Aguja Mermoz - Northwest face
2. Cosas Patagónicas
650m 6c+
Antonio Colombo, Giorgio Confalonieri, Davide Corbetta, Danilo Galbiati, Giulio Maggioni, Vanni Spinelli and Ezio Tanzi (Italy), 29-31/10/1989.
Description. Climbs the right of two dihedrals in the center of the NW face, from the top of which it traverses slightly left to a dihedral system that leads to the north ridge and the Argentine route 100 meters below the summit. The crux is the 250-meter long dihedral at the start of the route. The free climbing crux is a thin crack and corner in the second pitch (RPs mandatory). In the fifth pitch the italians drilled a bolt ladder on blank rock to the right of a roof, here the free line climbs the roof itself via a flaring off-width very similar to the Harding Slot (Astroman), that goes at around 6c.
History. The first ascent was climbed with fixed ropes. “Cosas Patagónicas: a common saying in this land; an excuse for the fatalism of the people that inhabit it, for which time does not count and who know that only time takes care of problems.”
Scott Bennett and Blake Herrington did the first free ascent in 2011.
Approach. Piedra Negra, across the second saddle right of the start of Guillaumet’s NW buttress, across slabs (2 and 3) to a snowfield that leads to the base.
Descent. Via the same route.
Bibliography. Alp Magazine 62 p. 20-21; AAJ 1990 p. 208, p.210; Annales GHM 1990 p. 53; CAI-Rivista Mensile 1990/4 p. 68-69; Rivista della Montagna 117 p.16; Lo Scarpone 1990/2 p. 18.
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