The Patagonian Season, 1983-4*. The Patagonian Andes are being more frequented, like all the spectacular mountains of the world. This spring (September to December) the weather was passable, without being good, despite the fact that Europeans, who don’t know our weather, called it bad. The Italians Ermanno Salvaterra and Maurizio Giarolli climbed Cerro Torre in 74 hours by the Maestri route from the base of the southeast ridge. Salvaterra, Giarolli and Orlandi climbed the Supercouloir on Fitz Roy, making an important variant; from the great block that obstructs the couloir, they continued straight toward the summit. Salvaterra, Giarolli, Tarditti and Orlandi also climbed the Aguja Poincenot by the Whillans route. Finella, Paganini and Tarditti climbed the Aguja Guillaumet. Four Swiss—I don’t have their names—climbed Fitz Roy on the American route. Yugoslav Slovenes made a new route on Fitz Roy between the Ferrari and Casarotto routes. They climbed the famous dihedral. The leader was Stane Klemenc but much of the lead climbing was done by Francek Knez, Janez Jeglic and Silvo Karo. After joining the Casarotto route, they did not go the summit. (I personally feel that climbers should not quit before reaching the summit because they have joined an existing route.) These same climbers then went on to make the first ascent of the south face of the Aguja Mermoz, the second ascent of the peak. On December 8 to 10 the French couple, Annie and Denis Pivot, climbed the American route on Fitz Roy. Madame Pivot is the second woman to climb the mountain. We still lack news of Casimiro Ferrari’s Italian expedition to Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre and of the Argentines on Fitz Roy.

Vojslav Arko and Luciano Pera, Club Andino Bariloche

* Argentines Peter Friedrich, Alberto Bendinger, Marcos Coach and Eduardo Brennen climbed a new route on Fitz Roy on March 9 and 10, 1984. After ascending the first three pitches of the original French route, they kept to the right of the French line.