Aguja Tito Carrasco, west face, Ippon and Atari

Argentina-Chile, Chaltén Massif
Author: Katsutaka Yokoyama . Climb Year: 2014. Publication Year: 2014.

In February 2014, Ryo Masumoto, Yusuke Sato, and I hiked into the Pollone Massif, hoping to open some new routes.

Our first route followed the most obvious crack on the west face of Aguja Tito Carrasco, which is very steep, and varied in size from finger to offwidth. After seven new pitches (300m) of sustained and fun climbing, we joined the Cara Norte route for its final three pitches. However, we found much ice and snow and retreated below the summit, rappelling the same line: Atari (400m, 5.12a).

Two days later, after Sato left, Masumoto and I went back to Aguja Tito Carrasco to open another route on the west face. After climbing two new pitches left of the route Zig Zag (Birckhahn-Pflug-Straub, 2013) we joined that route for one pitch, climbing a very steep, clean, red corner with three bolts, which the first ascent team had tried to redpoint the previous season. This was the crux for us (5.12b A0), and I’m sure it will go free at around 5.12c. Above the crux we chose an independent line to the right of Zig Zag and climbed directly to the top of the wall via four new pitches up a high-quality corner (5.11+). We joined the Cara Norte route again three pitches from the top, this time hoping to summit; however, we retreated 10m below the top after finding large rime mushrooms above. We called the route Ippon (400m, 5.12b A0). Both climb rock of superb quality.

Katsutaka Yokoyama, Japan



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