Jirishanca: Josh Wharton & Vince Anderson Climb a New Route in Peru | Patagonia Films

Jirishanca follows two of alpinism's quietly legendary figures—Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson—as they attempt a bold new route on one of Peru's most striking and remote peaks. Wharton, described as the most accomplished alpinist you've never heard of, has spent years accumulating serious high-altitude achievements far from the spotlight. Now, with fatherhood reshaping his relationship with risk and climate change transforming the mountain environments he has long called home, this ascent of Jirishanca carries a weight that goes beyond the climb itself. What makes this film worth watching is its rare combination of raw alpine drama and genuine personal reckoning. The pair's attempt on the 2003 Italian route forces both climbers to confront uncertainty at every turn—on technical terrain, in shifting conditions, and within themselves. Produced by Patagonia Films and shot on location by a seasoned crew, this 31-minute film delivers the kind of honest, immersive storytelling that reminds you why people venture into the high mountains in the first place.

Patagonia · 31:12

Josh Wharton is the most accomplished alpinist you’ve never heard of. But while he’s been quietly crushing ambitious objectives to little or no fanfare, fatherhood, and warming weather have begun to reshape the world he knew. When Wharton and his climbing partner Vince Anderson attempt to take the 2003 Italian route to the summit of Jirishanca in Peru, they’re forced to account for risk as never before. Check out Josh Wharton's story about the ascent with photos by Drew Smith, originally published in the Spring 2023 Patagonia Journal Link: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/jirishanca/story-135572.html Filmed and photographed on location by Cheyne Lempe, Chris Alstrin, Drew Smith, Vince Anderson, and Josh Wharton Written by Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer Edited by Joshua Steele Minor & Josh Lowell Additional Camera by Chuck Fryberger, Taylor Shaffer, Christian Riepler Executive Producers Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, Josh Lowell, Alex Lowther, Monika McClure, Justin Roth, and Kristo Torgersen Produced by Halle Johns & Zachary Barr Assistant Editor Freddie Gluck, Alex Ferrante, Tessa Fredericks Motion Graphics & VFX by Alex Ferrante Post Production Coordinator Tessa Fredericks Sound Kip Kuepper / Coupe Studios Color Joshua Steele Minor & Roo Smith Expedition Support Zarela Zomora Subscribe: https://pat.ag/Subscribe Get more from Patagonia: Official site: https://pat.ag/Patagonia Patagonia Stories: https://pat.ag/PatagoniaStories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patagonia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PATAGONIA/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/patagonia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@patagonia?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patagonia_2/ About Patagonia: At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it.