First solo ascent of Eternal Flame at Trango Tower achieved

GILGIT: Italian climber Stefano Ragazzo has completed the first solo ascent of Eternal Flame on the south face of the Nameless Tower (6251m) in the Trango Tower chain of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Ragazzo reached this milestone on July 25 after enduring nine days on the mountain. Reflecting on his journey in a social media post on Friday, he expressed the significance of this achievement: “9 days, alone, on one of the biggest walls and dreams which had found a place in my mind in the last years and that I took care till it has become possible.”

In a candid message, Ragazzo highlighted the challenges he faced beyond the physical climb. He critiqued the current trend in mountaineering where climbers often rely on fixed ropes and corporate sponsorships to bolster their image. Ragazzo shared his frustration with sponsors, specifically calling out The North Face for withdrawing support two weeks before his departure, doubting his commitment due to insufficient social media presence.

“There is the possibility to be rebels and to go against the tide. To draw our own path, which is shaped day by day, from the seeds we put during the years and that we took care with sacrifice, right and wrong choices.”

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He emphasized the importance of maintaining one’s dreams and the unpredictability of life. “In a life which always looks unstable, but that we try to put in the direction we want, to keep our dreams alive.” Ragazzo also recounted a serendipitous moment that reignited his determination. He spoke about a drawing by David Russell in his expedition diary from his first trip to Patagonia in 2016.

The Trango Towers are a family of rock towers situated in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Trango Towers group has seen some of the most difficult and significant climbs ever accomplished, due to the combination of altitude, total height of the routes, and the steepness of the rock. All of the routes are highly technical climbs. The Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world.

Eternal Flame is a world-famous multi-pitch route up the Nameless Tower in the Trango group in the Karakorum Mountain range. It was established in 1989 by a German team comprised of Kurt Albert, Wolfgang Güllich, Christof Stiegler, and Milan Sykora, and after an immense effort at over 6000m, the four graded the masterpiece VI, 7b+, A2. The first free ascent was carried out by the German brothers Thomas and Alexander Huber during an unprecedented spell of good weather in August 2009. The pair added four-pitch variations to the line, which now goes free at 7c+.