Torre Egger – North ridge

6. Espejo del Viento

200m 6b+ 80˚

Thomas Huber (Germany) and Andi Schnarf (Switzerland), 3/2005.

Description. From a bolt 20 meters above the Col de la Luz climb discontinuous cracks and flakes for two pitches (6b+), to a belay with three pitons right on the ridge. From there a 50 meter horizontal traverse to the left, past a fixed camalot and a bolt lead to second bolt that can be backed up to belay from. The climbing on those three pitches is just superbe! A few rock moves lead to an easy ice ramp (AI3) and to the base of a short mushroom, which is overcome via a short tunnel on the east side to reach the summit. In case pasted frost blocks the second pitch, one can climb up and slightly left from the first belay to then traverse to reach the first of the traverse bolts (see photo).

History. Huber and Schnarf climbed Standhardt via Festerville, then Herron via Spigolo dei Bimbi to reach the col de la Luz, where they bivied, completing the climb the following morning. One week earlier together with Slovene Rok Zalokar they had made an attempt to within 20 meters from the top of Egger, from where they retreated due to warm weather. That time they traversed onto Spigolo dei Bimbi by climbing the Standhardt ramp and rapping into Tobogan, which they climbed for three pitches to reach the col dei Sogni.

Italians Bruno de Dona and Giuliano Giongo claim to have climbed that upper portion of the north ridge of Egger during the supposed second ascent of Egger. However, lack of any trace of passage has cast serious doubt on their claim (see De Doná-Giongo line).

Huber went on to christen the saddle between Egger and Herron, Col de la Luz, explaining “because we think we were the first humans on this col; we found no trace of the Italians here or anyplace above.”

Solo ascent. In early 2016 Colin Haley did the first solo ascent of the route and peak. He approached from the Standhardt Col, climbing across the Standhardt ramps to drop into Tobogán, climbing up to the Col del los Sueños and up Punta Herron via Spigol dei Bimbi. He departed Noruegos at 00:45 and reached the summit of Torre Egger at 17:10 approx, in slightly over 16 hours (13:30 from the col to the summit). He free-soloed everything except for four pitches along Spigolo de Bimbi and another four along the Huber-Scharf, where he rope-soloed. He descended the south face of Egger to the Egger-Torre col, and then down the Americana. During the descent he lost two hours with a badly stuck rope. The roundtrip from Noruegos took 27 hours. He carried a single rope, a 5mm rap cord, 2x Camalots to #.75, 1x Camalots to #2, three ice-screws, a set of stoppers, nine pitons and three liters of water. He carried no stove or bivy gear.

In 2010 Colin had done the first solo ascent of Aguja Standhardt, so he now has under his belt the first solo ascents of three out of the four summits in the Cerro Torre group. He has also soloed the seven most prominent summits of the Fitz Roy skyline.

Approach. By helicopter to the Col de de la Luz or climbing via the Spigolo dei Bimbi –a phenomenal climb!- and over the summit of Herron.

Descent. BASE jump down the south face or rappel down Titanic.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt

southeast face

Torre Egger north face

Torre Egger northeast face

Punta Herron south face

Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt

south face