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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 7, 2009 - 12:42am PT
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A classic account of the first alpine style ascent of Cerro Torre by Steve Brewer and Jim Bridwell from Climbing Jan/Feb 1980. The culmination of an amazing series of attempts on this most enigmatic of summits. A major highpoint for the Bird.
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gunsmoke
Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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This was probably the Bird's greatest climb. They were, perhaps, only the second team to actually stand on the summit.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2009 - 12:52am PT
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FA means first ascent...
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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I was introduced to Bridwell by Al Rubin while he was doing the slide show thing for this climb and a route in the Kichatnas with the late Dr Embick. It was totally cool meeting him , especially since the Birds hair at the time was as he decribed "disco".
Was this really 30 years ago ?????
john
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Slabby D
Trad climber
B'ham WA
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15 pitons, 15 nuts
It amazes me, the rack climbers use to find completely adequate. What do people need now? Probably 20 nuts and 20 cams?
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Yeah, what do you mean Gunsmoke? They stood on virgin snow. There is no doubt.
You are right though. It was at least, one of his greatest climbs, from my armchair point of view.
Arne
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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The Bird changes the game.
How many times did that happen?
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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this tale is told so simply that you have to use some imagination to fully comprehend what actually went down. they banged off what was at the time the world's most inaccesible summit in a couple of days using a skeleton rack of borrowed equipment. they'd just met. they descended in epic conditions. the whole thing is still a little mind-blowing to me, 30 years later.
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WBraun
climber
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As I remember Brewer gave Jim hepatitis, Jim didn't know that Brewer had it until he got it.
The whole way up there, they're sharing water bottles and food.
When we were in Africa a lot of the local natives where we were had tuberculosis. So we all kept our water bottles away from them.
One day we come back to camp and one of the sherpas is drinking out of Bridwell's water bottle and a moment later we turn and see Jim chugging out of his bottle. We yell over at him that the sherpa just contaminated his water.
He spews all the water out and hucks the bottle off into the desert and starts to go raving mad while we watch and laugh our ass off.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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Someone once told me it was John Bacher and Mike Graham . That was many moons ago. At least for Bacher that seemed really out of character so I've always been dubious of that report.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Though an obvious momentous ascent of the Torre and not to deny there accomplishment in any way this was NOT the first ascent of Cerro Torre. It had been climbed twice before from the west face.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Right you are Norm, and you were supporting the team (Bragg, Wilson, Carmen) that did the second, and first alpine style, ascent of Cerro Torre.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2009 - 11:37am PT
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Thanks for the clarification. Who did the actual FA via the West Face then and how did they go about it?
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WBraun
climber
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Someone once told me it was John Bacher and Mike Graham
They originally went with Bridwell, and a series of events unfolded where they returned to the states and Bridwell was left to find another partner.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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OK, maybe i goofed. My armchair memory suffers. I'm going to have to back and re-read the history again. Alpinist had a great issue
Arne
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2009 - 12:23pm PT
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The best part about these historical threads is the knowledgeable contributions by those STers that were directly involved in the events under discussion or know the particulars.
GunSmith wasn't entirely accurate either.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Yeah, but still sorry, Gunsmoke.
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gunsmoke
Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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ionlyski, no prob. As Grossman alludes to, Supertopo has an incredible wealth of collective, first-hand knowledge which gives us all more latitude to say it how we remember it.
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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Was not the f/a of the West face by the Lecco Spiders in '74 ?
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Wonder if that coupon is still redeemable....
I'd like to be able to climb inverted/overhung roof cracks like a machine!!!!
(like the guy in the pic on the coupon!!!)
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Carlo Mauri's team did the first ascent of the West face in 74. Up the Tunnel valley over Paso del Viento to the icecap to reach it. Funny how little is known of this first ascent of Cerro Torre. Someone should research it and write it up.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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The leader of the Lecco Spiders team was Casimiro Ferrari. He fell in love with Patagonia and bought an estancia on the eastern shore of Lago Viedma from which he had a view of Fitzroy and the Torres. He fell ill with cancer and moved back to Italy for treatment where he died at the age of 62.
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D-Rail
Trad climber
Calaveras
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What an awesome climb... I have seen that photo of Jim triumphant on the summit many times, but it is great to hear the details of how it all came together for them. The fall while rappelling sounds like it might have been one of nine lives... Is the ice pitch Brewer talks about leading to avoid the initial bolt ladder still used?
