BIF25 - Friday: Anna + Shooting the Moon + Push the Lines
Details
Anna
Shooting the Moon
The Southeast "Hidden" Pillar of Ultar Sar (7,388m) is a coveted alpine route in the Pakistani Karakoram that has been attempted by many strong climbers over the last few decades. Sporting 3,100m of vertical relief, the route consists of relentless calf-burning ice, and a striking rock pillar cutting a line through the sky straight to the summit. Over eight days in June 2025, Ethan Berman, Sebastian Pelletti, and Maarten van Haeren finally put the pieces together to establish the first ascent of the line, which they named Shooting the Moon. Berman and van Haeren will walk us through the experience of establishing a technical route in alpine-style at high altitude, including their long and fruitful partnership, and a birthday gone wrong during their first attempt in 2024. It's also likely they won't be able to resist sharing some stoke from winter routes they have established at home in the Canadian Rockies.
The line of Shooting the Moon on the Southeast Pillar of Ultar Sar. Credit: Ethan Berman
