Cerro Torre, Winter Ascent. On June 30 there was almost one meter of snow at Base Camp, but luckily Maurizio Giarolli, Andrea Sarchi, Paolo Caruso and I had skis. In about nine hours we reached the col on the southeast spur of Cerro Torre on the Maestri-Alimonta-Claus route. We were forced to stay in the snow cave for the next three days because of bad weather. On July 4 we set out again. In the afternoon the weather was getting frightful and we had to spend the night very awkwardly at the beginning of the great bolt traverse. The hours went slowly in the icy cold and it was impossible to sleep. We thought of how we had crossed 2000 miles of pampa a month before; we remembered the luck of meeting Colonel Balba, who carried two sacks of material by helicopter to the foot of the Mocho; we recollected our first unsuccessful attempt which failed due to bad weather after a bivouac of 40 hours some seven pitches from the top. We were pinned there all the next day. The second night went by but now we want to get out of this prison … indecision … shall we go up or down? During the whole next day we went up only three pitches but by now we were high and trustful of the weather. There was a cheerfulness that night in the tent. Early in the morning of July 7, still in the dark, we started to climb in fine weather and after a hard day we reached the base of the final wall. On July 8 the weather was still good but it was cold. It was hard work to dig through thick ice to find the bolts! The wind was still very strong but at that point it was not important. It was almost dark when at 6:15 P.M. we were on the summit. We descended 200 meters to find a place to sleep. In the morning we realized that the wind had swept away one rope. We continued to descend, accompanied by the wind, and with two threadbare ropes we reached the col. The next morning, in awful weather, we reached Base Camp. Only now could we say that we had reached the top!

Ermanno Salvaterra, Club Alpino Italiano