Icarus Direct 5.13- First Ascent 

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As far as I know, in 2022 I got the first free ascent of the direct 5.13- variation to Icarus, a brilliant 9 pitch route deep in Wyoming's Wind River Range in an area called the Cirque of the Sun.
Icarus was first free climbed by Jonathan Awerbuch and Jeff Woodward at 5.11+ in 2018, by taking a traverse around this difficult crux, making for a five star route at either grade/variation.
I was told about the potential for freeing this pitch by my dear friend Dirtbag Kevin, who was instrumental in supporting my ascent from start to finish. He lured me in with tales of high quality splitter cracks deep in the mountains, and the potential for me to offer my own contributuion to the evolution of climbing in an already deeply special place. It was an answer to a calling I had been searching for: a way to not just repeat "what has already been done," but see future paths through the unknown into the realm of "what could be." For all my years spent trying to follow in the footsteps of others who have that kind of vision, this felt like a big step to not just try and mimic their accomplishments, but to actually be like the kind of person I admire at their core.
I can only hope that this beautiful route inspires others in their own equally meaningful ways in years to come.
All editing and graphics done by me, filming by Adam Clatch and Jordi Llauvi