Josh Wharton
Although Josh loves all aspects of the sport, his primary passion is alpine climbing. He’s particularly proud of the climbs that require special effort from himself and his partners—be it a willingness to take big risks, train hard, or make some major sacrifice in life. He hopes to continue chasing climbing dreams that inspire him, from 10-foot boulders to 10,000-foot alpine routes.
Hard alpinism in the Cordillera Huayhuash endures as the climate changes the routes.
Not totally relating to some forms of climate activism, Josh Wharton found his own way to contribute.
Wind pushed a wave of fine snow off the top of the wall, coating the already frosted rock in another slippery layer of spindrift. I put my head down to let it pass, looking at my fingers covered in blood and snow, and wedged into icy finger locks. Objectively, I knew they were still there,…
I took a hex off the rack and pushed it far into the crack. The rime was thick, and the crack’s edges blurry. The hex mushed into the rime and stuck. I beat on it with my ice axe just to be sure, then gave it a swift tug. It ripped straight out. Technical winter…
The incredible northern aspect of Latok I (~7200 meters) needs no introduction as one of the world’s greatest unclimbed mountain escarpments. Since the historic first attempt by an American team in 1978 (still holders of the current highpoint), the peak has seen more then 30 unsuccessful expeditions. Although it has been climbed once from the…