Thanks for the great stories Steve.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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i saw bird's slideshow on this when it was still fresh in his head at the brazilian room in berkeley when i was a youngster. i remember him saying that all the climbs he had ever done, including the moose's tooth, lead up to this most excellent send. the slideshow was completely enGROSSing. shipoopoi
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 10, 2009 - 12:01am PT
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Need a little color...
Ascent 73.
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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Dec 10, 2009 - 10:57am PT
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Damn Steve, I have that issue as well. Must have stolen it from Al Rubin !
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2010 - 08:31pm PT
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Big frosty Bird Bump!
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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One of the most horrendous descents I have done is after Scott Cole, Walt Shipley and I did the Compressor route in '87. We bivied once on the route, before the start of the 50 meter traverse, sitting up in bivy sacks (no sleeping bags, except for Walt)on a small ledge we chopped out of the ice. The next morning we were frigid, so got going early, but you could already see the weather changing. We topped out in a full on gale, which luckily comes from the other side of the mountain. All I remember is saying, let's get the F*** out of here. Of course the wind eddies around the peak. We topped out at about 5:30pm and immediately started rapping. Between the wind, darkness, and traversing nature of the route it was a horrendous descent. We hung the ropes probably three times and had to re-climb back up to free it. Rapping with the ends in our jackets to try to keep them from getting hung up. I wore the front points on my Footfangs down to nothing. We got back to the Col around 9:30 in the morning - bivied for about an hour then kept going before the full brunt of the storm hit. I swear though, walking back on the dry glaciers there with heavy packs and trying to compensate for the wind is almost equally difficult.
Paul
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guest
climber
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a couple of people asked for clarification as to who did the FA of Cerro Torre. Indeed it was the Lecco Spiders team, led by the great Casimiro Ferrari, via the West Face in 1974. This route gets called various names -- the West Face, the Ferrari Route, and the Ragni di Lecco route (guess that's Italian for "Lecco Spiders"). Anyway, those guys were the first to stand on Cerro Torre's summit: Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari, and Pino Negri. Amazing route, and even more amazing effort considering the day and the seemingly impossible notion of climbing such an inhospitable spire.
-- Kelly Cordes (don't know how to change my user name from "guest")
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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Jan 20, 2010 - 08:57pm PT
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we stowed a rope at the italian col on fitzroy in 1985. i mean we stowed a rope, it was down in the rocks, carefully shoved between rocks into a totally protected position. we retreated shortly thereafter due to weather. on our return that rope was gone - no sign. the clear message was the winds of patagonia are limited only by imagination - a sentiment that colored our whole trip thereafter.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Jan 20, 2010 - 09:52pm PT
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Armchair memory time. I think I remember reading that it was John Bachar and Mike Graham. When they got down there Bridwell was prepared for the bad weather- He had supposedly brought a huge supply of LSD to compensate for the boredom. I thought that that freaked the other two out and they left.
I'm not sure if this was a campfire story or if I read it somewhere FWIW
Regardless, it is a great adventure story.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 20, 2010 - 11:08pm PT
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"I followed desperately, then resumed leading on ice, keeping one piece of protection between us as we moved together. Jim had never climbed steep ice but there was no time for lessons."
Too funny! What a great send.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2010 - 12:45pm PT
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Brewer Bump!
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rolo
climber
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Somewhat unrelated to this thread, but the very route that Jim and Steve finished back in 79 just recently got a facelift, the bad kind. In spite of spending close to three months in Chalten, the much publicized free attempt on the Compressor route by David Lama had no positive results (two attempts to the bolt traverse). However it did have some negative results. Lama's film team fixed 700 meters of rope from the glacier to the bolt traverse. The ropes were left for months until three Argentine guides recovered them, although they had to abandon a haul bag full of them above the bergschrund. The worst of it all was that to place those 700 meters of rope the film team placed more than 60 bolts. This in an section of the climb where not even Maestri had placed a single bolt back in 71, and where natural protection abounds. Somehow the 450 bolts that are already on the route were not sufficient for Lama's film team crew.
In 1985 Fulvio Mariani made one of the best climbing movies of all time when he filmed “Cumbre”, documenting Marco Pedrini’s solo ascent of Cerro Torre. They did so fixing 3 ropes, and nothing more, without placing a single piece of fixed pro. Obviously, as Lama and his entourage prove, there has been a big regression since then.
