Aguja Desmochada - Southwest face


2. Golden Eagle


450m 6c

Alexander Huber (Germany) and Stephan Siegrist (Switzerland), 29/1/2006.

Description. Unlike El Condor this route climbs the lower step of the face, adding a further 200 meters of climbing. The step is climbed via a less-than-vertical face left of the buttress that divides the west and south faces. After six pitches it joins El Condor for two pitches, then moves right to the steep south face. A piton marks the start of the upper part of the route. That first pitch off the ledge is the crux, a series of loose flakes in rather dubious rock that are connected with some mandatory freeclimbing. Above that pitch the route follows a continuous crack system (hand and finger cracks) for much of the way until the Eagle's Nest, where it traverses down and right to join the Sound and the Fury. Of the 25 total pitches (700m altogether) only 13 were new, the rest were along existing routes. Hand taping recomended.

The bolt placed to mark the start of the route and two bolts placed in the rappels down from the big ledge, in places where pitons or stoppers can easily be placed, were not placed by the first ascent party. It is unclear who placed them.

History. The first ascensionists completed the route in alpine style, with one bivy not far from the top. Because of ice, they had to aid climb two short sections. Raúl Martinez, Cintia Percivati and Sean Villanueva did the first free ascent of the route in 2011. Raoul onsighted the crux pitch, grading it 7a+. It was downgraded to 6c (5.11b) in early 2016 when Colin Haley and Alex Honnold completed their 17hs ascent of the Wave Effect Direct (they climbed simuled climbed the route in three pitches).

Approach. Niponino and Couloir Poincenot.

Descent. Rappel via The Sound and the Fury. Once at the ledge traverse to the west end of the ledge where a bolt and a piton mark the rappel line. Make one rappel to the south, then 5 more raps to the west to reach ground. From there the easiest descent is down the couloir to the north, making two 30m raps (slung horn and then a single bolt) to a ledge right above it, followed by one 60 meter rap into the couloir itself (fixed piton).