Hector Ponce De Leon
Hector has been climbing mountains from a very young age. After
his first ascent of Mexico’s emblematic Popocatepetl (5454 meters) when he
was barely 11, Hector embarked on a mountaineering odyssey that would take
him on more than 50 expeditions worldwide. His ascents and climbs include
8,000-meter mountains. Peaks in the Andes, the Alps and the Canadian Rockies.
Alpine and ice faces in the Himalayas, south America, Canada and Europe. And
rock climbs in Africa, the United States, Mexico, Spain, Jordan and Pakistan,
among other places.
He
is certified as a mountaineering instructor with the Spanish Mountaineering
Federation and has obtained rescue course certification with the Spanish Mountain
School. As a guide he has lead trips
in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan.
Himalayan and Karakoram highlights:
EVEREST (8848 meters) Hector reached the summit for the first
time by the North side in1996.
He
successfully guided the Mountain Madness 2002
Everest Expedition.
Working
as a cameraman for Discovery Channel he made his third ascent to the summit in 2004
SHISHA PANGMA (8047 meters) Climbed the south face by the British route
in 100% alpine style in 1998. (Without
supplemental oxygen, altitude sherpas, fix lines, preestablished camps or
previous recognition of the route)
CHO OYU (8200 meters) Summitted on this 8200-meter mountain
in just 6 hours from camp 3 in 1995.
GII (8035 meters) As the leader guide of a German expedition he reached 7600
meters with two members in very stormy weather in 1995. In 1999 he went back working as a guide for Mountain Madness and reached
the summit.
BROAD PEAK (8042 meters) Reached the false summit alpine style
(2 days from base camp) in 1992
while on an expedition to K2.
K2 (8611 meters) Reached 8100 meters 7 days after reaching the summit of
Broad Peak and decided to abandon the climb after the death of a team member.
In
2000 he made an attempt of the North ridge, reaching 7,800 meters.
In
2002 he had a third attempt on the mountain by the technically difficult south/southeast
ridge in a year where no one summitted.
KANGCHENJUNGA (8585 meters) reached 8000 meters by the south side in
the spring of 2001. Reached the same height on a second attempt in 2005.
Alpine Faces:
Aconcagua South face - In January of 1993,
together with Andres Delgado, he ascended in pure alpine this 10,000 ft. face
in just 3 days. Before this, they had already climbed the Polish glacier and
the southwest face of Cerro Cuerno.
Huayna Potosi West Face - Climbed this steep icy 3,000-ft face in roughly 7
hrs.
Athabasca North Face - Climbed the north face in just 3 hrs.
Alpamayo He has climbed this impressive mountain three times,
two of them as a guide.
Illampú (6,400 meters) - Guided the north face in 1993.
Condoriri- Reached the summit via the north ridge from base camp
in a day.
Aiguilles de Midi- One-day ascent of the Frendo Spur (5.8 WI 4, 1200meters)
Mont blanc du Tacul- 24 hr ascent of the Gervasutti Pillar (5.10, Mixed IV, 1400 meters)
Mont Blanc du Tacul - Climbed the north face by the supergoulotte (600m WI 6) in the winter of 1998
Eiger North Face - Attempted the 1938 route (5.9, WI 4, Mixed 4, 1600m)
in the winter of 1998.
Tour Ronde Massif du Mont Blanc- Winter climb of the north face,
Perroux route (1000m, Mixed 3, 80º) in 4hrs.
Aconcagua: 18 ascents to the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere,
nine of them as a guide with a total of 45 clients to the top. He has a done
a 6 hour and 30 minutes ascent from base camp to summit.
Huayna Potosi (6080m)- 6 times to the summit. 3 of them as a guide
Illimani (6370m)- 4 ascents, all of them as a guide
Pequeño Alpamayo (5400 meters) 7 ascents
Sajama (6580 meters)
Illampú (6432 meters)
Condoriri (5,800 meters) 3 summits
Huascaran South (6800 meters)
Huascaran North (6700meters)- solo ascent
Tocllaraju (6100m)
Artesonraju (6000 meters)
Ranrapalca
(6,280 meters)
Ecuador:
Chimborazo (6300m)- Solo ascent in 4 hours.
Cotopaxi (5980m)- Solo ascent in 3hrs and 30min.
Tungurahua (5200m)
Mexico:
Popocatepetl (5400m)- First climbed at age 11. He has summitted a
total of 130 times At least 50 ascents as a guide
Iztaccihuatl (5200m)- Climbed 70 times. 35 as a guide
Pico de Orizaba (5700m)- An estimated 80 ascents. 30 as a guide.
In
1992 he climbed Popo, Izta, and
Pico de Orizaba in a record 17hrs and
30min.
Yosemite, United States:
Half Dome: regular route (5.10c A2) 24 pitches
Washington Column: south face, 5.9 A2 15 pitches
El Capitan: east buttress, 5.10b 17 pitches
Sentinel Rock: Steck-Salathé 5.9, 17 pitches
Middle Cathedral: east buttress, 12 pitches, 5.10c
Other
rock climbs of difficulty up to 5.11a in Joshua Tree, Tahquitz, and the Needles.
Saint Catherine,
Sinaí
Potrero Chico,
Mexico
El Naranjo
de Bulnes, Boí, Pedraforca, and Galayos, Spain.
Polar Circus (700m, V,
WI 5+)
Borgeau Left (150 m.,
WI 5+)
Weeping Wall (200 meters
WI 4+)
Other
climbs of several ice falls up to WI V+: Guinness Gully (400m) WI 4, Lake
Louis WI 5, Professor Falls (250m) WI 5, solo, Malignant Mushroom (70 meters)
WI 5+.
Quebec, Canada
La Pomme de Or (300 meters, WI 5+)
Several climbs of ice falls up to WI 6 in Montmorency, La Mer
de Glace, and Quebec River Canyon.
Moby Dick, 400 meters, WI 4+
Different ice climbs of difficulty up to 5+ in Argentiere and
La Tete de Gramussant.
Terminator, 160 meters, WI 5+
Other climbs of ice falls up to WI 5+