Central Pillar of Ulamertorssuaq, What’s Bred in the Bone. Jia Condon and Rich Prohaska spent a total of 13 nights on the central pillar of Ulamertorssuaq in July. This wall is located to the right of the well-known west face which sports the all-free routes Moby Dick and War and Poetry. These routes have become instant classics and are receiving much attention. The central pillar is slightly less steep but is a little taller with 3,630 feet (1100m) of climbing. The Canadian team spent a week fixing ropes and carrying loads up and over the hanging glacier to finally become attached to the wall. Three full and two partial days of rain slowed progress on the ascent, which utilized three wall camps. The pair figures the route was about 60 percent free with only two pitches being all aid. Much of the lower section required some gardening before gear placements. The middle section had much horrendous rock but also two sets (240m) of superb corner systems that were freed at 5.10+. The summit was reached on July 18, and two days were spent descending. The pair bolted only a couple of the stations on the lower two-thirds of their route and all of the stations on the upper third. They rappelled the upper third of their route, then trended climber’s left on bolts and gear, avoiding the hanging glacier. The pair took considerably more gear than necessary, as the route, What’s Bred in the Bone (A2+ 5.10+, 1100 meters, 29 pitches), could be climbed with a dozen pitons, a double set of cams to number 4, one number 5 cam and one number 3 Big Bro, hooks, and a small set of copperheads.

Jia Condon, Canada