Mir, new first ascent route by Krajnc and Lindič

Mir, new first ascent route by Krajnc and Lindič in Patagonia.



Celje alpinists Luka Krajnc and Luka Lindič reported from Argentina that on their expedition in Patagonia between 21 and 23 February 2020 they succeeded in climbing the 500-meter first ascent route Mir in the southeast wall of St. Exupery, which required 38 hours of effective climbing and two bivouacs from them. The route offered them a spicy experience in the steepest alpine wall they have ever climbed. They started the excellent harvest of this year's Slovenian ascents in Patagonia already with David Debeljak and Gašper Pintar repeating the Titanic route on Torre Egger, Pintar also climbed the Supercanaleta route on Fitz Roy.







Luka Krajnc and Luka Lindič (both AO PD Celje-Matica), in recent years one of the main protagonists of Slovenian and world alpinism, traveled to Argentina in mid-January, but conditions were not favorable, so they could only take advantage of the weather window in the second half of February and climb a new route in the southeast wall of St. Exupery, which they named Mir and rated A3, 7a+, 70°, 700 m (500 m new route).







First ascent route

Mir, Aguja St. Exupery: A3, 7a+, 70°, 700 m (500 m new route)

Luka Krajnc, Luka Lindič, 21-23 February 2020 (38 hours effective climbing)







"We tried the route already at the first good weather window, but on the second day due to the wall's difficulty and too high a risk level for our gear and thinking we turned back and took everything to the valley. But after a few days of rest in the valley, the overhanging wall through which we glimpsed a passage did not give us peace in our heads. We decided to gather more gear, and at the next window try again. On 19 February, despite heavy backpacks and new snow, we approached again for six hours past Laguna Sucia lake towards our goal and spent a short night on the last rock ledge. On 20 February we crossed the glacier and entered the wall, climbed twelve known pitches and bivouacked for the first time. The next day we tackled the unknown overhanging part of the wall and after some struggle and uncertainty found an incredible passage through the steepest part. That day we climbed only five pitches in twelve hours, joined the Le Petit Prince route and bivouacked for the second time. On the third day we continued along the mentioned route to the saddle and via the west wall climbed a total of six pitches to the summit of St. Exupery. We descended via the Italian Route, reached the tent on the rock ledge at night and fell into it exhausted but fulfilled. On the fifth day we descended to the valley with all the gear," reported the alpinists from El Chalten, who are returning to Slovenia in a week, and added: "The route offered a spicy experience in the steepest alpine wall we have ever climbed." In the route, Argentinians Galgo and Horacio Gratton tried in 1994, but turned back after seven pitches.







They chose the name Mir for the first ascent route because they tried in this wall already at the first weather window and turned back, but the route did not give them peace in the valley, the second reason was that they were alone all days and climbed in peace, while there was a crowd in popular routes.







Krajnc and Lindič have climbed in Patagonia many times before, in 2015 also on a joint expedition when together with Tadej Krišelj they made an ascent on Cerro Torre via the southeast ridge and over the Adel ridge, the Krajnc-Krišelj pair also climbed the first ascent route Blockbuster in the west wall of Mojon Roja, in 2013 also the first ascent routes The Real Kekec on Fitz Roy and Dulce de Leche on El Mochu and made the second repeat of the southeast ridge on Cerro Torre after removing bolts.







"This year's Patagonian season strong wind carried more towards ice climbing, but the Lukas still squeezed an excellent new route in the extremely steep southeast wall of Aguja Saint-Exupery and concluded the excellent harvest of this year's Slovenian ascents in Patagonia, to which David Debeljak and young Gašper Pintar also contributed a large share," assessed this year's achievements of Slovenian alpinists in Patagonia the expert, top alpinist Silvo Karo.







David Debeljak (AO PD Rašica) and Gašper Pintar (AO PD Ljubljana Matica) also started their (climbing) year in Patagonia, where they well exploited the weather window and at the beginning of February made a repeat of the Titanic route (A0, 7a, M5, WI4, 950 m) on the prominent tower Torre Egger. "Epic tough route on probably the most iconic peak far around, definitely the right choice given the weather and climbing conditions. Mix of steep, decently hard rock and ice pitches, plus some ice in couloirs and snow mushrooms on top," summed up the impressions Debeljak, Pintar in early January with Frenchmen Damien and Benoit also climbed the Supercanaleta route on Fitz Roy (TD+ VI/5, 1500 m).