Cerro Torre Region. During February Argentines and Italians living in Buenos Aires entered the Cerro Torre region, hoping to find the body of Tony Egger, who fell after the successful climb of Cerro Torre in January, 1959. Expedition members were Cesare Fava, leader, Angel Vincitorio, José Mordini, Sergio Bossini, José María Fulugonio and I. Based on Andreas Madsen’s Estancia FitzRoy, in consecutive marches we set up two other camps, one on the shores of the Laguna Torre and the other under the base of Cerro Mocho. On February 16 and again on the 24th, we searched the base of Torre for Egger’s body, but there were about 20 meters (65 feet) more snow than at the time of the accident and there was no possibility of success. At the same time, because of bad weather in the inner Torre valley, Vincitorio, Bossini and I left to attempt Cerro Solo, which lies in the outer valley, above Laguna Torre. After a rock and ice climb of moderate difficulty, we completed the second ascent of Solo at 4:30 p.m. of the 21st but we had to bivouac during the descent. On the 28th Bossini climbed alone Techado Negro, one of the southeastern spires of the FitzRoy group. After following a class 3 route on very rotten rock up the eastern face, he reached the 6500-foot summit. The same day he climbed a lesser but similar summit, Cerro Ñire. On March 1 Fava, Bossini and I climbed Techado Negro again by a more difficult route on the south face. On March 4 Fava and Mordini climbed Mojón Rojo, a 6700-foot granite spire with class 4 and 5 pitches on firm rock which is near Techado Negro, overlooks Laguna Torre and is across the valley from Cerro Torre. In the upper part of the climb they had to traverse a very exposed pitch, about 3600 feet above the Torre valley. All except Cerro Solo were first ascents.

Juan Pedro Spikermann, Centro Andino Buenos Aires