PATAclimb.com - The Patagonia online climbing guidebook http://www.pataclimb.com A couple of weeks ago Colin Haley traversed the entire Cordón Adela, from Adela Norte to Cerro Grande. He followed in the footsteps of Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri who in 1958 sped across that ridge faster than anyone else to date. Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:25:00 +0100 http://www.pataclimb.com The Piolets d'Or, the "Oscar's of alpinism", an event organized by the legendary Groupe de Haute Montagne has awarded a special mention to two ascents of Cerro Torre's southeast ridge that happened in 2012, unequivocally supporting the de-bolting of the Compressor Route and the recovery of the mountain's natural challenge. Sat, 22 Mar 2013 12:25:00 +0100 http://www.pataclimb.com Merlin Didier, Stéphane Hanssens and Séan Villanueva O'Driscoll visited the Valle del Frances in the Torres the Paine National Park and complete two major and very difficult free ascents on the steep east faces of Cerro Catedral and Cerro Cota 2000. Sat, 28 Feb 2013 14:46:00 +0100 http://www.pataclimb.com A season overview with links to all the new routes as well as the most significant ascents and variations. Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:46:00 -0100 http://www.pataclimb.com New routes on Aguja de la Silla and Gran Gendarme del Pollone. First ascent of Punta Kabarovsk which relates to some thoughts about toponyms by Evelio Echevarria. Mon, 30 Jan 2013 23:46:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com Flavio Daflon, Sergio Tartari and Luciano Fiorenza climbed a massive new all free route in the north face of Fitz Roy, the "Samba do Leao". Mon, 29 Jan 2013 16:26:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com The Corkscrew link-up, third ascent of Filo Sureste by fair means and other ascents. Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:40:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com Slovenes Luka Krajnc and Tadej Krišelj climbed a new line on Cerro Fitz Roy's Pilar Goretta. Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:40:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com Markus Pucher free-solos the Ragni Route in 3:15 hours, Mikey Schaefer and Josh Huckaby traverse CAT, Cuatro Dedos and Triologia Inca, Carlos Molina and Iñaki Coussirat repeated El Corazon and many more ascents. Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:40:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com In the first day of the year there were two remarkable ascents loosely linked to the Ragni Route on Cerro Torre, the second ascent of the Corkscrew Link-Up by two European climbers (names and nationality coming soon), and an ascent by Argentines Gabriel Fava, Wenny Sánchez and Roberto Treu of an impressive 350-meter new line immediately right of the Ragni Route, from the top of the Elmo and the base of the last pitch. The "Directa Huarpe" offers difficulties similar to those in the Ragni Route, with one slightly harder section involving 15 meters of rime covered ice to 95˚. Thu, 4 Jan 2013 02:00:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com Japanese climbers Jumbo Jokoyama and Ryo Masumoto climbed a beautiful ridge line traverse in the Pollone group. Their traverse started with a 13-pitch sit-start to La Granja on Aguja Pollone (Benedetti, Calvo, Canale, Renzacci 1997), followed by a three-pitch variation start to that route, climbing the ridge line instead of skirting it on the far left (south) side like the original line does. They then rappelled the west and north face of Aguja Pollone bivouacking before continuing on, climbing past Aguja Stefan, rappelling to reach the east ridge of Cerro Pollone's Cumbre Este. After several more pitches they joined Re Puesto!, the 2011 route from Neil Kauffman and Jim Toman. Finding Re Puesto! in bad conditions Jumbo and Ryo were forced to move to the north side of the ridge, climbing several difficult pitches (to 7a). After a second bivy in a 20-centimeter wide ledge they descended, rappelling straight south, dodging two very nasty seracs. In all they climbed 29 pitches, all free, with difficulties to 7a. This is the sort of ridge line traverse that would be completely classic in the Alps. Wed, 30 Dec 2012 14:30:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com According to various estimates as many as 28 people climbed the Ragni route on Cerro Torre over Christmas, five people on the 24th, the reminder on the 25th. Around 80 people had climbed the route since its first ascent, now the number has jumped to well over a hundred. Wed, 28 Dec 2012 09:00:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com French Lise Billon, Francois Poncet, Jeremy Stagnetto, Jerome Sullivan, and Spaniard Pedro Diaz have just climbed the most beautifully striking unclimbed line in all of Patagonia, the SE ridge of Cerro Murallón. They called it "Pillar del Sol Naciente" (1000m 7b A1 WI6 M6). They climbed it using portaledges over 9 days, placing 15 bolts, all at belays. This line is remote, completely independent and darn hard. A truly creative ascent that implies a significant departure. If there was a line in all of Patagonia that begged to be climbed this was the one. Argentines Jose Luis Fonrouge and Rafael Juarez were the first to attempt it in a now distant 1974. A thousand chapeaus! Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:00:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com More ascents of the Ragni route, which as Colin Haley describes in his blog has become Patagonia's version of the Colton-MacIntyre, albeit a bit harder. On the 28th four teams climbed the route: Guido Unterwurzacher and Max Berger (Austria); Jakub Radziejowski and Marcin Tomaszewski (Poland); Eduardo Gonzalez and two partners (Spain); Andrea Di Donato (Italy) and Colin Haley (USA), in 17 hours from Niponino to the summit. A day later Tine Cuder, Domen Kastelic and Rok Stubelj made the first Slovene ascent. Tue, 4 Dec 2012 12:00:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com Patagonia Vertical is now available for online sales with shipping to Europe and North America Mon, 3 Dec 2012 13:00:00 -0300 http://www.sidarta.si/en/climbing/patagonia_climbing_guide.html Patagonia Vertical ahora esta disponible en El Chaltén - is now available in El Chaltén: Viento Oeste, Av. San Martin - El Super, Av. Lago Del Desierto Fri, 25 Nov 2012 15:50:00 -0300 http://pataclimb.com/guidebook/guidebook.html After close to 13 years of research and a final 9-month push comes a complete printed guidebook to the Chaltén Massif. About time. Después de 13 años colectando información y los últimos nueve meses exclusivamente dedicados a ello, llega finalmente una guía impresa y completa para las montañas del Macizo de El Chaltén. Era hora. Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:30:00 -0300 http://pataclimb.com/guidebook/guidebook.html Argentine Jorge Ackermann and Swiss Michael Lerjen-Demjen just climbed Un Mar de Suenos, a 1200 meter new line in the east face of Cerro Fitz Roy. Ackermann and Lerjen first attempted the line in January, making another attempt during the austral winter, in August. Every time they started climbing from the very bottom, having fixed no ropes, climbing in perfect alpine style, placing no bolts. Up high Un Marde Suenos shares five pitches with Casimiro Ferrari and Vittorio Meles 1976 line. More details in the coming days. An impressive climb to say the least. Hut ab! Sab, 19 Nov 2012 19:30:00 -0300 http://pataclimb.com/images/index/Fitz_big.jpg Michi Wärthl reports that the last, crux pitch starts with a 15-meter traverse in vertical hard ice, followed by slightly overhanging rime (hooking), weaving around sections of blank rock, including a 5-6 meter section without protection. Higher up a 15-meter easy to protect half pipe leads to 10 meters of unprotected rime and a huge tunnel with a short overhanging section of hard ice. Conditions appear to be much drier than usual, with relatively little rime. Sab, 18 Nov 2012 15:00:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com The west face of Torre was quiet for the past eight months, with the exception of an impressive winter attempt by Swiss Dani Arnold and Mario and Stephan Ruoss, who in late August retreated just after the Headwall. In recent days it got climbed at least twice, first on the 12th of November by Swiss Andreas Abegglen, Lucas Desax, Lorenz Frutiger and Martin Hostettler, and three days later by Germans Claus Haberda and Michi Wärthl. On the 16th Abegglen, Desax, Frutiger and Hostettler stood on the summit of Fitz Roy having climbed the Californiana on the south face. That is motivation for you. Chapeau! Sab, 17 Nov 2012 23:15:00 -0300 http://www.pataclimb.com In the latests Alpinist magazine the company Patagonia run a great ad. Those that are not subscribed to Alpinist (you should be) can see it in Pataclimb. Fri, 15 June 2012 11:45:00 ART http://www.pataclimb.com In late 2011 Colin Haley became the first to solo the seven most prominent summits in the skyline profile of the Fitz Roy range most often seen (from the east). It is unclear who was the first to climb those seven summits, either Swiss Peter Lüthi in the early to early 1990s or Charlie Fowler in the late 1990s with a good number of people climbing them in the years since. In late February 2012 Whit Magro became the first to climb the nine most prominent summits in the Fitz Roy range, climbing Guillaumet,Mermoz, Fitz Roy, Silla, Desmochada, Poincenot, Rafaél Juárez, Saint-Exupéry and De lS. Whit completed his own list between 2006 and February of 2012. Whits nine summits are all the summits in the Fitz Roy range that have more than 100 meters of topographic prominence. Fri, 15 June 2012 11:45:00 ART 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