Patagonia: huge Paradigm Shift added to the Central Tower of Torres del Paine

41 days capsule style in the vertical world of the Central Tower of Torre del Paine. What a battle wind, rain, gravity, and snow can create when you’re walking the line. Our goal was to set an entirely free climbable route up the 4,000-foot East Face on one of the grandest walls on Earth! With 29 independent pitches and 7 where we tied into the final summit romp of the Bonington-Williams Route (1963), we created a monstrous 36-pitch route.

This put a two-year project to rest. What began as an idea and then a dream, over 13 years ago, turned into a reality and a true suffer fest. We endured 100-kilometer per hour winds, got buried by snow for 5-day stints, and almost bailed because water was running out. We sat dormant for ten straight days, waiting for the perfect summit bid to push our route to the shoulder, only to race the setting sun before the weather closed on us again.

We pioneered a route that we take pride in. We at times took blocks in our pockets and backpacks down to our portaledges. We cleaned holds and bolted all belays. We whipped and tried our hardest to put the highest quality of climbing back on the map. This route takes an extremely steep prow up the face, almost the point of division from the east face to the north face. Almost half of the route is dead vertical to slightly overhanging.

The climbing is phenomenal from the bottom to the top. We had a few pitches that were never red pointed and few that we believe will go free with more work or simply by a stronger team. Out of the 36 pitches, only two pitches stand with small sections that we believe do not go, but maybe for a team with a much less workload could do better.

This was a two-year project that began in December of 2024 with Hugo Perez, Kellen McGrath, Trevor Anthes, and myself. In a thirty-day capsule-style push, we made it to pitch 17 before being forced into retreat from some of the worst weather I’ve ever endured in my 20 years of big wall pioneering. What these guys suffered through together was unbelievable, as well as what they accomplished was even more remarkable in the 20-degree temperatures. We removed everything off of the wall and sadly went home that season.

Returning this past December of 2025 was a whole new battle — all over again. This was to be my last shot at this dream. Together once more with Trevor Anthes and the newest teammate, Harry Kinnard, the three of us set off to finish the adventure. And what an adventure it was! Too long if you ask me, but we got it done. Setting a route that I'm extremely proud of, and I’m certain all subsequent parties will be blown away by the magic and style of the climbing that they will find. Harry Kinnard did an amazing job unlocking pitches and being a warhorse. Trevor, as always a suffer machine, hung in there and did a great job at making sure I didn’t do anything stupid.

I’d like to thank all my teammates from the first attempt to this one and say — thank you, and thanks for helping me make a dream a reality.

I’d also like to thank all the locals of Puerto Natales for the unbelievable support! Peque Claudia for being an amazing person and friend who took care of us with lodging, transportation, and organizing our chaos. Nico Secul for being a brother way down south, a man with such a big heart! Red Point Hostal — Eduardo and Ruth for organizing our porters and making sure that our equipment was where it needed to be. To all the Porters that saved our backs and legs — you guys are true animals of the mountains, and I can’t thank you enough.

Back home — Sara Baldwin, for putting up with my insanity and believing in my goal as well as my team’s goal. Thank you for all your hard work, preparing meals for the wall and keeping me healthy throughout the late nights of packing. I love you.

To all those friends that donated equipment knowing damn well it was going to get utterly destroyed: Neil Woodruff, Tim Richards, Kurt Wedburg, Dimitri Barton and Rick Zeagler. Thanks for opening your garages and allowing me to put your equipment to use.

Thank you so much for the donations of gear made from Trango Holdings on our first attempt and Metolius on this one. Unplugged out of Australia with their dry bag donations was clutch. To Mammoth Mountaineering Supply — your my boy Mr. Talsky, thanks for running an incredible business and being a friend.

- Myles Moser, Lone Pine, California, USA

Paradigm Shift
East Face of Central Tower (2460m), Torres del Paine, Patagonia
First ascent: 22 January - 2 March 2026 Trevor Anthes, Harry Kinnard, Myles Moser
Grade: 1200m, VII, 5.12+ A2, 1200m
Notes: the route starts to the right of the South African Route. After 29 independent pitches, the final 7 are shared with the classic Bonington-Whillans, established in 1963 by British mountaineers Chris Bonington and Don Whillans. Paradigm Shift was established over 41 days capsule style, with two portaledge camps: one atop the Shattered Pillar at pitch 9 and another at Pitch 17, the Iron Man Bivy. The summit was reached on 24 February. Success came about after Anthes and Moser, together with Hugo Perez and Kellen McGrath made a 30-day attempt in the 2024/2025 season which ended at pitch 17. Paradigm Shift is Moser's second new route in the Torres del Paine massif, after Plate Tectonics established on the East Face of the North Tower with Amy Ness in 2013.