I have been back home in Seattle for the past week, and while I often feel that life in Chalten is very busy, life in Seattle is busier yet. After missing all of the Northern Hemisphere winter I have been out skiing almost every day - the thing I miss most during extended stays in … Continue reading Adela Traverse
Tag: Patagonia
El Mocho
Last week there was yet another good weather window in the Chalten Massif. However, the window was unfortunately immediately proceeded by a torrential storm, and wet conditions thwarted many climber's attempts. Sarah and I hiked into the Torre Valley with our sights set on some lower summits, that fortunately accumulated less snow during the storm. … Continue reading El Mocho
Mojon Rojo – El Zorro
Sarah is back in El Chalten with me again, and after a few days of bouldering and sport climbing, we were back up in the mountains with yet more good weather. On Wednesday the 20th we hiked into the Torre Valley with our sights set on the enigmatic west face of Mojon Rojo. Mojon Rojo, … Continue reading Mojon Rojo – El Zorro
Red Pillar of Mermoz
With the clock ticking on Dylan's two-week Patagonia sojourn, we have continued to try to make use of every bit of decent weather. Last Wednesday we hiked into the Torre Valley and up to the Niponino bivouac, with plans to try something on the Torres on Thursday. When our 2am alarm went off the winds … Continue reading Red Pillar of Mermoz
La Via Funhogs
My good friend Dylan Johnson has managed to briefly escape his responsibilities as a new father and self-employed architect to come down to El Chalten for some alpine adventure. Since he is only here for a whopping two weeks, and since he arrived exactly at the end of the enormous, two-week weather window, he was … Continue reading La Via Funhogs
The Corkscrew
After Sarah and I had rested from Fitz Roy, we unfortunately squandered several more days of good weather. However, this weather window turned out to be longest I have ever seen here in El Chalten, and I had yet another chance to go climbing. Sarah headed to Bariloche to start an intensive Spanish language course, … Continue reading The Corkscrew
Mate, Porro, y Todo con mi Dama
My girlfriend, Sarah Hart, is joining me for some of this season in Chalten, and arrived on the same day that Jon took off. We had a week of bouldering in relatively stormy weather, and then yet another weather window descended upon Chalten - this time an extended one. Although Sarah's only two previous ascents … Continue reading Mate, Porro, y Todo con mi Dama
Festerville
For Jon's last window this season in Patagonia, we hiked back up to Niponino on the last day of 2012, both with lingering colds. On the first day of 2013 we left Niponino early and headed to the Standhardt Col to try "Festerville," the north ridge of Cerro Standhardt, first climbed by Timmy O'Neil and … Continue reading Festerville
Ragnivenas Attempt
Papa Noel brought a few days of calm but humid weather to the Chalten massif over Christmas, with poor conditions for rock climbing, but good conditions for crampon climbing. Jon and I hiked into the Torre Valley on the 23rd, and on the 24th we passed through the Standhardt Col into the Circo de las … Continue reading Ragnivenas Attempt
Tobogan
Last week some calm weather blew into the Chalten massif, but with cold and snowy conditions. Jon and I hiked into Niponino with some loose plans to scratch around on something while wearing crampons. After hemming and hawing for a while on the Torre Glacier at first light on the 16th, we finally decided to … Continue reading Tobogan