One has to wonder what the Swiss or the French would say if the same was done in one of their most iconic peaks in the Alps by a team of foreigners.
cheers
rolo
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Rolo, it's been a while, how are you? Thanks for bringing this travesty to our attention. I for one am disturbed by the resurgence of the Machievellian mind set in "modern" climbers.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Rolo it's a damn shame that "modern hype climbing" is alive and well. What good is freeing Cerro Torre if the tactics are so reminiscent of the Maestri fiasco? Too many climbers, mostly Euros, are treating this magnificent region like it is a local sport climbing area. Needless bolts are being placed to "comfortize" routes and ropes are being fixed so that moves can be worked out. Perhaps Messner's timeless article "The Murder of the Impossible" should be required reading for aspirant alpinists.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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It's interesting that in Patagonia the quest to "free climb" has led to an excessive use of bolts and fixed ropes. Lama's debacle and routes by Kurt Albert, Arnold (Royal Flush) and others stand out.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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This thread will get 300 posts if it's bumped 300 times. Climbing on the Taco Stand is an encapsulated world where the sun rises and sets on Yosemite Valley.
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Mimi
climber
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Jim, this is why you must continue to keep it real around here.
Paul, I received a letter from Walt after he returned from your climb. I had just left Yosemite and wished I could be there to hear him talk about the trip in person. You guys got a bellyfull! LOL!
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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This thread needs legs...and some photos. The first is mine, from January of this year:
The next one is from Vertical, Argentina´s answer to Alpinist. If you look carefully I´m pretty sure you can see the famed compressor!
(photo by Claudio Suter)
I know Mark Synott has posted here at least once before. He and Kevin Thaw climbed this a few years back as did Donini and Greg Couch, if I´m not mistaken. And of course Walt, but he´s not around to share the tale.
More stories, please!
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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One last photo (also from Vertical.) This one is of the ¨Great Traverse¨ though I´m not certain that that pitch is on the Compressor Route. (Someone with real experience please chime in!) The party--Santiago Scavolini and Luis Molina--were moving fast and, from what I could gather from the article (it´s in Spanish and I´m still learning)were looking for a big banana shaped feature but never found it.
(photo by Santiago Scavolini)
Note the bolts. Any idea what kind they are?
Also note the feature down and left. If I´m not mistaken that´s the feature that Sean Leary, Renan Ozturk, and Cedar Wright climbed a few seasons back, making a remarkable film, ¨Patagonia Promise¨, in the process. I caugt it at the Banff-fest in Puerto Natales and a link to a clip is below:
http://natgeoadventure.tv/Post.aspx?Id=24671
I think the film could have just as easily been named, ¨Choose Life¨, and for good reason.
More context. Please.
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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bumpa
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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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could any patagonia vets recommend a travel book that would nicely outline the logistics (airports, buses, permits and fees) for traveling to Chalten and onward to the climbing camps? my public library has a Moon guidebook, but it's missing key info
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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i overheard the Bird talkin aboud swinging back and forth on a rap to break loose all the deadly javelin like stalagmites hanging from the cliff, i bet he was talkin about the Cerro Torre.
who bought that book written in Italian at he Bridwellfest?
it was the false account written by what's his name.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2010 - 01:51pm PT
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This is the Casimiro Ferrari account of the first ascent of Cerro Torre by the Lecco Spiders from Mountain 38 September 1974.
Leo Dickinson cover photo of the East Face.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 12, 2010 - 02:05pm PT
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Without question (well, I'm sure some would question) the first ascent of Cerro Torre. Interestingly, this route remains the most legitimate of the two usual ways to the summit.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2010 - 10:44am PT
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Bona fide bump!
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colin henderson
climber
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Jun 27, 2010 - 05:27pm PT
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FAO Marv -
I wrote a guidebook a few years back on Los Glaciares National Park. It *should* have all the information you're looking for regards logistics - it includes climber's camps and routes to main climbs.
(Credit due to Rolando Garibotti, for lots of history beta, and Gregory Crouch for his superb book 'Enduring Patagonia', which started my fascination with Patagonia and the Chalten peaks (Greg, if you're reading this, I'm currently on what could possibly be my 8th read!).
Guidebook info and pictures is here - including a climbing history of Fitzroy, Torre, Egger, Standhardt, etc.;
http://www.colinhenderson.co.uk/
Also a (trekking) article with photos here;
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=756
Happy to answer any travel Qs if I can.
