Nationwide Geographic is reporting that Jim Reynolds, a 25-year-old member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue workforce, free soloed a 5,000-foot face on Patagonia’s iconic Cerro Fitz Roy again on March 21. Reynolds climbed the Afanassieff route utilizing no rope and no gear (rated 5.10c), going up and down the route in 15.5 hours, an astonishingly very long time to be uncovered on a mountain like that.
The one different recognized free solo of Fitz Roy was the late Dean Potter’s climb up the Supercanaleta route in 2002. However even Potter rappelled again down.
Reynolds has spent a bit of the austral summer time in Patagonia, free soloing different outstanding peaks. He climbed Rafael Juarez and Saint-Exupéry, each over eight,000 toes in elevation, with out ropes or aids, and down climbed these as effectively.
Climbing again down, moderately than rappelling, is a key a part of Reynolds’ method within the mountains.
“For me, soloing is a strategy to mix the great thing about humanity with the great thing about the pure world to create the next artwork,” Reynolds instructed Nation Geographic. “That’s what’s value pursuing in a contemporary age the place many don’t have any objective.”
Reynolds apparently did carry a small size of rope and a little bit of climbing gear ought to he be required to carry out a self-rescue, however reportedly climbed with out utilizing it.
Till this level, Reynolds had flown pretty effectively beneath the climbing world’s radar, although he did, briefly, maintain the pace document for climbing The Nostril route on El Capitan again in 2017, together with Brad Gobright. The next 12 months, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell smashed the document by 20 minutes.
He’s made his mark on the climbing world now.
Picture: Alexandre Ackermans
Journey Journal doesn’t settle for sponsored content material, native promoting, or paid evaluations. Right here’s why.
The AJ workers is smaller than you suppose. Right here’s a peek behind the scenes.
Right here’s why Journey Journal was launched and the way we observe moral enterprise and publishing practices.
Journey Journal in print is like Journey Journal on-line x 100—and print tales can solely be discovered there. Subscribe to get it now—we assure you’ll find it irresistible.
