South America, Chile, Cochamo, Various Ascents
Cochamo, Various Ascents. It was reported that British and American climbers have begun developing an area of granite big walls in the Patagonian Andes east of Puerto Montt in a valley 15 miles from the town of Cochamo. Briton Crispin Waddy discovered the area in 1997, cutting a machete swath throught the dense jungle to the 2,000-foot west face of Mt. Trinidad, where he, his girlfriend Nell, and Noel Craine attempted a route only to have the attempt cutshort by forest fire. Accompanying them was Simon Nadin, who, with a partner, made the first ascent of the mountain via the north ridge. In 1998, Waddy, Craine and Nadin returned with a number of climbers. Steve Quinlan and Nathan Martin (U.S.) put up Welcome to the Jungle (5.11 A3), a comer system on the left side of the wall. Waddy, Craine and Dave Kendall climbed the wall’s central prow to create The Ides of March (5.11 A3+), while Nadin and Grant Farquhar put up a 21-pitch 5.12 A2+ route on an overhanging crack system to the right. (Climber, June 1998)