PATAclimb.com - The Patagonia online climbing guidebook http://www.pataclimb.com At a March 21st meeting of the British Mountaineering Council International Committee the following statement was agreed upon: The BMC International Committee supports Traditional Ethics in mountaineering and supports the removal of the Maestri bolts from Cerro Torre. See the full letter by going to our home page. Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:30:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com After climbing an impressive new route on Poincenot, Russian climber Sergey Dashkevich climbed a new route on Guillaumet. Brazilian Marcos Costa and Sergey fired the Patagonian Werewolfs in a single day round trip from Piedra Negra. With nine routes the west face of Guillaumet is by far the most climbed piece of rock in the entire massif. Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/guillaumet/werewolf.html After a new route on the Goretta pillar a couple of weeks ago, Luciano just climbed an impressive and beautiful new line on Aguja de la Silla. After navigating the adventurous approach Diego, Jony and Luciano fired the route in a single day. With his three new lines on Fitz, one on Guillaumet, a short one on Val Biois and now this one, all in less than three years, Luciano is by far the most active first ascentionist the area has seen in quite sometime. Mon, 14 Mar 2012 14:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/silla/destreza.html Luciano climbed his third new line on Fitz Roy, this time an impressive crack line up the Goretta Pillar, here. Mikey and Kate climb a new line on Innominata, Mikey's sixth new line in the Fitz Roy range, here. Jumbo and Hana climbed Mate, Porro y Todo los Demas to the top, while Jose Bonacalza and Diego Simari did what is likely the "youngest" ascent of the Ragni route. Mon, 5 Mar 2012 20:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com Part of the discussion surrounding the Compressor route bolts should include understanding Cesare Maestri's motivation to place them, which relates directly to why he wanted to chop them on his way down. Maestri has written quite a lot on the subject, particularly in the book 2000 Metri della Nostra Vita, which you can buy in Italian at amazon.it. However the best analysis on the subject is Reinhold Messner's Torre-Schrei aus Stein published in 2009 in German by Piper Verlag and in Italian under the title Grido di Pietra by Corbaccio. Unfortunately it has not been translated into English. It is a very worthy read, in some ways essential to having a deeper understanding of this issue. You can buy it at amazon.de in German, at amazon.it in Italian. Some years ago Maestri summarized his contribution to Cerro Torre when he expressed his desire to see it "explode in a million pieces". Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com Petition in support of the removal of the Compressor route bolts. Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:15:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/peticio_en.html Peticion en apoyo al retiro de los clavos de la vía del Compresor Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:15:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/peticio_es.html Russian climbers Sergey Dashkevich, Mikhail Devi, Evgeniy Dmitrienko and Arkadiy Seregin climbed an impressive new route on Poincenot's SE face. In less than ideal weather they went for it, climbing in seven days one of the more difficult new routes in quite sometime. Word! Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:15:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/poincenot/viaRusso.html Yvon Chouinard's thoughts on the Compressor route bolt removal, another must read. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:10:00 ART http://www.thecleanestline.com/2012/02/a-word-.html Kelly, a senior editor for the American Alpine Journal, a consumated alpinist and "margarita" specialist discusses spiritual materialism and Cerro Torre. Another must read. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:10:00 ART http://www.thecleanestline.com/2012/02/cerro-torre-deviations-from-reason.html Carsten and Michael's previously unreported "Tee Pitelka" and Scott and Cheyne's "Manos al Cielo". Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/guillaumet.html Colin just posted a very thorough analysis of the Compressor route bolts affaire in his blog. A must read. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:40:00 ART http://www.colinhaley.blogspot.com/2012/02/removal-of-cesare-maestris-bolt-ladders.html Argentines Max O'Dell, Juan and Agustin Raselli completed a fantastic week-long "grand voyage", traversing the Adela Range and finishing up the Ragni route on Cerro Torre. Undoubtely one of the most creative climbs in quite some time. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/torregroup/torre/adelaTorre.html Kate Rutherford and Mikey Schaefer climbed a new route on the south face of Aguja Saint-Exupery. With this route Mikey has now climbed new routes in five of the towers that crown the Fitz Roy skyline, including routes on Mermoz, Poincenot, Fitz Roy and Guillaumet, these last two together with Kate. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/exupery/astrochoss.html Sugiero leer la carta de Sebastian de la Cruz a La Cachaña. Para aquellos demasiado jovenes para conocerlo, Seba, junto con Jose Luis Fonrouge, fue el escalador Argentino mas grande de todos los tiempos. Sugiero tambien leer la misiva de Carlos Comesaña, otra persona que no deberia necesitar ningun tipo de presentacion. Dos de los pilares mas importantes del andinismo argentino expresando apoyo claro e inequivoco para la restauracion de nuestro legado natural. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:40:00 ART http://www.lacachania.com.ar/ There were a number of serious accidents in the last good weather window. Carlyle Norman lost her life on Exupery, while several people had rockfall related accidents on Innominata and Noruegos. The fact that this has been one of the driest seasons in history has not helped, but some of the accidents should make us pause and rethink our approach and our respect for these peaks. In an area where wall rescues are not available climbing in parties of three to ensure better chances of self rescue should be strongly considered. Let Bernardo and Carlyle's tragic deaths, dying alone while waiting for a rescue that never comes, be a reminder of just how very serious this area is. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/index.html Scott Bennett and Cheyne Lempe fired one of the longest link-ups in the area, climbing the NW ridge of Mermoz to Fitz Roy's Goretta pillar to complete The North Pillar Sit Start. Josh McClure, Miranda Oakley and John Rambo climbed another of the beautiful crack systems in the S face of De l'S, The Wormhole Effect. Josh also soloed a Exupery-De l'S combo via the Kearney-Harrington. More ascents of the Ragni route as well. More coming. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:40:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/index.html Two months ago Oriol, Manu and Indio climbed a new route on the east face of Mermoz. Ten days ago Jose and Vicente climbed a cool ten pitch variation to the west ridge of Innominata. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:00:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/index.html Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk climbed an "Astromanesque" line in the south face. Seven new long pitches on perfect rock. Carrying the lightest bivy gear known to man, two doobies, they fired the route in one late afternoon "stroll", one "high" night and one early morning "punch". This Royal Arches to Astroman line seems well worth a repeat. A few days earlier Hayden and Jason had climbed Torre Egger via Spigolo dei Bimbi on Punta Herron and the Huber-Scharf in 20 some hours round trip descending Titanic. Congrats to them for such impressive ascents!! Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:00:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/fitzgroup/dels/theGentle.html Norwegians Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Ole Lied climbed an impressive new route in the south face of Torre Egger. The climbing involves much steep ice with sections over 90º that can be best described as the “Ragni route on steroids”. In sport climbing Chris Sharma has used the term “King Line” to describe beautiful lines that stand out because of their unique appeal. Bjorn-Eivind and Ole's still un-named line is most definitely the alpine ice version of a Sharma “King Line”. A very proud line that for its uniqueness may well be the route of the season here in Patagonia. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:30:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/torregroup/egger/Sface.html