FA: Send it like Santa, Trinidad Vally, Cochamo, Chile

Overview

First Ascent: GS3
April 2012
Jordan Lamarch
Sean Post
Gabe Kelley

5.10+
11 Pitches
All Anchors are bolted

If you would like to modify the route please email gabe at my gmail account: Gabe.B.Kelley, Generally we are all for anything to make the route better/safer.

Getting There

Fly to Puerto Montt Chile. Take a bus to the city of Cochamo. From there you can get a taxi to the Cocahmo Trail Head. If you have alot of stuff you can pay to have a horse carry your gear in 1 horse= 75kg= 25,000 Chilan Peasos= $50 USD, for details go to Cochamo.com

The trail takes about 3 to 4 hours to get the La Junta camp ground. There is also a nice refugio to stay at. From the camp ground cross the river towards the refugio and follow the trail to Trinidad and hike past to base of Trinidad into the Trinidad Vally. There is a nice overhanging boulder that is perfect to bivy under and is known as "the bivy boulder".

From the bicy boulder continue 2 minutes on the trail until you come to a large clearing. You should be at the bottom of a large rock slide. Walk up the boulderfield and as you approache the first bit of vertical rock to your left (El Penon) look for flagging and rock carrens to your left leading to the bottom of El Penon.

The trail walks down along side the base of El Penon and the route starts at a rock carren just past the flats.

Route Description

1)40m, 5.10. Start at the rock carren. Looking up 15 to 20 meters, and slightly left you will se a small tree. Below and to the right there is a bolt. Easy climbing to the bolt. Moving past to bolt is the pitch crux 5.10. The tree can make for a great left hand if your willing to do so. Follow the crack up and left. There is another small overhang protected with a bolt and the anchor follows immediately.

2) 25m, 5.10-. Starts off with the pitch crux, protected with a bolt. The trick is to move left a little further then you might expect. Followed by three more bolts then really easy climbing to the anchor

3) 50 m, 5.9. Starts off with 10 to 15 meters of easy climbing. Save your small cams for later. You will pass a big stump several feet below a bolt. The climbing starts to get more interesting here. After the bolt you will need to bump over to the left to a new crack, twice before the anchor.

4) 35 m, 5.7. Two good placements for good gear then run out for about 20 feet but really easy climbing. It stair steps up three or four times to the anchor. Honestly the 4th and 5th pitches are probably the lamest of the route.

5) 40 m, 5.8. First 10 meters is hard to find good pro.

6) 50 m 5.9. Low angle, but really nice climb. Follows the obvious crack up. Starts with small nuts then a good #4 placement. Towards the top there is a bolt for the crux move. Pitch ends on a big Ledge.

Unrope and walk down to the left on the Big ledge. It comes to an end at the ojo (the eye). There is some wild stuff going on here. All the cracks start off from one point and go off in all directions. If anyone can explain this please leave a comment with the explanation.

7) 40 m 5.8. Start at the ojo. Looking straight up from the ojo there is a predominant large horn like feature 40 meters about you. The anchor is just of the right side of this feature. Scrambly pitch, not very aesthetic, but the next 4 pitches are totally worth it.

8) 50 m 5.9. Save all your #2 friends for the end. This pitch is one of the more sustained. Starts off with 2 meters of lie back with your hands on a large rock. Follow of the right facing crack for basically the whole route. about one third of the way up you will move left and top out of a flat rock. From there climb up 2 more meters to join back with the original crack. Ends in 10 meter huge right facing Dihedral. Can lie back or hand jam. Crack will only hold #2s.


From the belay ledge look around the corner for a fixed rope. You can put a prussic on the fixed line and walk to the base of pitch 9 and the begging of the Chimney.

9)30 m. 5.10. For the rest of the climb its easy to stay on route, if your in the chimney your on route. The beginning of the 9th pitch is a few cracks. The crux move is a bulge sticking out of the chimney. You need to hand jam both hands on the left side and smear your feet to bump up your hands. As the crack widens to fists or rattly fists reach around to the right for a lie back crack. From there walk back into the chimney and follow the flack on the right to the ledge on the outside of the chimney and the anchor.

10) 40 m, 5.10+. Start by stepping across to step the chimney. Important Beta: At the chalk stone go to the right side. Put your back to the chalk stone and left fist jam. On the chimney arret there is a small ledge for a good right hand mantel. Match the right foot with your right hand. Left foot in the crack below your left hand. Stand up, not to hard 5.10-. From the top of the chalk stone put your back on the left wall and your feet on the right. Fun Chimney moves. Eventually you will transfer to a crack in the left wall. The last move is the route crux. Put your back on the left walk and thrutch your way up.

11) 35m 5.10-. The chiminey flares out and is more of a crack climb. There are two crack running in parrell. The crack on the right turns into a squeeze chimney, stay in the left. Very well protected pitch.

Rappel the top 5 pitches to the ojo and the ledge. Walk the ledge to the top of the 6th pitch. Scramble 40 meters to the top of El Penon and rappel 50 meters down the other side to the rock gully (same rappel as Homosapias).

Essential Gear

Need 2 60 meter ropes (50 meter should be fine)

Double rack of friends to #3
one #4
Full set of stoppers

Topo

Images

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