Cerro Marconi. This peak (7400 feet) is located some seven miles northwest of FitzRoy on the eastern edge of the Patagonian Continental Icecap at the latitude of Lake Viedma. It was attempted in 1965 by a CABA expedition, which chose a poor route and had to withdraw some 650 feet from the summit. The 1966 expedition was composed of Edgar Kopcke, leader, Antonio Misson, Francisco Perri, Julia Bianchi, Julio Aguirre, Rolando Betinelli, Enrique Triep and Avedis Natcachian. Base Camp was established early in January at the Piedra del Fraile on the Río Eléctrico, which springs from the Glaciar Marconi. Camp I was placed a full day away across the Marconi Glacier and on the Continental Icecap, since they intended to climb the western slopes of the peak. The summit party of Kopcke, Natcachian and Triep climbed all day to reach the top and had to bivouac just below the summit and continue back down in a frightful storm, during which Triep suffered bad frostbite. The difficulties were considerable, especially because of the location of the peak and the condition of the 2000-foot face, which was surmounted by a dangerously unstable snow mushroom (from IV to V and V sup.). From Camp I at the foot of the route, the climb was entirely on rock except for the summit mushroom. Kopcke and Aguirre unsuccessfully attempted the south peak, which was much more difficult, with mixed rock and ice as well as many ice mushroom formations.

Carlos Comesaña, Centro Andino Buenos Aires