Germans Stefan Glowacz and Holger Heuber have climbed a new route on the La Proa wall in the Roraima Tepuis in Venezuela. Behind the Rainbow is 16 pitches long with sections of F8b climbing and is the first free route on the wall.

Heuber and Glowacz first attempted to free climb the Proa wall in the spring of 2010. Climbing with Kurt Albert they were turned back by bad weather and the subsequent depletion of provisions which only allowed them to progress to half height. Albert was later killed in a via feratta accident in the autumn so for Heuber and Glowacz finishing the route they started with their deceased partner was important.

Climbing in the Venezuelan jungle is a serious proposition. The ‘tepui’ are table top mountains from the Guiana Highlands of South America that are particularly prevalent in Venezuela. These isolated rock towers have massive flat summits that are cut off from the jungle by sheer rock faces. For this reason they often host rare plant and animal species. To get to the top of a ‘tepui’ will often require a Cessna flight, several days trekking through the jungle, the negotiation of overhanging vegetation, loose rock and all manner of biting insects and scratching/stinging plants.

Despite all this Glowacz still talks enthusiastically about the climb saying, “Behind the Rainbow is the perfect route for me! The higher you get the more difficult it becomes and each pitch has its very own characteristics, the backdrop and scenery you’re in is impressive. This adventure was one of a kind for me.”

To read more about Stefan Glowacz, his life and climbs visit

http://www.glowacz.de/en.index.html