Los Pou brothers once again competes for the prize for excellence in mountaineering: the Piolet de Oro. In the sixth nomination of his career, the jury has recognized his opening of the ‘Ya Pe Cholo’ route, together with the Peruvian Micher Quito, on the northwest slope of Ranrapalca (6,162 meters). “Getting nominations for almost twenty years It means that you are doing something right, especially considering, that mountaineering is a very dangerous activity. We are also especially excited that it was with Micher, who is a local mountaineer, and again in Peru and its Cordillera Blanca, a place that we are in love with,” comment the Pou.
The opening of ‘Ya Pe Cholo’, in 2023, took place over two consecutive days (with a bivouac included), with difficulties of up to 6b and a slope of 80 degrees on a 1,200-meter wall. “It was a hard, exposed and very long climb; the rock and ice falls that fell around us were constant,” remember the Pou.
The Pou Brothers
In it last rock rappel touched tragedy: “A huge block of stone hit Eneko’s head when he was rappelling. At first I thought he hadn’t counted. The blow was brutal, and since he didn’t respond, I feared the worst… He was left hanging from the rope and Micher, who was further down, had to block the rappel so that he would not slide into the void. It was a very difficult moment for everyone until he finally showed signs of life, he was able to continue rappelling on his own,” explains Iker Pou.
Iker and Eneko were already nominated last year for the opening of the ‘One Push’ route (M7/85º/V 1000 m) in 2022also next to Micher Quito, in the Pumahuacanca (5,563 meters) in the Andes (Cordillera Blanca), the first on the southwest face of this mountain. This year’s edition will be held in San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino (Italy), from December 8 to 11.
This season the Pou have been to the Cordillera Blanca again to add adventures such as ‘Pisco Sour’to Pisco of 5,780 m Pure Floro’, the 6,190 m Copa, the hardest they have opened to date.
