Ouray resident Jim Donini completed the first ascent of the North Face of Aguja Poincenot in Patagonia in 1997. He will speak about his experiences climbing in Patagonia and the Himalayas at the OuROCK festival this weekend. Photo courtesy Jim Donini
CLIMBING THE VIEWS
Growing up in Philadelphia, Jim Donini wanted to be an explorer. He pored over books about great adventures provided by his father, a history teacher, but feared everything had already been explored.
The Ouray-based climber soon learned he’d been wrong. Today, unclimbed peaks still pique his interest, and at age 79 he’s still eying first ascents.
“I like the feeling that if I stick my hand in a crack to jam it, it’s a crack no one’s ever stuck a hand in before. If I spent a night...
