Enormocast 276: A Candid Ascent of Trango Tower with Jordan Cannon, Jesse Huey, and Matt Segal [Part 1]

All Photos: Cannon, Huey, Segal because it was just them up there.

On Episode 276 of the Enormocast, three guys dreamed big and got it done. Climbers Jordan Cannon and Jesse Huey hitched their wagons to Matt Segal‘s long standing dream of free climbing the second ascent of Todd Skinner et al’s master piece, Cowboy Direct, on Trango Tower in Pakistan (AKA Nameless Tower). What ensued was a mostly self-supported trip up the greatest big wall in the word and a 2nd ascent 27 years in the making. On this interview, we go deep into the logistics, the work, the pain, and the elation that it takes to climb such an audacious project. We also mine the depths of the interpersonal relationships and inner landscape of the three friends that set out to climb Trango and the changed climbers that returned. And this is only part one ending on the summit. Return for the second half to hear the boys’ revelations from 20k feet and their return to the valley below.