Cochamo Low-Moderate Potential

In my research, the easiest climbs of Cochamo start at 5.10c or so. Why is that? Is it due to the nature of the flared cracks, shallow pro, ect? There doesn't seem to be an ethics issue with bolting unprotectable aretes/face climbing. 

And if there is potential in the 5.8 to 5.10b range, why hasn't there been development? Thanks for the info!

Mud and jungle and the time it takes to dig out the cracks 

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

Mud and jungle and the time it takes to dig out the cracks 

I wouldn't say this so much, all the classics are quite clean. If you spend a lot of time there and start getting into the more obscure stuff, then maybe.

Julian Madrid wrote:

In my research, the easiest climbs of Cochamo start at 5.10c or so. Why is that? Is it due to the nature of the flared cracks, shallow pro, ect? There doesn't seem to be an ethics issue with bolting unprotectable aretes/face climbing. 

And if there is potential in the 5.8 to 5.10b range, why hasn't there been development? Thanks for the info!

Good question. I'd say because...

1. Many of the routes are maybe...6 pitches or more? Some quite longer. By nature of randomness, one of those many pitches will be quite hard. Routes tend to go to the top of features, and steeper as you go up higher. Potential for a route to stay at 5.8 as it gets longer diminishes, especially because...

2. It's polished granite, which means no feet, which means hard.

I think in general in Cochamó the development has been more focused on climbing a feature, necessitating connecting (discontinuous) crack systems, which also means big potential for hard. Cochamó also doesn't have a huge density of splitter cracks like other destinations, so the splitters that do exist are part of big routes, instead of shorter more accessible routes. Doesn't mean, of course, you can't climb the bottom half of a route and still have a blast. It's just not quite as satisfying ;) 

That's my take from what I can remember.

Que pasa los cabros?

I used to live in Cochamo and Puelo. 

The majority of the "marketing" aims for world class climbs and quality of protection but there are a ton of low classic grades in the valley:

Milton adams wall: 5.4 - 5.8

Trinidad South: 5.6 - 5.8 ... conecting crack systems

La paloma NW wall: Chossy so folks avoid that a lot .... 5.8 - 5.9

Wawalun: getting there its a 5,6 approach traverse and some alpine skills but a lot of 5,8 .... crux 5.10.

Try and get ahead of time beta from  Daniel Seegelier the god father of town.

regaljay - wrote:

I wouldn't say this so much, all the classics are quite clean. If you spend a lot of time there and start getting into the more obscure stuff, then maybe.

….

You see a new route going in? Only place Iv seen routerequire less cleaning are in the upper valleys. 

Milton adam is a very neat area and an adventure to summit. Beautiful views of the whole area. I didnt realize there were a few routes up there. 

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

You see a new route going in? Only place Iv seen routerequire less cleaning are in the upper valleys. 

the classic todo cambia going in with sir cooper climbing the super clean corner pitch.

Milton adam is a very neat area and an adventure to summit. Beautiful views of the whole area. I didnt realize there were a few routes up there. 

This photo rules.

Dakota from North Dakota wrote:

This photo rules.

Look closely and you can see the ice axe 

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

You see a new route going in? Only place Iv seen routerequire less cleaning are in the upper valleys. 

the classic todo cambia going in with sir cooper climbing the super clean corner pitch.

Milton adam is a very neat area and an adventure to summit. Beautiful views of the whole area. I didnt realize there were a few routes up there. 

Insert the face of obi wan while have not heard the name Cooper in a long time. Circle now completed in MP. Props to the Casita Azul.

As said.....Common tactic from Cooper to rappel the proj with brooms, pickets, rakes and such to prepare ...or unprepare the vegetation for the send. Chile home depot for the win.

2. It's polished granite, which means no feet, which means hard.

I think in general in Cochamó the development has been more focused on climbing a feature, necessitating connecting (discontinuous) crack systems, which also means big potential for hard. Cochamó also doesn't have a huge density of splitter cracks like other destinations, so the splitters that do exist are part of big routes, instead of shorter more accessible routes. Doesn't mean, of course, you can't climb the bottom half of a route and still have a blast. It's just not quite as satisfying ;) 

This totally makes sense. Thank you for the reply!

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

You see a new route going in? Only place Iv seen routerequire less cleaning are in the upper valleys. 

Hah, what a great photo. 

Just speaking from my experience there, we climbed ~15 routes and didn't think at all about needing to clean anything any further. Even on Mister M there's still some plants, but the delicately surviving vegetation actually serves as vital "holds" that offer a much-needed reprieve from the buttcrack climbing. Some of the pitches we developed were definitely spewing mud though after scraping them out with the ice axe and gardening tools...

Yeah...we found the need to clean quite a bit too