South America, Argentine-Chilean Patagonia, Peaks near Cerro Torre and San Lorenzo, 1987

Publication Year: 1989.

Peaks near Cerro Torre and San Lorenzo, 1987. An Italian expedition made a number of excellent ascents in the Fitz Roy-Cerro Torre region and near San Lorenzo in late 1987. The members were Davide Brighenti, Monica Malgarotto, Alberto Rampini, Stefano Righetti, Sergio Valentini, Maurizio Venzo and Roberta Vittorangeli. On October 28, 1987, Rampini, Venzo and Malgarotto made a new route on the left of the east buttress of El Mocho. On the 29th, after a bivouac on the saddle, Brighenti and Valentini were among the many who in the southern spring of 1987 reached the summit of Cerro Torre. Venzo, Rampini and Malgarotto headed to the base of Piergiorgio. On November 1, they hoped to repeat the Argentine route but they did not reach the summit because of bad weather. On November 3 and 4, Brighenti and Rampini made a new route on the south-southeast spur of Cerro Ñato. The route was primarily on snow and ice. Meanwhile, Valentini teamed up with Maurizio Giordani and Rosanna Manfrini (not of the expedition) to make a new route on the west face of Aguja St. Exupéry. The route ascended a long snow couloir and then the western spur. Venzo and Malgarotto made an unsuccessful attempt on a tower near El Mocho. Venzo then joined Giordani and Rosanna Manfridi in an ascent of the 1984 Argentine route on Fitz Roy. Rampini and Brighenti traveled north to the San Lorenzo group where they made an ascent of Cerro Dos Picos (2275 meters, 7464 feet) by its south face on November 21. An attempt on San Lorenzo failed in bad weather. The expedition finally headed for the Paine group where an attempt on the North Tower of Paine was frustrated by bad weather. (A fuller account appears in Lo Scarpone of March 16, 1988.)