Punta Herron - North face

4. Spigolo dei Bimbi

350m 6b 90˚

Adriano Cavallaro, Ermanno Salvaterra and Ferruccio Vidi (Italy), 26-29/11/1991.

Description. A superbe climb! The rock is of very high quality, the position very dramatic and the climbing über fun. The only problem is getting there, which is a bit of an ordeal. The crux of the climb are the first 5 meters, climbing above a single belay bolt 5 meters below the col dei Sogni (Standhardt-Herron). Above that the difficulties ease off. A number of variations can be climbed. In case frost covers the north side one can always move further east.

During the first ascent no progression bolts were placed but Thomas Huber added one during one of his repeats of the climb. All belays are equipped with a bolt and a piton for a fast, easy descent.

To get to the col dei Sogni climb up Standhardt and rapel its south ridge (5 or 6 exciting raps), or climb across the Standhardt ramp, rap into Tobogan and climb two or three easy pitches (AI3) back up to the col.

History. Cavallaro, Salvaterra and Vidi climbed Standhardt via Exocet, bivied below the mushroom, rappelled to the col Standhardt-Herron col which they christened col dei Sogni, bivied again and then climbed up Herron, before bivying again the the col on their way down. Their original objective was the Torres traverse.

The route Spigolo dei Bimbi –ridge of the children- was named in memory of seven young children that died in a hailstorm induced snow and rock slide while hiking to the Brentei hut, in the Brenta Group. Salvaterra also christen col dei Sogni (col of dreams), “How many times have I tried to imagine this place and how many times have I seen it in my dreams!”.

It is possible that Salvaterra et al’s ascent was the first ascent of the peak. See De Dona-Giongo for more details.

Solo ascent. In early 2016 Colin Haley did the first solo ascent of the route and peak, as part of the first solo ascent of Torre Egger. From the Standhardt Col he climbed across the Standhardt ramps and dropped into Tobogán to climb up to the Col del los Sueños. 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. Niponino.

Descent. Via the same route back to the col. From the col there are three options: down Tobogan, safe but it involves much traversing in the middle; down Tobogan at first then straight to the hanging glacier and the top of the serac, then either across it to rap down Egger, or down skiers left, to rap right under the serac back to the glacier (only if you are sure to still have one of your seven lives to spare...). The last is the most dangerous but fastest option. Far all the options you will need a few pitons because you are likely not to find one or more of the rap stations.

Bibliography. Desnivel magazine 73 p. 79; Desnivel magazine 74 p. 91-93; Lo Scarpone 1992/18 p. 19; Alp magazine 92 p. 27; Annales GHM 1992 p. 17; High magazine 122 p. 10; AAJ 1993 p. 186; CAI-Rivista Mensile 1992/5 p. 81.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt

southeast face

Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt

south face

Punta Herron north face

Punta Herron and Aguja Standhardt

north face