Standing 11,171 feet, Argentina’s Mount Fitz Roy has long been heralded by mountaineers as one of the toughest peaks to climb. On January 7, three climbers from Kyrgyzstan ascended the mountain and then parachuted off the top.
Boris Egorov, Vladimir Murzaev, and Konstantin Yaemurd—known collectively as the “Dirty Climbers—believe they are the first group to BASE jump from the coveted summit. And they filmed the whole leap.
“I am deeply inspired by the feeling of exploration and first ascents—the sense of discovering something new,” Egorov told Outside. “After adventures like this, I am left with a strong sense of confidence that I am doing exactly what I should be doing.”
The trio spent three days climbing a dangerous and technical route known as the Royal Flush. According to the American Alpine Club, the route’s name refers to the highest hand in poker, because, just like gambling, successfully summiting requires luck, risk, and investment. A climb up the Royal Flush route is an accomplishment in itself. The trio chose it because its steep, vertical section leads directly to a point that, according to their assumptions, could serve as a viable exit for a jump.
“I really enjoy working as part of a team; on the mountain, we can almost read each other’s minds,” said Egorov.
To reach their launch point, the three men faced an added challenge—they also carried multiple days of camping gear and their BASE jumping parachutes. Balancing weight and execution on such a technical trail allows little room for error. The route is demanding, exposed, and sits high above Patagonia’s vast, wind-scoured ice fields.
Complicating matters was the region’s notoriously finicky weather. Not only did the team require a perfect weather window for technical climbing, but they also needed to plan for pristine conditions at the time of their jump.
“Unlike many other mountain regions, Patagonia is almost always affected by bad weather, and you often have to wait a long time for a weather window just to be able to climb anything,” said Egorov. Factors acceptable for climbing are not always suitable for BASE jumping, he added. “We needed absolutely perfect conditions.”
The climbers spent days waiting in a nearby village for that perfect weather window to open up. When it did, they still had to manage the cold and ascend the vertical rock face.
But at the top, with clear views of a seemingly endless horizon, Egorov told Outside that the effort was worth every heartbeat.
“Before the jump, the dominant feeling was relief—that the suffering was finally coming to an end. We were completely exhausted and frozen after three days on the wall,” Egorov told Outside.
Egorov said that pulling off the jump required luck and experience, with a brief window of favorable conditions that came after years of preparation.
Officially, BASE jumping is not allowed inside Los Glaciares National Park, where Mount Fitz Roy is located. The Patagonia Online Climbing Guide writes that while there are no specific regulations prohibiting the activity, authorities say that if BASE jumping isn’t specifically permitted, it’s not off-limits. Still, Egorov said that BASE jumpers still take leaps inside the park.
“The most rewarding moment was the minute when I was left alone on the ledge right before the jump,” said Egorov. “Konstantin and Vladimir had already landed, and I was the only one left, facing the most thrilling part ahead.”
Technically, the three men did not jump from the actual summit. They climbed the entire vertical section of the route, and after their third camp, woke up right near the exit point, which was located about 1,000 feet below the top.
“The weather was perfect, and we decided not to risk climbing to the summit through a maze of easier terrain,” he said
Will they go again? Yes, Egorov says. Probably next year.
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