Big Men: 5.15a First Ascent by Iker Pou, Spain
Iker Pou got the first ascent of Big Men (5.15a) in Mallorca, Spain.
Spanish climber Iker Pou claimed the first ascent of Big Men (5.15a) in Mallorca, Spain, on Wednesday, April 29.
The route, bolted nearly 20 years ago by Carlos Raimundo, is Pou’s third 5.15a.
“[Big Men] is for sure one of the best hard lines that I climbed ever,” Pou writes on Facebook. “The difficulty is around 9a+ [5.15a], but very beautiful one.”
The 38-year-old Red Bull athlete entered the spotlight when he became the third person to climb Action Direct, the world’s first established 9a (5.14d). He and his brother, Eneko, are also known for various difficult big-wall projects. From 2003 through 2007, the brothers climbed a big wall in each country, including Eternal Flame (5.13a) on Pakistan’s Trango Tower and Supercanaleta (5.11b/M6) on Fitz Roy in Argentinian Patagonia. Pou lives in his hometown of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.