Despite Patagonia’s ever-changing and ever-challenging weather, more teams have made successful ascents of Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and Cerro Trinidad.
On the Californiana route. Photo: Thomas Huber
Thomas Huber, Jon Griffin, and Tad McCrea finally succeeded on Fitz Roy by the Californiana route. A few days ago, the trio abandoned their attempted Moonwalk Traverse because of the weather. So instead, they summited via Californiana a few days later. Conditions forced them to give it their all.
On the summit of Fitz Roy. Photo: Tad McCrea
”Freedom is the reason why we move in these extreme environments,” recalled Huber on his social media. The Californiana route (400m 6a+) goes up the south face of Cerro Torre. Yvon Chouinard, Lito Tejada-Flores, Richard Dorworth, Doug Tompkins, and Chris Jones did its first ascent in December 1968.
Success after a six-week wait
Fanny Schmutz, Lise Billon, and Maud Vanpoulle did a three-day ascent of the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre. The three mountain guides had to wait six weeks for a suitable weather window, hardly unheard-of in Patagonia.
Vanpoulle on the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre. Photo: Fanny Schmutz
Fanny Schmutz, Lise Billon, and Maud Vanpoulle on the summit of Cerro Torre. Photo: Maud Vanpoulle
Scott Bennett and Tyler Allen did the same route on Cerro Torre at the same time as the women. During a dream bivy in the heart of the climb, they recorded an incredibly beautiful video that they posted on Instagram.
Frame of a video posted on Instagram by Tyler Allen. A red arrow marks their tiny tent.
Ignacio Mulero, Leon Teizan Riveros Molina, and Nico Lewin established a new line on El Mocho. Arigato Chalten goes up the north face of El Mocho, and it includes six new pitches that Mulero was able to free climb.
‘Arigato Chalten’ on El Mocho. Photo: Ignacio Mulero
Leo Gheza, Angelo Contessi, and Diego Diaz Aguilera opened a new big-wall route on Cerro Trinidad Central in the Cochamo Valley, according to Planet Mountain. They named the 1,000m line (5.12+/A1) Nunca say Nunca. Gheza paraglided down.
‘Nunca say Nunca’ on Cerro Trinidad Central. Photo: Leo Gheza
