Tough Enough, The hardest route in the world?

A peaceful valley, some isolated villages, some fascinating vegetation and animals, and in the midst of all that, a smooth, vertical, four hundred metre wall of multicoloured granite. This is the original setting which enveloped the members of the Karambony 2007 expedition in their liberation attempt* of Tough Enough.

TEXT & PHOTOS : Evrard Wendenbaum

"A climbing trip in Madagascar already begins by a seductive look at check-in so as to avoid paying too much excess baggage," says Francois Legrand. The reasons are evident as with seventeen sacks, or nearly 200 kg, this is an inevitability. The journey also comprises a ten hour ride in a ‘bush-taxi’ to get to our destination: Valley Tsaranoro."
At Tsarasoa camp (pronounced "Tsarasou") we are greeted by a dozen Madagascan porters wearing threadbare T-shirts. "Coming here is like experiencing another side of life" says Toni Catalan Arbonès. It is a radical break with civilization. There is no electricity save for a solar panel for the shower and a small generator to recharge the batteries. You cook over a wood fire or a solar-powered oven, and there is a spring for the water.
There, perched on a hillside, you can admire the valley and the surrounding villages and stand opposite the imposing Big Walls of Tsaranoro and Karambony. It is a truly magical panorama which makes you forget how difficult it has been to get here.
"We will be trying to liberate what may well be the hardest route in the southern hemisphere; it's not something you can refuse!" Toni says with a smile.
There is a conquering atmosphere for attacking the Tough Enough route. On the east face of the Karambony, it runs almost straight along a huge 400 meter wall, riddled with large patches of intensely coloured lichen, streaked with immense vertical black lines. It must surely be the most beautiful wall in the region!

Read the rest of the article in the Mountain Report magazine - Where to find ?