Trip Report
Season of the Century in Patagonia

by Hoots
Thursday February 9, 2012 3:12pm
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Geoff following pitch 30-something.
Geoff following pitch 30-something.
Credit: Hoots
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After 4 months in Argentina, my 4th trip in as many years, it feels good to be back in the States, drinking good freshly roasted coffee, and not stressing out about the outrageous cost of satellite internet.
While some of that trip was work related, 10 weeks were spent in El Chalten, during one of the warmest and driest seasons in anyone's memory. I had visited Chalten before, in 2008, but didn't get up to much, as the weather was typically heinous and the partners and motivations were lacking. This year was different. With nonstop never ending weather windows coming left and right, I was able to summit 5 of the 7 visible summits of the Fitz Roy massif, and had a heck of a lot of fun doing so.

Here is the link to some overly melodramatic writing and some pretty cool pictures on my blog. Enjoy!

http://ryanhuetter.blogspot.com/2012/01/fitz-roy-journey.html

http://ryanhuetter.blogspot.com/2012/01/fitz-roy-climb.html

  Trip Report Views: 3,039
Hoots 		About the Author
Hoots is a climber from Toyota, Tacoma.

Comments
elcap-pics

Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
  Feb 9, 2012 - 03:23pm PT
Great stuff!! Patagonia finally cooperates!! Congrats!!
jfailing

Trad climber
PDX
  Feb 9, 2012 - 03:42pm PT
We made around 25 semi-eventful rappels to make it back to the Fitz Roy glacier,

Liked that bit... Awesome adventure! Good to hear that 4 seasons of work finally paid off in the end.

Thanks for the great TR!
waulrat

Big Wall climber
Santa Rosa, CA
  Feb 9, 2012 - 05:18pm PT
Sweet, sounds like a fun trip! I'm green with jealousy as I type this from my desk at work... ughh
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Feb 9, 2012 - 06:31pm PT
Stellar! Way to go after big game. Thanks!
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
  Feb 9, 2012 - 10:51pm PT
Nice! Good stuff.

Not to bust your comment regarding the 2008 weather but any date before Feb 17 was amazing weather then! We were there from Jan 25 - Feb 16.....kickass weather and we were able to hit Cerro Mocho, Cerro De La Media Luna and Clara De Luna. Even hit up the sport routes in town.
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
  Feb 9, 2012 - 11:02pm PT
Awesome Hoots!!
Hoots

climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Author's Reply  Feb 10, 2012 - 12:14am PT
It was late 08-09 that seemed like a bust Mooch, I think that one you were there for was one that folks still talk about. Nice!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Feb 10, 2012 - 01:28am PT
Those photos, holy sh#t. I mean holy shit! What a classic line and route. Was your team's the third ascent?

Did you bring rock shoes in the packs, or just climb it all in the approach shoes? And was it the cold that has left your toes w/o feeling, or the length and abuse?

Last season, we returned to the Paine, climbed a cold route on Peineta, and then turned our attention to a massive project; first ascents in an incredibly remote zone in the Northern Patagonian Andes. This would be the most committing thing either Josh or I had undertaken, and we were very lucky to make it out both successfully and safely.


Did you write a TR of this one? Would love to see it.
Hoots

climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Author's Reply  Feb 10, 2012 - 10:29am PT
bruce:
-i think we are the 6th ascent. about one party per year has climbed it since 06.
-the whole route was climbed in rock shoes. approach shoes once we got into the summit ice blocks.
-i posted a tr for the turbio trip both on my blog and on ST http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Patagonian-Alpine-FAs-TR-and-Video/t10932n.html
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Feb 10, 2012 - 01:49pm PT
Hoots, thanks for that link. One more question for you: what were the low temps (ballpark) you got at night during your bivies?

Just spent a break time looking at your photos again. Just outstanding.
PellucidWombat

Mountain climber
Draperderr, by Bangerter, Utah
  Feb 10, 2012 - 08:41pm PT
TFPU! Great photos and report! That granite looks sooo nice.
yo

climber
Mudcat Spire
  Feb 10, 2012 - 10:31pm PT
Nice work! Jealous.
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Feb 11, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
nice send Huetter, way to get after it!

Jonathan Byers, a Yosemite climber who took some of the photos posted on Huetter's blog, is working on historical repeats of glacier photographs in North and South America.

Check out the Alpine of the Americas Project at:

http://alpineamericas.com/

and:
http://www.facebook.com/alpineamericas
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