On July 7, European climbing couple Jaume Peiro and Alex Gonzalez became the first to ascend one of Peru’s toughest multi-pitch lines. The effort, which began on July 3, spanned four days and three nights on the northern arete of Chaupi Huanca in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. The multi-pitch alpine route, graded 5.13?, 5.11/A2 (8a+?, 6c/A2), scales 750m of the arete at an elite altitude of 5,000m. Gonzalez and Peiro christened the line ‘Big Fighter’, in honor of Gonzalez’s 15-year-old brother, who has been battling cancer for several years. Big Fighter on Chaupi Huanca: A Fresh ChallengeDespite their upper-level qualifications, the team reserved time in the Rurec Valley to acclimatize before tying in at the base of Chaupi.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 10, 2021 12:22 UTC