Torre Egger (ca. 2850 m).


General Description.

Torre Egger was named after Austrian alpinist Toni Egger (1926-1959), who died while attempting Cerro Torre. Although he was originally from Bolzano, it was in the mountains surrounding Lienz that he developed his passion. It 1950 he discovered the Dolomites of Sesto (Tre Cime, etc) and fell in love with them immediately. Only three months later with Franz Rienzer he climbed the north face of Cima Grande. In 1951 he completed the moutain guide courses and later on become a member of the climbing group “Alpine Gesellschaft Alpenraute” from Lienz.

He was well known for climbing fast and not placing many pitons, so often his partners had to ask him to place more pitons. His list of ascents is a long one and includes some of the most difficult routes in the eastern Dolomites at the time: Via Solleder in Civetta, the north face of Cima Ovest di Lavaredo, Spigolo Giallo, via “Cassin” in Cima Piccolissima, North Face of Grosslockner, etc. In 1954, after a short period of inactivity, Toni returned to the mountains with renewed motivation and with Mayr Gottfried climbed the north face of Cima Ovest and the north face of Cima Grande in a mere 11 hours. He also did several significant solo ascents including an hour long ascent of the Spigollo Giallo in Cima Piccola. In 1955 he climbs the NW face of Badile and Gran Capucin, and in 1956, in spite of a 150 meter fall in Ortler, he solos Aiguille Noire, Dent du Géant, the north face of Cima Grande (in four hours) and an ascent of the south face of the Aiguille du Midi just two days behind Rebuffat. Later that year he participates in an expedition to Turkey, and in 1957 he goes off to Peru, to complete the first ascent of the mountain that made him famous: Jirishanca (6127 m), one of the most difficult ascents in the Andes at the time. His success as an alpinist helped him at a professional field too, and he became the director of the Tirol Alpine school in Innsbruck. Toni was one of the leading alpinists of his generation. Toni’s climbing carrier started in the Dolomites of Lienz on the Roter Turm, a summit that is now known as the Egger Turm.

Cesare Maestri was responsible for the naming of this peak. In an article in the Rivista del CAI of 1961 he writes: “Dal terrazzino alla base del diedro suddetto, che lasciamo alla sinistra, si comincia ad attraversare la stretta parete nord che scende dalla cima a forma di triangolo con la base rivolta alla forcella fra il Torre e la cima che chiameremo Cima Egger."

Climbing history.

In 1976 Jim Donini, John Bragg and Jay Wilson (USA) completed the first ascent of the peak (see 'American Route'). In 2016 Colin Haley did the first solo ascent of the peak via Spigolo de Bimbi and the Huber-Schnarf.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro

Torre west face

Torre Egger northeast face

Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt

southeast face