South America, Argentine—Chilean Patagonia, Attempt to Traverse the Southern Patagonia Icecap from North to South

Publication Year: 1993.

Attempt to Traverse the Southern Patagonian Icecap from North to South. Spaniard José Carlos Tamayo and Argentines Gabriel Ruiz, Marcos Couch, Alberto del Casillo and Alexander Portella attempted to make the first complete traverse of the 400-kilometer-long Southern Patagonian Icecap. This has been attempted a number of times but today still remains incomplete, although the most successful, Shipton and companions and later New Zealanders, came within 100 kilometers of reaching their objective, the Fiordo Ultima Esperanza. The Argentine-Spanish party set out supply dumps from Calafate near the Fitz Roy-Cerro Torre group in late March. They gathered in Coihaique and the next day flew to Caleta Tortel to begin the traverse in the Fiordo Calén on April 4. Thirty-one days later, on May 5, they had covered 145 kilometers in a straight line on the map—and many more because of necessary deviations—and had reached the first of their supply dumps near the Paso del Viento near Cerro Torre. The rough weather of oncoming winter persuaded them to give up their attempt. A full article appears on pages 20 to 29 of Desnivel of October 1992.