Supposedly just done by Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll as posted on Instagram by Quentin Roberts (@quentinclimbing) he says it is also the first reverse traverse of the Fitz Roy group. Impressive stuff.
Fucking mental, easily one of the boldest and raddest feats in a long time. While Sean seems like the type of dude who could care less about exposure and acclaim, I really hope this gets the attention and praise it deserves. What an inspiration.!
If I was to guess on the south face of Poincenot, I'd say Judgement day. It is direct, clean and starts really high from the col. I rapped it once I thought it looked really good!
What Sean did is truly next level and hard for me to comprehend and I've climbed all of those peaks individually. Like Colin stated in his instagram post, this is maybe the most impressive ascent done in Patagonia which I fully agree with. And also as Colin said, Sean is one of the nicest and chill guys I know. I've the opportunity to work and climb with him a few times and it is always a riot.
I shot this music video with Sean and Nico a couple years ago and it gives you a pretty good idea of who Sean is. Also worth noting he had recently hurt his shoulder and could barely climb but was still having a good time.
If I was to guess on the south face of Poincenot, I'd say Judgement day. It is direct, clean and starts really high from the col. I rapped it once I thought it looked really good!
What Sean did is truly next level and hard for me to comprehend and I've climbed all of those peaks individually. Like Colin stated in his instagram post, this is maybe the most impressive ascent done in Patagonia. And also as Colin said, Sean is one of the nicest and chill guys I know. I've the opportunity to work and climb with him a few times and it is always a riot.
I shot this music video with Sean and Nico a couple years ago and it gives you a pretty good idea of who Sean is. Also worth noting he had recently hurt his shoulder and could barely climb but was still having a good time.
Probably one of my all time favorite videos, thanks Mikey!
Also, holy crap, Sean! That’s a hell of an accomplishment, so rad.
Doesn't seem right to let this thread fade after only 10 mere comments, so here's an updated photo with some info on "The Moonwalk Traverse". Maybe hard to read, so below is the instagram link. Like an absolute Chad, Sean started each day with 15 mins of meditation, and stopped on each summit to play the flute. Legend.
Definitely one of the greatest accomplishments in alpine climbing history. Couldn't have been done by a more deserving climber.
It is hard to believe that Mtn Project can have a thread about which down jacket to buy with 4 pages of comments and this gets dropped off the top so quickly.
Doesn't seem right to let this thread fade after only 10 mere comments, so here's an updated photo with some info on "The Moonwalk Traverse". Maybe hard to read, so below is the instagram link. Like an absolute Chad, Sean started each day with 15 mins of meditation, and stopped on each summit to play the flute. Legend.
Anyone with IG access able to spill some of the details of his posts for us neanderthals without social media?
@patagoniavertical wrote: THE MOONWALK TRAVERSE
Between the 5th and the 10th of February, Seán Villanueva O'Driscoll completed the “reverse” Fitz Traverse solo, a traverse he christened “The Moonwalk Traverse”. Reality seems to have this way of always surpassing imagination. This is how the unimaginable came to pass.
Seán approached the Fitz Roy chain from the southeast, via Laguna Sucia, sleeping at the cave near the edge of the glacier.
On the 5th he started to climb, carrying a small haulbag and a pack, with ten days of food, a small tent, a light sleeping bag, and of course, a tin-whistle. He used a 60m lead line and a thin haul line. The forecast predicted six and a half days of good weather. He self-belayed and hauled on all but the easier pitches, and climbed everything free (+4000m, 6c 50˚).
He started by climbing Ag. De l’S via the “Cara Este” route, linking into the “Austríaca” on Ag. Saint-Exupéry. While on this climb, rockfall resulted in three core-shots to his lead-line. A devastating hit so early in such a long traverse, but after taping the damage, he decided to continue. His first bivy was on the ridge leading to Ag. Rafael Juárez.
On day two, while traversing towards Rafael, his harness gear loop broke, and he lost a few Camalots. With a damaged rope and less Camalots things were not looking up, but curiosity egged him on. He climbed the upper part of the “Anglo-Americana”, and descended the “Piola-Anker” to reach the base of the south face of Ag. Poincenot. This he climbed via the “Fonrouge-Rosasco”, bivying near the junction with the “Whillans-Cochrane”.
On day three, which was the day of his 40th birthday, he climbed to the summit of Poincenot, and rappelled north via “Invisible Line”. From the col, he tackled Ag. Kakito, climbing a few new pitches to reach the summit from the east. He then descended and traversed to La Brecha arriving soon after midday. Although it was early, hedecided to take the rest of the day off. On day four, the 8th, he tackled Cerro Fitz Roy, climbing the “Franco-Argentine” link-up. The scariest moments of the entire traverse came after the “end of he difficulties”, negotiating the summit ice-fields while wearing approach shoes and aluminum crampons. Descending north, down the “Casarotto”, high winds and a waterfall made him stop early again, two pitches above the Goretta Pillar. His rope was in bad condition, and getting it wet did not seem like a wise idea.
On the morning of the 9th he rappelled to the Bloque Empotrado, climbed Ag. Val Biois, and did the long traverse to Ag. Mermoz. This section proved harder and more time consuming than he expected, but he still managed to reach the summit of Mermoz to bivy there.
On his sixth day on the climb, the 10th, he rapelled the upper “Argentina”, and climbed the “Lüthi-Dominguez” to the south summit of Guillaumet, to then traverse to the main summit. He was unsure which route to descend, but upon seeing rock fall wipe out the “Amy”, he decided for the “Brenner-Moschioni”, reaching Paso Guillaumet around 2 or 3PM. On the last rapel, one of the core-shots on his rope finally gave way, exposing several meters. A rope badly damaged on day one, had miraculously survived to the end.
Hiking down towards Piedra del Fraile, but wanting to soak in the experience he had just lived, he decided to stop at Piedra Blanca. A grand voyage of this magnitude deserved a pause before returning to civilization.
Seán seems to be the only person that does not grasp the magnitude of what he has accomplished, an ascent that Colin Haley described as possibly the most demanding solo ascent ever done in the area. Beyond his well-know climbing skill and physical fortitude, what is clear is that Seán's secret weapon was his mental attitude, his willingness to always take one more step, and to do so with open curiosity. He played his tin-whistle in every summit, and meditated for close to 15' every morning. A climb this long and hard requires physical mastery, but above all it requires the ability to pause.
I’m surprised this isn’t all over the news. It’s more impressive than soloing El Cap, IMO
It’s a hell of a lot more impressive, and far more interesting, than two comp climbers dynoing up some plastic bolted on to a crumbling chimney of choss...which is all over the goddamn news...
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