Aguja Standhardt (ca. 2700m).
General description.
This tower was named after the German photographer Ernst Standhardt (1888-196?), who arrived in Patagonia in the 30’s, and remained there until the early or mid sixties. He was responsible for taking many of the first photographic images of these mountains. He had traveled all across Patagonia photographing people, and making a living in this way, using a small Ford T truck, in the back of which he had built a small topper which served as his darkroom and home. During an unusual period of low water he managed to drive this small truck across Rio de las Vueltas, then across the rio Fitz Roy and again across rio de Las Vueltas to reach Estancia Madsen. There he remained as Andreas Madsen’s foreman, and died at a late age after Madsen and his family had already left the area. Honoring the precision with which he had acted most of his life, he died the same day he was born.
“Below us lay a dream landscape composed of an endless snow covered surface out of which glaciated mountain chains rose. In the distant horizon the sun gleamed like a glowing ball, lightning the whole region with a reddish orange light. Behind us, the shadows of the Torre group were creeping over the granite needles of the Fitz Roy peaks. Way beyond, at the edge of the Pampa, lay Lago Viedma. The sun began to sink, loosing strength, but gaining gorgeous color. An ice-cold wind blew onto us from the Icecap and seemed to sweep the evening glow, pulling the shadows out longer. Suddenly, all the colors disappeared into a monotonous gray. We had arrived at the place where humans without wings can go no higher. Here, where all the rising lines meet at a point was the summit mushroom of ice and snow, high above all rock. We had struggled for a day and a half in order to experience this drama.” Tommy Bonapace, on his and Toni Ponholzer’s winter ascent of Cerro Standhardt (AAJ 1992 p. 90-94).
Climbing history.
Although Britons Brian Hall and John Whittle called their 20-meter-shy-of-the-summit-high-point an ascent of Standhardt in 1977, it wasn’t until 1988 that the peak was finally climbed, when Americas Jim Bridwell, Greg Smith and Jay Smith climbed Exocet.
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Photos (click to enlarge)
Torre Egger, Punta Herron and Aguja
Standhardt southeast face
Aguja Standhardt north face
Aguja Standhardt west face |