Hope this helps,
Colin
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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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Oct 30, 2010 - 04:54pm PT
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fukking awesome
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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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Dec 24, 2010 - 01:50am PT
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what-the-hell?-this-is-the-best-of-the-best bump
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 7, 2012 - 03:58pm PT
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B & B Bump!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 10, 2013 - 06:48pm PT
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Cerro bump...
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Mar 10, 2013 - 07:16pm PT
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The article says that at the top, the ice mushroom was only 6 ft of overhanging snow, and the last part of climb was no big deal. Now it looks like a really big deal.
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adikted
Boulder climber
Tahooooeeeee
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Mar 10, 2013 - 11:05pm PT
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Such an amazing peak....... To witness it in person is incredible..
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Mar 10, 2013 - 11:29pm PT
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kind of confused here -- was the first alpine ascent of CT in 1974 or 1980? if not 1974, why not? fixed ropes?
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 11, 2013 - 12:17am PT
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First ascent of Cerro Torre was the Lecco Spiders via the west face led by Ferrari in 1974. And yes, fixed ropes, done expedition style.
First alpine style ascent of Cerro Torre was John Bragg, Jay Wilson and Dave Carman, also via the west face, in 1977. Bragg has a great story about holing up in a natural ice cave below the helmet, listening to the howl of the Patagonian organs.
(if I'm remembering the years correctly (without checking))
Bragg, Wilson, Carman was also the second ascent of the mountain.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2013 - 10:26am PT
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My thread title could certainly be more clear and accurate but I can't change that at this point..
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 12, 2013 - 04:31am PT
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My thread title could certainly be more clear and accurate but I can't change that at this point..
ROFL....
"Clarity and accuracy" have as a necessary prerequisite actual knowledge.
(And some basic intellectual honesty.)
But, you know, carry on. You are, after all, the "historian." And, as any contemporary historian knows, facts are not to be too seriously sought after, being the chimeras that they are.
At least the original articles themselves contain useful and interesting information, even if often wrapped in your "unclear and inaccurate" and sometimes flat-out wrong "take" on them. So, you perform a useful service in spite of yourself. LOL
In this case, bump for a thread about Patagonia, which is genuinely bad-ass and worth hearing about, despite the packaging.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2013 - 10:45am PT
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Honesty certainly isn't one of your strengths, Richard.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 12, 2013 - 12:00pm PT
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ROFL....
Facts are what they are. In your case, pesky little things that flee far away when you are (supposedly) searching diligently for them, yet that show up in the darndest places to smack you upside the head when you least expect them.
Often publicly.
No apology for your condescending pontificating of earlier upthread?
No?
Pffffttt
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Mar 12, 2013 - 12:44pm PT
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You're a real dickhead, huh madbolter?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2013 - 12:56pm PT
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Great article Blakey.
Missed it first time around.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Mar 12, 2013 - 01:01pm PT
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Last night I had this revelation, like I had finally realized something I'd been missing all along. I should climb Cerro Torre. I got really excited about it then got on the internet at work to check it out. Probably the hardest summit in the world, hmmm ... Bivies are ledges you have to chop into 90 degree ice. Never did that before. Everybody seems to have to weather out a storm with no tent. Weird. Runout 5.11 face with technical loose rock sections for aid, at the top is a huge thing like a dandilion made out of snow, that you have to chop a tunnel into. Bizarre. Well, there's no doubt it's too hard for me and always will be. I might have been able to clip those compressor bolts just for the experience of being up there, but even with global warming its not happening.
Cerro Torre Trip Report
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Mar 12, 2013 - 01:02pm PT
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Bridwell and Brewer's ascent shows that the big advances are made in the mind as much as the body. What vision!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 12, 2013 - 01:45pm PT
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Sideways bump...
If you stay at the Latitude 49 B&B in El Chalten (just around the corner from
the pizza joint) you have all these cool pics and articles on the walls!
The owner's dad was on the Ferrari expedition. I didn't get a chance to
meet him and dad has passed. I'm sure Rolo knows him.
I forget which 'Spider' is/was the owner's papa.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 12, 2013 - 02:28pm PT
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Very cool post, Reilly.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 12, 2013 - 02:49pm PT
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I really like this one:
The Italian paper trumpets Maestri while the caption reads:
"His supposed first ascent of Cerro Torre has never been authenticated"
I don't know exactly who worded the caption.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Mar 12, 2013 - 02:51pm PT
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Is it fair to compare Maestri to Warren Harding?
