Professional climber and mountaineer David Lama is no stranger to extreme and record-setting climbs. In 2012, he made the first free ascent of Patagonia's iconic Cerro Torre's Compressor Route, a line steeped in mountaineering lore. This year, he made another historic climb, establishing a new route on the previously unclimbed Bataara Gorge in Lebanon. The spectacular sinkhole, located in Tannourine, features a 300–330ft cascade that falls behind three natural bridges and then down into a 820ft chasm.

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Lebanon isn’t known for climbing, but the 25-year-old Lama wanted a new challenge. Initially, Lama found it tough to even find a climbable path up the gorge walls, according to Red Bull, but eventually he was successful in setting the new route Avaatara, a 5.14d climb, one of the highest difficulty grades possible in climbing. 

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"It’s not very common that you get to such a stunning location nobody has climbed," Lama told Red Bull. "To find a climbable line in this cave, in this sinkhole, was really hard. I really had my doubts. The walls are incredibly steep and there are hardly any holds on it, so I was unsure there was a line I could free climb."

One of the world's most beautiful natural wonders, the Bataara Gorge, also called the Cave of Three Bridges, is carved out of ancient limestone over millions of years by winter meltwater. In spring, when the mountain snow melts, crystal ribbons of water shoot through three separate holes, separated by bridges, according to The Huffington Post.

Lama, born to an Austrian mother and Nepalese father, believes the route he set at Bataara Gorge is as beautiful as the site itself, almost a kind of artwork.

"I guess when it comes to climbs that are this hard or are this close to your limit, climbing is almost more an art than a sport," he said. "It’s the transition from an idea you have in your mind, to something everyone can see. Like now everyone knows this line is climbable, and that's beautiful in my opinion."

Watch David Lama's amazing first ascent of Bataara Gorge: