Two years after the first free ascent of the legendary Riders on the Storm route on Torres del Paine's Central Tower, Stefano Ragazzo accomplished the impossible: the first solo ascent of the route. The Italian spent 15 days alone on the wall, tackling technically very challenging sections, terrible weather, and a problem with frostbitten toes. Ragazzo climbed from February 21 to March 7. "For the first time in my life, I fought for something more than just the summit: for my life, or rather, for the constant thought, the desire to return to my girlfriend's arms," Ragazzo confessed on social media. "This thought kept me alive and was probably the main reason I can write these words now."

A Most Challenging Route

The Riders on the Storm route, first climbed in 1991 by Germans Kurt Albert, Bernd Arnold, Norbert Bätz, Peter Dittrich, and Wolfgang Güllich, is a 38-pitch, 1300-meter line on the east face of Torres del Paine's Central Tower in Patagonia. The route's difficulty is rated VI 5.12d (European scale 7c), A3. Frequent rockfall and icefall significantly increase the danger. The route includes a complex section using ITO, followed by a large pendulum across a smooth wall on pitch 16, and a huge overhang on pitch 26. In the 35 years since the first ascent, the route has been repeated only three times. Only a powerful team consisting of Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nico Favresse, Sibbe Vanhee, and photographer Drew Smith managed to finally climb it free. All this suggests that the route is challenging enough to deter many top teams. A solo ascent seemed impossible.

Miraculously Avoiding Death

Mirko Grasso from Italy and Jernej Kruder from Czechia have established a new route in Chile's Cochamo Valley. The 750-meter route has a difficulty of up to 7c. Cochamo Valley, despite its growing popularity, remains wild and offers excellent opportunities for climbers. A great illustration of Patagonia's potential beyond the well-known peaks such as Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy. Grasso and Kruder set up base camp in La Junta, in the heart of the valley, at the beginning of the year. La Junta is a two-hour drive from the Chilean town of Puerto Montt and a three-hour walk along the trail. During a short weather window, the climbers identified a suitable line on the summit of Cerro Valvalun, which they described as the most imposing peak in the area. When establishing the route, the climbers used different styles. At first, they placed bolts and pitons, and then climbed the route free solo. It took them two weather windows to achieve their goal. During the first, they climbed the route with bolts in three days. The route can be divided into two parts: the first passes through smooth, technically complex slabs and requires thoughtful protection and careful climbing, the second part is characterized by cracks and corners, as well as reliable climbing on granite. "The upper part is a pleasure: incredible cracks, always available for climbing, never boring," the climbers noted. On the first ascent, they used 29 bolts and 15 pitons for advancement and protection, as well as classic protection points.

Championship

Class of High-Altitude Ascensions

Report

On the ascent to the summit of Noshak 7492 m via the Northwest Ridge. 2011 Leader: Chizhik D.V. Participants:

• Apraksin Denis
• Shafikov Renat
• Bakhmurov Yuri
• Leontiev Valery
• Gromov Andrey

Passport

1. Class of winter ascents
2. South America, Andes, Patagonia, Fitz Roy massif
3. Peak — Fitz Roy via the southeast face
4. Route 6B cat. dif. (Franco-Argentine)
5. Route length — 1481 m
6. Length of the wall section of the route — 560 m
7. Length of sections with 5–6 cat. dif. — 576 m incl. 6 cat. dif. — 381 m
8. Height difference — 1220 m

Report

Central Tower of Torres del Paine, "Golazo" Route, 6B, 2007

Passport

1. Technical category
2. South America, Chile, Patagonia
3. Summit: Torres del Paine, Central Tower
4. Route: via center of the eastern wall ("Golazo"), Second ascent
5. Cat. complexity 6B
6. Elevations:

Passport

1. Technical class
2. South America, Patagonia
3. Cerro Torre summit via the southeast ridge by the "Compressor" route.
4. Approximate complexity category 6B
5. Route wall section length — 1453 m.
6. Section length from the glacier to the Col of Patience saddle — 630 m. Route length from the glacier to the summit — 2233 m.
7. Length of sections with 6th complexity category — 568 m.
8. Length of sections with drilled holes (not included in point 7) — 465 m.

Report

on the ascent to the summit of ACONCAGUA (6962 m) via the north-eastern ridge 4th category of difficulty (original) ("classic") from February 10 to 12, 2009, by a combined team from Moscow and Sumy. Expedition leader: Shatayev V.N. (Master of Sports, Honored Trainer of the USSR) For all inquiries related to the REPORT, please contact Lavriyenko V.V. (8 916 439-0312)

Passport

11.5. ACONCAGUA (6962 m) via the north-eastern ridge, 1897, category of difficulty: 4A

1. Class: high-altitude
2. Argentina, Andes
3. Aconcagua (6962 m), via the north-eastern ridge