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orle
climber
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Mar 12, 2013 - 03:16pm PT
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fair to compare? sure why not. is this the right place for a maestri vs harding comparison? maybe not.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 12, 2013 - 04:33pm PT
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That is a really interesting disconnect. Makes you wonder what people knew at that time, or at least suspected, about him. Or is it a cultural thing to express a bit of doubt that way? I'm certainly clueless but find it fascinating.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Mar 12, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
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Harding would not have quit at the ice. He would have tried to summit.
I'm sure Harding was more fun to be around
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 12, 2013 - 06:29pm PT
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Very interesting that newspaper cover... what year was that published? I can't make out the date in the enlargement.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 13, 2013 - 12:55am PT
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Greg, I'm sure that paper was out soon after the climb. I looked at my
original file and can't make it out - it was a really lousy copy.
The caption reads "Rumbo a la cumbre del San Lorenzo en 1943"
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 13, 2013 - 09:41am PT
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Reilly, are those framed pics hanging on a Chalten wall? Someone told me about a restaurant down there with a bunch of old ones.
And love your pic of the Torre! what a hill.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 13, 2013 - 11:07am PT
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As I said on the last page they are on the walls of the Latitude 49 B&B
owned by the son of one of the Lecco Spiders. As I recall most of the pics
are in the common area so you could just walk in there and check them out.
The son is rarely there, as his wife runs the place, so I never got to speak
to him.
It doesn't seem like there was much of a 'mushroom' in Feb 2011, does it?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2013 - 11:24am PT
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It will fall off someday... LOL
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 13, 2013 - 11:52am PT
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Ah ha! Silly me for not reading the thread more carefully.
I remember stories of some years in the late 80s and early 90s when there was a big ramp and you could just walk up that thing -- I think it was Ermano Salvaterra who told me -- but then it fell off. The two times I was up there there was a pretty big "eave" overhanging the summit plateau and I never did get up those last few meters. Oh well. Reason to go back, perhaps, although i doubt I'll ever motivate for it or get in the required condition again. And I'm okay with always looking up at the last little bit of that perfect mountain. I think. ;-)
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nmmcquiston
Mountain climber
New jersey
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Hi,
I‘m doing reserach for a climbing film and have located Jim Bridwell, but does anyone by some random chance happen to know how or where to locate Steve Brewer?
Any leads greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Nov 12, 2013 - 01:37pm PT
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Bump
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Nov 12, 2013 - 01:50pm PT
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Those 5 photos were the only photos taken on the route. They forgot the other camera in camp with all the film, the one they had only had 5 shots remaining in it. Jim has some great stories of that route, you all should take a road trip with us, the stories I hear are are priceless....I gotta get a setup where ALL of our conversations could be recorded. Of course loads of editing, but he is a great story teller and the more questions I ask the deeper the stories go! Wish I could just turn on a digital camera on the dash and drive.
Peace
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Nov 12, 2013 - 04:02pm PT
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this tale is told so simply that you have to use some imagination to fully comprehend what actually went down. they banged off what was at the time the world's most inaccesible summit in a couple of days using a skeleton rack of borrowed equipment. they'd just met. they descended in epic conditions. the whole thing is still a little mind-blowing to me, 30 years later.
Ditto that!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2018 - 06:30pm PT
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Star Spangled Bird Bump...
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Jan 17, 2018 - 09:46am PT
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I have to agree with a lot of what has been said on this thread. Bridwell and Brewer's 2nd ascent of the Compressor Rt. was a major event. Regardless of what your feeling is, or was, on the viability of the route, Cerro Torre is not for the faint hearted. When I climbed it in 1987, the first half of the route was bolt free. I believe we did 14 pitches before seeing the first bolt.
In the 1970's and 1980's, the weather in Patagonia was different that we have now due to global warming. On my first trip to Patagonia, we were told that the Fitz-Roy group had 360 days a year of storm, and 5 questionable days. On that trip (1983) we waited 42 days for a break in the weather longer than 24 hours.
24 hrs may be sufficient to summit Cerro Torre at the standard of climbing today, but 30 years ago speed ascents were not common. Equipment was heavier,climbers slower, and the Patagonian giants were still considered among the worlds most difficult summits. There was no internet to provide hourly weather updates, instead you used an altimeter to forecast your own weather.There was no bridge over the Rio Poincenot, and Chalten would not exist for another 10 years. When the road ended you were faced with a serious ford, which required many trips to ferry gear across before you could even begin to think about climbing.
