Cochamó 2026: Expedition Diary

Our athletes Jernej Kruder and Mirco Grasso spent three weeks in Chilean Patagonia, pursuing the dream of establishing and free climbing a new line on one of the granite walls of the Cochamó Valley. In his candid and light-hearted style, Kruder tells us about pitches climbed under the sun or through waterfalls formed by the rain. But he also tells us about nights spent on the wall beneath the stars, a climbing partnership pushing itself to the limit, and a dream becoming reality.

 

The Journey Begins and a First Taste of Doña Devora Dedos

I’m a former boulderer gradually moving towards alpinism, and the Cochamó Valley seemed like the perfect place to try establishing a new route. Mirco Grasso and I don’t know each other that well, but we click. To document the trip, we bring Swiss photographer Vladek Zumr along with us.

We arrive in Puerto Montt, where we meet Diego, who hosts us for our first night and takes us to the trailhead. We load three weeks’ worth of climbing gear and food onto four horses. The three-hour hike to Trawen campground is quick and easy. We pitch our tents and immediately start making plans for the next day.

To get a feel for the area, we decide to try a classic route in the Anfiteatro called Doña Devora Dedos. I start the first climb of the trip on magnificent cracks, eventually reaching a very technical thin crack on a slab. The rest of the route goes smoothly until the crux 7c pitch. Mirco makes easy work of the first section, but at the end of the overhang he slips because of raindrops from a sudden shower. The same thing happens to me. As the rain gets heavier, we’re forced to retreat to base camp, completely soaked.

 

Exploring and Paret Seca

As the sun finally drives away the rain, we search for a line above the Anfiteatro, only to discover that it has already been climbed. During another scouting mission on Walwalun Peak, we finally spot a logical, apparently untouched line.

Then bad weather keeps us in our tents for three days. To fight the boredom, I teach Vladek and Mirco how to play Tarock, a complex Slovenian card game.

We then visit a sheltered sport climbing crag called “Paret Seca”. I onsight its three classic routes before moving on to an old project bolted by Alex Honnold in 2012 that had never been freed. I figure out the sequences and send it on my second attempt, thanks to a kneepad lent to me by some American friends. Since it’s still raining, and because the ascent doesn’t sit entirely right with me, I decide to climb it again, this time without the kneepad. It’s probably around 8b.

The following day, we prepare our gear to start establishing our new route and hike towards the Anfiteatro for the third time.

 

The Route Takes Shape: Days 1 and 2

To reach the first obvious crack, Mirco places the first bolt on a smooth slab with tiny edges. From there, we follow crack systems and corners interrupted by slabs: eight pitches in total before the cold and fatigue force us to descend to the base.

On the second day, we return to our previous high point using a nearby route established by a French expedition. A couple of pitches bring us to a large ledge, where we set up our bivouac. In the afternoon, we climb a few more pitches, crossing the traces of previous attempts. Mirco ends the day by cleaning the twelfth pitch, which looks extremely hard. Then we descend to the ledge for dinner beneath the stars.

 

Days 3 and 4: The Summit and a Variation

On the third day, we set off in the sunshine, jug back up the fixed ropes and I begin establishing the final section of the route. Before evening, we’re standing on the summit. What a route!

We decide to spend another night down on the ledge to enjoy the moment. The fourth day is dedicated to taking photos. With little time left to free the original crux pitch, which is both wet and hard, I decide to establish an easier variation using our last remaining bolt. It turns out to be a beautiful and very photogenic 7b+ pitch, which we both free. Since some of the flakes sound hollow, we name it “Deadly Hollows”.

 

 

Bad Weather and the Final Push

Bad weather arrives, bringing rain and snow to the valley. Between games of Tarock, we draw the route topo and decide to name the route Tarock.

We have only four days left and temperatures are low, but we decide to attempt to free the remaining wet pitches. On the first day, I easily free the first pitch, which has already dried out. The following day, we’re back at the base. I climb the fifth pitch on wet holds, making it through the crux slab move just before the sun warms the rock.

For the upper section, we decide to go light and fast, reaching the large ledge in just two hours. We free the first two pitches of the headwall. On the third pitch, there’s a waterfall running down the left side, but the right side is dry and Mirco reaches the belay without falling.

We arrive at the final pitch we still need to free, “Último Pagat”. The first section is dry, but the last ten metres follow a soaking-wet corner. I fight my way to the top without falling. We’ve done it!

The original hard pitch is still far too wet, we’ll have to come back for that one but thanks to the variation, the entire route has now been free climbed.

 

Asado and Farewell

We descend in the sunshine, say goodbye to our friends at Trawen and return to civilisation.

We celebrate with a memorable asado at Diego’s house by the lake, with some kayaking and a climbing session on his home wall. It’s the perfect way to say: “Goodbye, Cochamó. We’ll be back!”