5.13 M7 WI6. These are the kinds of numbers that catch climbers’ attention, especially when you’re talking about climbing a 6,000-meter peak in Peru. But numbers don’t come close to capturing all the challenges of a route like the one done by our guests Vince Anderson and Josh Wharton in July. In this episode, the Colorado-based climbers explain why it took four trips to Peru to complete their all-free, alpine-style line up Jirishanca. And why no one else had reached the summit of Jirishanca via the southeast face in nearly 20 years.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker, with additional support from Lowa Boots, Polartec, and Gnarly Nutrition. Michael Levy conducted the interview for this episode, and Sierra McGivney provided editing support. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.