Torre Central, Riders on the Storm, second ascent. David Stastny and I, both Czech, repeated the route Riders on the Storm on the east face of Torre Central in February 2002. The climb took 12 days (1/31-2/10), with four days spent in a portaledge in bad weather. We climbed alpine style, without fixing and without contact with base camp. During the first ascent German climbers Albert, Arnold, Batz, Gullich, and Dietrich used aid on pitches 7,10,15, and 20. We too used aid on these pitches, as well as on pitches 14 (5.12c on the first ascent) and 25 (5.12b). However, above the big roof on pitch 25 we managed to climb free (5.11) because of good conditions; during the first ascent this upper section was iced and was climbed with aid. After nine days and 38 pitches we reached the summit of Torre Central. The descent took three days (two days in the portaledge in bad weather). Ours was the second ascent of the route, 12 years after the first ascent.

Jan Kreisinger, Czech Republic