Photo credit: explorersweb.com
Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll and Florian Delcoigne Conquer El Mocho’s Toughest Climb
Recently, climbers Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll and Florian Delcoigne achieved a remarkable feat by successfully freeing the notorious The Approach Team Line located on the north face of El Mocho in Patagonia. This particular route is recognized as the most challenging free-climbing path in the region, and its completion marks a significant milestone in the climbing community, as initially reported by Patagonia Vertical.
‘The Approach Team Line’ on the north face of El Mocho. Photo: Julia Cassou
Prior to this success, Martin Marovski and Viktor Varoshkin first ascended the route in 2016. Their climb took five days and was distributed over a month’s time, during which they utilized 280 meters of fixed rope across the 13 pitches of the climb. They noted that the most difficult sections were encountered at the beginning of the route. During their ascent, the Bulgarian climbers equipped all but one of the belays with bolts and expressed their belief that future climbers should be able to free the route.
Villanueva’s three routes on the north face of El Mocho. Photo: Patagonia Vertical
Villanueva’s connection to Patagonia deepened significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic when he found himself stranded in the region for over 15 months. This extended stay allowed him to undertake several noteworthy climbs, including the solo ascent of The Moonwalk Traverse across the Fitz Roy peaks and a collaborative climb with Jon Griffin on La Chaltenense (500m, 7a) on Fitz Roy. Additionally, he and Gabriel Rocamora established the route Chalten Sin Clecas (450m, 7b), while he partnered with Matias Korten to create Chalten Sin Chapas (450m, 7a+), both on the north face of El Mocho.
After an initial attempt on Chalten Sin Clecas, Villanueva and Rocamora descended the lower portion of The Approach Team Line to assess the potential for a free ascent. Following a series of attempts—including one with partners Pete Whittaker and Julia Cassou, where they were forced to retreat due to the formidable crux pitch—Villanueva made another effort with Pol Domenech, which was ultimately thwarted by inclement weather. Finally, in what would be his third try, Villanueva triumphed in freeing the route.
For more insights into this climb and further details, you can visit Patagonia Vertical.
Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll. Photo: Jerry Kobalenko
Source
explorersweb.com