Felix Duvallet

Background

My mountaineering interests lie in fast & light ascents of peaks via technical routes. This focus stems from the training grounds easily-accessible around Pittsburgh: we do not have high glaciated peaks; instead we have great rock and ice within a few hours’ drive. I arrived at mountaineering after plenty of experience rock climbing, and I have found the two to complement each other quite well. The wide range of skills required to ascend any one mountain is part of what attracts me to mountaineering.

I have been fortunate to climb in a variety of places in the US and abroad, but most of my time and energy is spent closer to home at our “local” crags: the New River Gorge and Seneca Rocks.

Significant Ascents

Adirondacks (NY), 2009

• Mt. Colden (Winter ascent) - Trap Dike.

Wind River Range (WY), 2009

• Mt. Helen - Grand Couloir
• Gannett Peak (High point of Wyoming) - North Face
• Fremont Peak - SW buttress

Parc des Ecrins (French Alps), 2010

• Tete de la Maye - Niponi Maye
• Pointe des Aigles - Arete West (W ridge)
• Pic Nord des Cavales - Arete West (W ridge)
• Flambeau des Écrins - S face

Rocky Mountain National Park & Colorado, 2011

• Torey peak - Kelso Ridge (4th class)
• Spearhead - North Ridge (5.6)
• Spearhead - Syke’s Sickle (5.9)

Rock Climbing (select areas)

• New River Gorge (WV)
• Seneca Rocks (WV)
• Red River Gorge (KY)
• Gunks (NY)
• Stone Mountain (NC)
• Moore's Wall (NC)
• Tahquitz (CA)
• Joshua Tree (CA)
• Boulder Canyon (CO)
• Flatirons (CO)
• Eldorado Canyon (CO)