.

—Dougald MacDonald, AAJ, with information from Federica Mingolla, Italy