Gietl, Huber and Arnold open a new route on the east face of Jirishanca in Peru

• Friday 25th July 2025

Kolibri – New Route on Jirishanca (Peru)
7a /A2, 31 Pitches, 1030m – First Ascent by Simon Gietl, Alexander Huber & Dani Arnold on July 13-15, 2025

Alexander Huber, Simon Gietl and Dani Arnold completed a first ascent on the east face of Jirishanca (6094m) in the Cordillera Huayhuash range, which is said to be one of the most striking and steepest walls in the Andes. The route consists of 31 pitches over 1030 vertical metres and is called Kolibri. Its character is steep, technically demanding climbing on solid limestone, combined with serious Alpine challenges and long crack systems.

Kolibri is situated between the French and Italian routes. The beginning of the route starts with sheer slabby rock, transitioning to vertical and sometimes overhanging passages where it is difficult to find any protection. This section is characterised by demanding pitches with long runouts, featuring mandatory free climbing up to F7a, and occasional aid sections of A2. The quality of the limestone is unique: solid, rough, and very grippy rock, unique at 5,000 metres altitude. The middle section of Kolibri (German for hummingbird) first follows the distinctive ice ramp of the Italian route. The upper section of the route takes a direct line through clean cracks and dihedrals leading to the steep east ridge. From here, it follows the Egger/Jungmair route.

The weather for the first ascent proved to be ideal: not too cold for the demanding climbing, but also not too warm, which kept the risk of rock and icefall low. The wall was dry and stable, allowing for a swift and safe climb. After two bivouacs on the wall, Arnold, Huber, and Gietl reached the east summit at 9:15 a.m. on July 15 (GPS: 6028 m). The team did not proceed to the main summit due to very poor snow conditions, which posed a high risk. It was a clear safety-based decision by the team.

To conclude, Kolibri is defined by its clear, elegant line, excellent rock quality, and varied features, offering demanding face climbing on the lower section, then the section along the ice ramp, followed by traditional crack climbing in the upper wall, all the way to the east ridge covered with snow and ice. Protection on the route is at times highly challenging, making use of nuts, friends, and micro-cams essential. The Alpine climbing involved requires clear focus, stark mental fortitude and a high level of ability. This new addition on Jirishanca is a serious new Alpine route requiring a high level of technical skill and substantial Alpine experience.

The team commented after the ascent, "We found a beautiful and logical line in some of the best rock. The conditions on the wall itself were ideal, the teamwork was perfect, and simply a fantastic experience. Even though we didn't reach the main summit, it was one of the greatest first ascents for us!“   

Route Info:
Name: Kolibri
Location: Jirishanca, East Wall, Cordillera Huayhuash Range, Peru
First Ascent: Alexander Huber, Simon Gietl and Dani Arnold
Date: July 13–15, 2025
Length: 1030m
Number of Pitches: 31
Difficulty: F7a /A2
Bivouacs: 2
Summit: Ascent to the east summit (6028m GPS), main summit not climbed.
Protection: Belays were set up with 8mm bolts, all pitches were protected with gear (2 sets of friends, nuts and ice screws and a small set of hooks), except one bolt was placed for the climbing.  
Rock: World-class Alpine limestone: compact, slab, vertical, overhanging and yielding good friction.