South America, Chile, Chilean-Argentinian Patagonia, Agujas Poincenot and Saint Exupéry

Publication Year: 1982.

Agujas Poincenot and Saint Exupéry. The expedition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Club Andino Bariloche reached two important summits. For two days Guido Iglesias and Pablo Hülskamp fixed 1000 feet of rope on the most difficult part of the east face of the Aguja Poincenot, the route by which Don Whillans had made the first ascent. The next day, January 21, Gustavo Glickman and Gunnar Naslund, the latter an American who had been invited to take part, climbed the last 1000 feet, completing the fourth ascent of the mountain. They found great difficulties and passed first onto the north and then the west face. They bivouacked near the summit. It should be noted that the whole ascent from first setting foot on the base to the summit took only four days. Meanwhile Andrés Giron and Alejandro Castro fixed various rope lengths on the east face of Saint Exupéry. On January 21 Hernán and Jorge Abeledo started up this direct line on the face, following with minor variations the Italian route. They had to bivouac before completing the second ascent of the mountain on the 22nd. This route is of some 30 rope-lengths and is about as long as the Chouinard route on Fitz Roy.

Vojslav Arko, Club Andino Bariloche