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 Patagonian clouds at camp Niponino. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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Sometimes, however, the weather can be too good, at least if you are aiming to do an ice climb.
In 2012 my climbing partner and I had our eyes firmly fixed on climbing Exocet on Cerro Standhart and went up the Torre valley to do this ice climb regardless of the forecast, which was showing a 10 degree increase in temperature.
Here is the view from the base of the Torres on a scouting day to the base of Standhart (peak on the right):
[Click to View YouTube Video]
We got on the route anyway and started the first proper pitch at dawn.
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 First pitch of Exocet. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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Other climbers went for the west face of Cerro Torre that day, which was only a marginally better decision given the warm conditions.
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 Colin Haley and Andrea Di Donato getting ready to rappel down from Col Standhart to the west face of the Torres. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 View over the ice cap on the western side of the Torres from Col Standhart. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 Slab climbing in crampons is always good fun. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 The view of Fitz Roy's west face. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 More sketchy rock in crampons. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 Snow slope to reach the Exocet chimney. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 It was so warm that day that we could sit in t-shirts and dry out our socks. Not a good sign... Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 Exocet ice chimney. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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Once we got to the ice chimney we could see that water was coming down, but we kept going anyway:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
It did not take too long before we were completely soaking wet. Every time you would kick the front-points into the ice you could feel water coming OUT of your boots. Again, not a good sign.
We were getting so cold from the running water that we could only do half pitches at a time, because otherwise the belayer would get too cold to even hold on to the ropes:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
In the end it just did not make any sense to continue and I literally feared that we would freeze to death right there in the couloir. This was the coldest I have ever been on a dozen expeditions including four trip to Alaska:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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 Bailing for survival. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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 View of Poincenot from inside of the Exocet chimney. Credit: KristofferSzilas |
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Our problems did not end by getting out of the couloir, because we where so hypothermic that we could not think straight. I dropped an ice tool and we got the ropes stuck several times.
Back on the glacier it was still so warm that a snow bridge collapsed on me and I got to see the inside of a crevasse. We were of course not even roped up at the time!
When we reached the moraine we couldn't find camp Niponino in the dark, so we where pretty tired when we finally found our tent some time after dawn about 30 hours after starting out the previous night.
Our experience is apparently pretty common for this climb, so don't try to do it on a warm day!
