The 2013–2014 season was relatively cold and wintry compared with recent years, and many climbers focused on ice and traditional alpine routes more than pure rock climbs. This resulted in first ascents of interesting summits and a number of attractive new ice and mixed climbs.

At the south end of the Chaltén massif, Argentines
Rafael Heer, Juan Jerez, and Juan Manuel Raselli did the first ascent of Punta Sordo, the last unclimbed minor summit on the west ridge of Cerro Grande, a voluptuously rimed point. They approached from the west, climbing the long west ridge of Cerro Grande, and descended to the east.

In November, Italians Tomas Franchini, Paolo Grisa, Ermanno Salvaterra, and Francesco Salvaterra made a daring attempt on the west face of Torre Egger. They climbed capsule-style, using portaledges, and spent 11 days on the wall before descending from their highpoint. The line climbs the very center of the steep and featureless face. Later in the season, Franchini and Francesco Salvaterra climbed a dangerous new line on the south face of Cerro Rincón, tackling the obvious dihedral under the massively overhanging summit serac. They aptly named their line Ruleta Trentina (2,000’, WI5 M5).

On Aguja Standhardt, Norwegians Robert Caspersen, Ole Lied, and Trym Atle Sæland did the first integral ascent of SCUD, a line that had been climbed to the junction with Exocet, but without continuing to the summit. They onsighted every pitch and proposed renaming the route Desarmada, believing that routes should only be considered “climbed” when they reach the summit.

On the east face of Aguja de la Medialuna, Argentines Jorge Ackermann, Tomas Aguilo, and Nicolas Benedetti climbed a pleasant seven-pitch new route called La Media Docena(1,100’, 5.11). Farther up the Torre Valley, Scott Bennett and Coleman Blakeslee climbed an imposing 300’ waterfall on the east face of Perfil de Indio (WI5+).

In the Marconi Valley climbers reached a number of unclimbed summits. Ben Erdmann (U.S.), David Gladwin (U.K.), and Kim Ladiges (Tasmania) climbed a tower on the west side of the north face of Cerro Domo Blanco, which they christened Punta de Los Tres Mosqueteros. Their 10-pitch line, which they dubbed D’Artagnan (1,300’, 5.11+), climbs a steep and clean corner, and involves sustained difficulties. Immediately to the right, Mike Collins and Jonathan Schaffer (U.S.) did the first ascent of El Filo del Tornado (11 pitches, 5.11). Collins and Schaffer also climbed a new line on a buttress between the west pillar of Cerro Pollone and Aguja Tito Carrasco, reaching a point not far from the summit (1,300’, 5.11). On the south face of Cerro Pollone, Canadians Tony Richardson and Jon Simms opened El Busca Jesus (650’, WI4 M5), an alternate finish to Rayuela.

A number of other new routes were climbed on the west face of Aguja Tito Carrasco. Mike Collins and Jonathan Schaffer did the first ascent of Halle Berry (1,000’, 5.11 C1), a line on the right side of the west face. Left of Halle Berry, Katsutaka Yokoyama, Ryo Masumoto, and Yusuke Sato (Japan) climbed Atari (1,000’, 5.12), and later Yokoyama and Masumoto climbed Ippon (1,000’, 5.12b A0) immediately to the left. Zigzagging between the routes Zigzagand Ippon, Joel Enrico and Adam Ferro climbed Terroir (1,000’, 5.11 C1).

A number of small summits were climbed on the ridge between Aguja Tito Carrasco and Gran Gendarme del Pollone. The three to the south were christened Aguja El Tridente, the two farther north Cumbrecitas. Jack Cramer was involved in four of those five ascents and did the first ascent of El Tridente with Drew Smith via the east face, calling their route La Piqueta Voladora (230m, 75º M4). On the west face of the south summit of El Tridente, Justin DuBois, Allen Riling, and Edward Corder climbed one of the more difficult lines (400m, 6a C1WI4 M6 70?); however, they retreated off to the right without reaching the summit.

On Cordón Marconi, Dejan Koren and Bostjan Mikuz (Slovenia) did the first ascent of Aguja Dumbo, a big fin-like tower at the southern end of the chain. They climbed from the west, finding difficulties to 85° and M6.

On the Fitz Roy massif, Austin Siadak, Julian Poush, and Kevin Prince did the second ascent of the lengthy North Pillar Sit Start, climbing an important new variation from the very toe of the buttress (6,300’, 5.11 C1). On the west face of Cerro Fitz Roy, Waldo Aravena, Gabriel Fava, and Roberto Treu (Argentina) climbed Tango Libre, a 1,500’ alternate start to the Afanassieff.

Many new lines were added to Aguja Guillaumet. On the west face, Scott Bennett and Graham Zimmerman climbed Bossanova (1,300’, 7a+ C1). On the east face, Iñaki Coussirat, Carlos Molina (Argentina), and Caroline North (Denmark) climbed Klettertren, which involves two variations to the Beger-Jennings route. Ben Collett and Josh Finkelstein climbed a variation to the Fowler route: So Long Charlie (300’, WI4).
Tony Richardson and Jon Simms (Canada) climbed the Richard-Simmons (300’, AI4), a classy variation to the Coqueugniot-Guillot.
On the pillar to the right of the Amy-Vidailhet route, Dave Macleod and Calum Muskett (U.K.) climbed a difficult new mixed line (600’, M8).

On Aguja Saint-Exúpery, Matteo Della Bordella, Luca Schiera (both Italy), and Sylvan Schupbach (Switzerland) climbed a variation to Chiaro di Luna, heading up and right from the big ledge halfway up to reach the col between the two summits and continue via the Austríaca route to the summit. They called their line Can Accompany Only (800’, 5.11+). Earlier the trio had climbed a sit start to the Californian Route on Cerro Fitz Roy, reaching the base via the couloir between Aguja de la Silla and the southwest face of Fitz Roy, “approaching” by the route Destreza Criolla, then continuing up the couloir to the Col de los Americanos (Robbins-Gutierrez, 2009). They then climbed the Filo Esteof Aguja de la Silla, linking it the next day to the Californian Route. In all they covered close to 6,000’ of vertical gain with difficulties to 6a+ C1 and M4/5, over four days.

[Editor’s note: First-hand reports describing some of these climbs in further detail can be found by clicking on the links above.]

Rolando Garibotti­, Pataclimb.com, Argentina