South America, Argentine Patagonia, Aguja Poincenot, East Face, Patagonicos Desperados

Publication Year: 2000.

Aguja Poincenot, East Face, Patagonicos Desperados. Italians Giuseppe Comino and Cesare Ravachietto attempted to make the second ascent of the 1989 Anker-Piola route, Patagonicos Desperados (6c A3, 550m), which takes a magnificent line straight up the east face of Aguja Poincenot above the start of the Whillans route. On January 16, they climbed the first seven pitches and bivouacked. On the following day, they climbed a further six or seven pitches, completing almost all the hard climbing, but bad weather forced them down three pitches short of the summit.

On the first ascent of this route, D. Anker and M. Piola climbed the upper section of the route by slanting up right from a point halfway up the Whillans Ramp and returned two days later to add the lower seven pitches. The route still awaits a continuous ascent.

Rolando Garibotti, Club Andino Bariloche