Venezuela Big Wall

During their own expeditions to the area, Anne & John Arran have spotted a number of attractive lines on the tepuis, one of the most dramatic being a 500m wall overhanging by 100m in the lee of a waterfall (Salto Tuyuren) on Amuri Tepuis. They did not have time to attempt it themselves, but felt it had the potential to be the hardest and most overhanging big wall on earth. Hence, it became the objective of this international team of climbers. After flying to a remote jungle settlement, and then three days bush whacking, they set out to free-climb an audacious line up the centre of the steepest section of the wall. Unfortunately, at about half-height they began to run out of time, food and water, so were forced to change tactics and use aid to climb some of the harder sections remaining. After 12 days on the wall and 21 pitches, they reached the top of the wall within a stones throw of where the waterfall burst off the summit. They called their route ‘Kids with Guns’, and graded it 5.13a, A3, E6 6c, and feel that given time, the entire route would go free.