Who was he?
Marc-André Leclerc (1992–2018) grew up in the Fraser Valley on the eastern edge of Vancouver, surrounded by the sharp profiles of the Coast Mountains. From the moment he first looked up at Mt. Cheam, the mountains weren’t just scenery — they became his direction.
He discovered climbing at nine years old, first on a small mall wall, then in a real gym where his talent exploded. As a teenager he quickly outgrew indoor climbing and turned to the wild peaks around his home, scrambling local 7,000–8,000 ft summits long before he had proper gear or formal training. Climbing wasn’t something he learned — it was something he already was.
By fifteen, Marc was venturing beyond his home ranges, making early trips to Squamish and the remote Pantheon Range. His first major achievement came soon after: the NE Buttress of Mt. Slesse, a proud and complex peak towering near his home. It was a sign of what was coming.
In 2010 he moved to Squamish full-time, living the pure dirtbag lifestyle — couch surfing, bivying under boulders, and climbing every single day. The community noticed. Sponsors followed. And soon, the global climbing world did too.
By his early twenties Marc had become one of the strongest and boldest climbers of his generation. He soloed long alpine routes on Slesse in a single day, linked three major routes on the Chief back-to-back, opened new lines in Patagonia, and climbed big walls in remote places like Baffin Island. His style was unmistakable: minimalist gear, perfect control, total presence.
Marc’s career wasn’t built on publicity or polished images — it was built on pure movement, quiet focus, and a deep, personal connection to the mountains. His climbs were not just accomplishments; they were expressions of who he was.
Solo That Redefined Cerro Torre
In February 2015, the climbing world was shaken by a quiet, focused 22-year-old from Squamish, British Columbia. Marc-André Leclerc, already respected for his bold approach and purity of style, completed the first solo ascent of the Corkscrew Route on Cerro Torre in Patagonia. In doing so, he added a new chapter to the short but fierce history of solo ascents on one of the world’s most formidable spires.
Leclerc’s ascent is widely considered one of the most significant solos ever done in Patagonia. Alpinist and historian Rolando Garibotti noted that its magnitude is second only to Renato Casarotto’s 1979 solo of Fitz Roy’s North Pillar. For a climber in his early twenties, this comparison alone says everything.
The Corkscrew is a complex 1,200-meter linkup that begins on the steep and demanding Southeast Ridge before traversing Cerro Torre’s south face and joining the upper Ragni Route. Only about 200 meters of the line are unique, but the full path weaves through fragile rime mushrooms, inconsistent ice, and steep mixed terrain that can shift dramatically with the weather. Conditions during Leclerc’s climb were far from favorable.
He left Nipo Nino camp around noon on February 20, climbing slushy, unstable terrain to the Col of Patience. Rain soaked him through the night as he bivouacked inside a crevasse. At 3 a.m., with his clothes still damp, he started up the Southeast Ridge. He carried a single 8mm rope, micro cams, a minimal rack, two ice screws, a V-thread tool, and little else. He had, by accident, forgotten his umbilical leashes, adding another layer of risk to the long, insecure sections of ice.
The early pitches were slow and doubting. Rain, running water, brittle verglas, and generally poor conditions left him questioning whether he should continue. But as he climbed higher, the weather opened and the Salvaterra section of the ridge brought solid rock, sun, and flow. There, he found the focus that defined his best climbing.
The traverse across the south face proved longer and more serious than expected. Described in guidebooks as 200 meters, Leclerc found nearly twice that distance, with extremely fragile ice providing insecure protection. Though technically around 70 degrees, the psychological crux of the route lay here.
Once he intersected the Ragni Route, the mountain relented. The upper rime tunnels and the famous final mushroom were in excellent condition. On the last pitch, a half-pipe of rime ice gradually turned to hard, secure ice. Leclerc reached the summit at 5:45 p.m., alone and in control.
The descent, often the true test on Cerro Torre, went smoothly. He reached the ice towers before dark and descended through complex terrain back to his bivy at the col.
This ascent came during an already extraordinary season for Leclerc. In the weeks before, he had completed the Reverse Torre Traverse with Colin Haley, opened a new line on Cerro Torre’s north face, and free-soloed most of Chiaro di Luna on Saint-Exupéry. His Patagonia season represented not just strength but a rare synthesis of intuition, restraint, and mastery in severe alpine terrain.
Marc-André Leclerc’s solo of the Corkscrew Route was not a headline built on spectacle. It was a quiet act of precision and commitment, executed without fanfare and nearly without witness. Yet its impact remains one of the defining moments in modern alpinism: a reminder of what is possible when skill, vision, and absolute focus come together on one of the world’s wildest mountains.
Marc-André Leclerc’s climb stands as more than a milestone in alpinism.
It is a reminder of what can happen when a person follows their craft with total dedication, clarity, and humility. His approach to the mountains was never about recognition but about honesty in movement and a deep commitment to the purity of the experience. Even in the harshest conditions, he climbed with a calm presence that continues to inspire climbers worldwide.
His legacy invites us to move with intention, to pursue our passions with sincerity, and to recognize that some of the greatest achievements come from quiet determination. And while the mountains demand respect, they also reward those who meet them with heart.
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