South America, Argentina-Chilean Patagonia, Aguja Saint Exupéry, South Face, "Le Petit Prince"

Publication Year: 1995.

Aguja Saint Exupéry, South Face, “Le Petit Prince.” Gaël Bouquet- Deschaux, Emmanuel Pellissier, Benoît Robert, Jérôme Arpin and I made a mostly aid route on the unclimbed south face of the Aguja Saint Exupéry. We could climb on only eleven days in a month, starting on December 15 and finishing on January 10, 1995. Because of Patagonian weather, we fixed rope on the whole climb. We used bolts to attach the fixed ropes. The cracks were usually filled with ice or snow. This face is well protected from the wind, which blows from the west off the Continental Icecap. I would have preferred to climb alpine-style with portaledges. We dedicate our climb on the 50th anniversary of his disappearance to Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author and pilot famous for flying mail in the notoriously treacherous Patagonian winds. Our friend Lionel Daudet soloed our route alpine-style two weeks after our ascent.

Philippe Batoux, Club Alpin Français