More than 12,000 kilometers south of Squamish, in a disputed area on the border between Chile and Argentina, lies what many consider to be the most breathtaking mountain on Earth — Cerro Torre.
And while the mountain may be renowned for its extreme beauty, it's regarded as one of the most challenging climbs on the planet. There's no easy way to the top and combining the unpredictable weather with an incredibly steep ascent helps make Cerro Torre a mecca for some of the greatest climbers in the world.
It's what drew Squamish resident Jason Kruk to Cerro Torre. Kruk and his climbing partner Hayden Kennedy made climbing history on Jan. 16 by making the first fair-means ascent of the Compressor Route, located on Cerro Torre southeast ridge.
But not without a boatload of controversy.
On their way up, the duo removed more than 100 bolts of an existing ladder that was drilled onto the face of the mountain by Italian mountaineer Cesare Maestri in 1970 and, in doing so, set off a firestorm of debate.
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“I first saw a photo of Cerro Torre when I was nine years old and it was a lifelong dream of mine to climb it,” Kruk said. “It's the most beautiful and iconic mountain in the world as far as I'm concerned.”
Growing up in North Vancouver, Kruk fell in love with Squamish at a young age, moving to town at the age of 17. Basing himself in Squamish is perfect, Kruk said, pointing out all of the outdoor activities available and the close proximity to YVR for his many international expeditions.
But the peak of Cerro Torre continued to call out to him.
“I failed 40 metres from the top of the headwall last year,” Kruk admitted. “This year I didn't even know if it would be possible for us to do the climb. It's really unique in that the hardest climbing is at the tippy top.”
The history of the mountain fascinated Kruk but he, along with several other climbers, felt the bolt wall was a scar on the mountain.
“Back in 1959, Cesare Maestri claimed to have done the hardest climb in the world but it's unfortunately unanimously now known as a hoax,” he said. “He went back in 1970 and put on the bolt ladder but his use of bolts was, in my opinion, a violent act against a mountain. It was basically a construction project.”
Kruk said that removing the ladder wasn't something that he and Kennedy had planned to do but that it was in the back of their mind and it felt right.
“We did it because we believed it should be removed,” he said. “We wanted to restore Cerro Torre to being the hardest mountain to climb in the South[ern] Hemisphere — instead of construction, it was adventure.”
But not everyone shared Kruk's and Kennedy's point of view. Locals in the nearby town of El Chalten were upset and the two were questioned by police for their actions.
“It was completely polarized in El Chalten,” he said. “Our supporters in town would give us a quiet pat on the back but it would seem there's more opposition because sometimes it's about whoever screams loudest is right. A lot of our opposition in town came from folk who never go to the mountains. Like the local bread maker: Why does he need a say in what climbers do in the mountains?”
Kruk said the attitude is in stark contrast to what he's experienced during his time in Squamish.
“The whole locals-only attitude they have is super repulsive,” he said of El Chalten. “Our climbing community in Squamish is extremely open. For example, we have an Argentine climber who has been living here a year and a half and if you asked him if he was a local, he would say ‘absolutely.' The local doctor doesn't ask me for my opinion on how she runs her hospital but yet she wants to force her opinions on how I choose to climb, it's a tough one. We never would have expected that kind of backlash.”
Despite some opposition locally, Kruk said the global climbing community has offered a lot of support.
“The support we've received from climbers all over has been extremely strong,” he said. “I've gotten emails from some of the most influential climbers of all time voicing their support. Our reputation in the climbing community isn't a worry at all.”
Kruk added that he and Kennedy are known for being stand-up guys in the community.
“Anyone who knows me or Hayden knows that we're very low-key guys,” he said. “We're friendly and not very intimidating looking, so if anybody has to take the fall for this, we're probably two really good candidates.”
He will next appear at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) as a guest speaker on Feb. 18. Kruk also plans to continue climbing in the summer, with a trip to Pakistan planned in June.
Cerro Torre, El Chalten, Patagonia. from simone claudio on Vimeo.