The idea of high standard free climbing on the major peaks never even occurred to anyone until years later, after dozens of ascents had eliminated the unknown, climbing equipment and standards had improved, and the weather had changed providing more opportunity for free attempts. What is possible in 2018, was not within the realms of possibility in the 1980's.
Bridwell's rebolting of the last 20m was a logical act. At the time the Torre had seen very few ascents. There was a 2000m climb sitting there which was missing the final 20m. Like The Wall of the Early Morning Light, many people objected to the style of the FA, but once you have done the climb you realize that, although it could have been done better, there was some fine climbing on the route. I found the Compressor Route to be more enjoyable than expected. We did some spectacular climbing, and reached one of the most incredible summits in the world.
I have recently been watching the David Lama movie Cerro Torre on netflix. The film is a perfect example of the hubris in modern climbing where past accomplishments are negated by the more pure methods of today, like adding 60 bolts to an established climb which already had more than enough bolts in the interest of filming a self aggrandizing film about correcting the errors of the past.
Taken one step further, the chopping of the route did not erase the past, and the supposed "fair means" used were used where convenient, and ignored where not. The Compressor Route has become the standard descent route from Cerro Torre: As such, the original anchor bolts are the descent anchors, which have been used many times. Any true "fair means" ascent is tainted by the use of any of the existing hardware, even a single piece, so I don't buy the "mountain consecrated" argument. Most Argentine climbers were pissed.
The mountain has suffered enough. Patagonia is still a wild place to climb, even the hotels at the base,internet cafes and an international climbing scene have not completely changed the fact that you need to sack up if you want to summit anything big there.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 17, 2018 - 02:11pm PT
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Great post Scott!
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Sport-o-land
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Jan 17, 2018 - 08:38pm PT
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One correction Scott. The compressor route is not the standard descent off of Cerro Torre these days. I'd say by a large factor the West Face is ascended and descended more often. Most people would be onsighting the compressor rappels after climbing the west face and that would surely be an exciting mission!
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Jan 17, 2018 - 08:54pm PT
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Yeah...Good job Scott...!!
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Jan 18, 2018 - 07:57am PT
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[quote]Most people would be onsighting the compressor rappels after climbing the west face and that would surely be an exciting mission![quote]
Apparently things have changed since the compressor route has been erased. I should have said that at one time the compressor rappels were the standard descent route, as most people climbed the compressor. Needless to say any route requiring 25 to 30 rappels would be an exciting mission. Like Paul Gagner posted near the beginning of this thread, rappelling the compressor rt at night during a major storm was among the most horrendous descents I have ever done, and we had just climbed the route
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jan 18, 2018 - 12:26pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2018 - 09:59am PT
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Bird legacy bump...
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gimmeslack
Trad climber
VA
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Feb 17, 2019 - 03:15am PT
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What happened to Brewer?
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hacky47
Trad climber
goldhill
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Feb 17, 2019 - 10:42am PT
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the late great Al Rouse passed on the invitation to climb the rte with Jim....cool history
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 17, 2019 - 12:46pm PT
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Nice bump. These threads appear to give most of the credit to the Bird for the climb, but it seems like the ascent was a result of the meeting of two partners who complemented each other perfectly.
I didn't know Bridwell but saw him several times over the years, mostly in Joshua Tree. Despite the history on this thread, he wasn't above claiming that he made the first ascent. I was in Josh about 20 yrs. ago with my wife and her climbing girlfriend from Argentina. Bird walks up to me and asks about the girlfriend, where she's from, etc., and I say she's single. Sensing his opening, he walks up to her and tells her how much he loves Argentina and how many first ascents he's made in Patagonia, including the FIRST ascent of Cerro Torre. I roll my eyes but say nothing. Sadly for him, she had no idea who he was, had never heard of Cerro Torre, and replied only by saying "that's nice".
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Feb 18, 2019 - 07:58am PT
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Thanks for sharing the "Jim Bridwell's Last Interview". Captivating stuff. What an adventurer.
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 18, 2019 - 08:28am PT
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I know Jim went there with Bachar and Gramici to do a complete new independent line.
The line was deemed unsafe by Bachar due to unstable conditions there and John backed out.
There were arguments and Gramici and Bachar left Patagonia.
Thus with no partner, Jim found Brewer and shifted over to the compressor route .....
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