Spanish climber Edu Marín has achieved a major milestone in European alpine climbing by making the first free ascent of ‘Donec Perficiam’, a 350-meter multi-pitch route graded 8b+/8c on the Aragón Wall of Montrebei Gorge, Spain. This ascent, completed on 28 May 2025, marks the final chapter in what Marín calls the ‘Iberian Trilogy’, a trio of demanding climbs on the Iberian Peninsula.
The route, established ground-up between 2012 and 2017 by Isaac Cortés and Carles Brasco, was opened with a bold and ethical approach. The first ascensionists placed bolts while leading, accepting real fall risks to preserve the purity of the climb. Their commitment to difficulty and style left a deep impression on Marín.
Climbing alongside Juan Pablo Caballero, the 39-year-old Spaniard took just five hours to complete the line. He fell only once on the final pitch before lowering back to the belay and redpointing it successfully.
“From the moment I first tried ‘Donec Perficiam,’ I knew it was something special — a true line of character, untouched and waiting,” Marín shared on social media after the climb.
Marín had first attempted the route years ago but postponed further efforts due to other climbing objectives, including an expedition to Pakistan and launching his own climbing gym. He returned this spring and dedicated April and May to working the route. Due to intense heat, he mostly climbed in the late afternoons.
The successful ascent now completes Marín’s long-term goal: the ‘Iberian Trilogy’, inspired by the renowned ‘Alpine Trilogy’ in the Alps — Silbergeier, End of Silence, and Des Kaisers neue Kleider — first completed by Stefan Glowacz in 2001 and repeated by Marín in later years.
The trilogy includes:
‘Orbayu’ at Pico Urriellu (also known as El Naranjo de Bulnes), a pioneering line freed by Iker and Eneko Pou, and repeated by Marín and his father, Francisco “Novato” Marín, on 5 July 2015.
‘Arco Iris’ at Montserrat, originally established by Armand Ballard and freed by Marín, again with his father, on 8 October 2020.
‘Donec Perficiam’, now completed in 2025, rounds out the trio.
“It was hard. It was beautiful. It was worth it,” Marín said. “With this ascent, I complete what I call ‘The Iberian Trilogy’ — a personal vision that began nearly a decade ago with my repeat of Orbayu in 2015.”
Each route in the trilogy stands out not only for its physical and technical difficulty but also for the boldness and ethics behind its creation — factors Marín considers essential to modern alpine climbing.
The successful completion of this trilogy solidifies Marín’s position as one of Spain’s leading climbers and a key figure in the global climbing community.