The Pou brothers climb the Corcovado and the Sugerloaf Mountain in Brazil
The Pou brothers climb the Corcovado and the Sugerloaf Mountain in Brazil for the first time, freestyle and at once. Don’t miss the spectacular images of this adventure that have taken them to two of the most iconic places in the world!
Some days ago we announced that the Pou brothers were in Brazil and that Iker had climbed the ‘German’s Route’. That route was only the prelude to what would come later, the true reason why they went to Brazil: to climb the Corcovado wall that leads to the statue of Christ the Redeemer; and the Sugarloaf Mountain. These are two of the most iconic spots in Brazil, well-known internationally, very spectacular, and with very interesting routes very few people knew that could be taken.
A group of Brazilian climbers told them about “climbing their two national treasures.” Some of them had climbed them already, but always one at a time and without totally rotpunk them freestyle. 3 days into their visit to Brazil, the Pou brothers put their shoulders to the wheel: firstly, the Sugarloaf Mountain through the ‘Totem route.’ “This route is great, in a beautiful area of the Urca district. The long section, known as ‘The slabs love you’, due to the movement of the handholds, and the eighth ‘One step from space’ that follows a fantastic granite ridge, are perfect,” tells Eneko. “There’s only one objection: there are no simple ropes and we were 3 men, counting our good friend Ralf Cortés, so we had to rope us up in double with a single 80m Beal rope, so it slowed the climb a lot. We got there at 10am to test the route and we got to the summit at dusk. We went down with the cable car,” reveals Eneko.
After a day off, the Basque climbers went to the Corcovado again with Cortés, who had already climbed it freestyle except for the second long 8 a+ section. The goal of the Pou brothers was the same as with the Sugarloaf Mountain: To climb the route from the ground, freestyle and at once. “Atalio del Diablo” is the Brazilian name of the route that would lead them to the feet of the Christ the Redeemer statue, after a “tougher and more complex ascent than the Sugarloaf. After an hour walking through dense vegetation, we got to the ‘Atalio del diablo.’ Iker finishes the second long 8 a+ section at his second attempt. The third section is fantastic. Firstly, it is overhanging and athletic and then it ends in slab. The fourth section has so much vegetation it is a dangerous vertical garden. The fifth section is very tough, a 7c of grip level.” The roughness of the route makes them build a bivouac below the two last sections. “Our third bivouac of the summer was going well until wind arose. We were wearing t-shirts and a thin raincoat and Ralf’s thermal blanket was not big enough for all of us.” The bad weather made the last two sections (7c of slab) very complicated. Despite all difficulties, they all got to the Christ the Redeemer statue at 11am amid the noise of thousands of tourists.
After achieving this unique challenge and become the first to climb freestyle two of the most iconic places on Earth, the Pou Brothers enjoyed Brazil just like everybody else does: beaches, football and surf!
With these ascents, the Spanish brothers culminate a perfect summer that began at the cold summits of the Mont Blanc, where they opened a new route that was named 'Classic Modern', located in the Italian side, and that it's true to the philosophy of Walter Bonatti. As they claimed, this was "a great step in his climbing career".
TECHNICAL DATA OF THESE ROUTES: Sugarloaf Mountain, ‘Totem route’: 8 a/250 m distributed in sections approximately as follows: S.1: 3, S.2: 7b, S.3: 5, S.4: 6c+/7 a, S.5: 6b, S.6: 7 a, S.7: 7b+, S.8: 8a.
Christ of the Corcovado, ‘Atalio del diablo’: 8 a+/ 300 m distributed approximately as follows: S.1: 6b, S.2: 8 a+, S.3: 7 a, S.4: 6b+, S.5: 7c, S.6: 7 a+/7b, S.7: 7c.
The North Face
