Yacaré (450m, 7a+) on Aguja Rafael Juarez in the Fitz Roy Range
Anda p’ alla (400 m, 8a) on the West Face of Guillaumet 

Photos by Julia Cassou

 

Patagonia is a dream destination for alpine climbers worldwide, but it can be a daunting and challenging environment. Aside from the infamous Cerro Torre skyline, its most notable feature might be the audacious weather and unforgiving alpine environment. 

 

Pete Whittaker returned from his first trip to Patagonia this year, where he accomplished two first free ascents and gained valuable tips and insights. We sat down with him to discuss his preparation and advice for first-time climbers heading to Patagonia and hear his thoughts on how to enjoy a trip and return satisfied.

 

 

Let's jump straight into the notorious weather, then. How did this affect your approach to climbing, and what strategies did you use to adapt to the weather?

 

Climbing in good weather is really important in Patagonia. From only climbing three routes there this season, I can already understand that you can die if you misjudge the weather or get caught out.

The approach myself and my climbing partner, Sean Villanueva O'Drsicoll, took was to pick the objective for the weather and conditions rather than trying to fit a planned objective around the weather. I believe this is how we've actually managed to get some stuff done, as the weather windows have been short. This is an approach I would probably take if I came back in the future. It also prevents any trip disappointment.

 

You had the benefit of climbing with your friend Sean. Is teaming up with an experienced Patagonian climber crucial for success and safety?

 

Having a partner who has spent a lot of time in Patagonia is massively beneficial; however, it's not essential. I had four friends from the UK who were all on their first trip to the area. They got a bunch of good climbs done, but I could also tell they were very careful and thoughtful about how they approached things. They respected the mountains and good decision-making, and ultimately they had a good trip.

 

OFF TO PATAGONIA

Pete Whittaker's Tips For Patagonia

5.0 minute read

 

Is there a resource you used or would suggest to someone for their first climbing trip here?

 

Get information before you go. Ask questions to friends who have been, and read the front of the guidebook; there is a lot of good information in there!

Visit pataclimb.com and read all the information there. Once you've done that, take the appropriate steps that make sense to you.

 

What was the most challenging aspect of climbing in Patagonia for you?

 

The most challenging aspect for me is the objective danger of being in the mountains. There is constant rock fall, seracs, avalanching, etc. 

It's impossible to eliminate yourself from all these dangers, but you can try and minimize them to the best of your ability. For example, even if the longer approach is a total ball ache, take that way because objectively, it's much safer than the one that is two hours shorter.

 

You managed to put up two first free ascents. Can you share how you picked and scouted these routes or your process?

 

This was a lot down to my climbing partner's knowledge. He has good connections in the area and knows the locals well. The first free ascents we climbed were routes put up as first ascents this season.

If you are interested in FFAs, then using @patagoniavertical on Instagram and the new guidebook as a source of knowledge is a good starting point. In the guidebook, you can easily see if existing routes have points of aid to be freed.

 

 

The routes you climbed had some impressive cracks and off-width sections. This seems really fitting for you, is being an expert crack climber an essential Patagonia skill?

 

Let's put it this way... I'm very glad I can crack climb. So many of the rock-based routes follow crack features. To me, it feels like an essential tool that everyone should have for climbing there.

I always say that your climbing ability/experience is your first point of safety, so having that crack climbing ability under my belt and not worrying the whole time about 'the next pitch' really helped.

 

You were having a lot of fun on the routes. So how do you balance this and the possible stress of this big environment?

 

Having a good time and ensuring you want to be there is really important. It helps eliminate mistakes and stops you from taking shortcuts on things. The more of these you prevent, the safer the trip in the mountains is. The nice thing about Sean is he knows when to have fun and when to get shit done; I like that. It means you have a good time but, at the same time, are less likely to get yourself into a sticky situation. The less sticky situations, then the more fun you can have.

 

Okay, last question, how are you managing to stay focused or calm in those adverse conditions and comfortably move through the mental and physical fatigue on these long routes?

 

I'm always drawing from past experiences to help overcome the current situation. If I'm feeling mentally/physically tired and it's difficult, then I consider when the last time was, I felt like this? What did I do? and how can I apply that to the current situation in a better way?

I go through these steps and try to get on with it as best as possible.

 

From the belay, my heart was racing! I flashed back to when I had just arrived in Ten Sleep WY, I had taken a small hiatus from sport climbing to focus on my mental health, and felt overwhelmingly nervous on the wall. I hopped on a climb at my onsight limit, and remember shaking before clipping each draw, certain that I was about to fall on every single move until I had clipped the anchors. My new friends yelled from the ground for me to keep going, whooping cheering as I made one desperate move after another. In each move I took, I fought against my internal monologue pleading for me to take a rest on the next bolt. Against all odds, I had made it clean to the chains.

 

Move by move as Sónia neared the anchors, I sensed her fighting that same battle. I yelled up, “VENGA SÓNIA FUERTE!”

 

Only one move from sending the climb, her arm grabbed the rope and waived up to the anchor draw, then snapped back to the rock as she dropped the rope. Up to the draw, back to the rock. From below, I continued to shout encouragement- I knew she could clip the anchors if she dug deep.

 

Her hand reached far to the right, leaning in towards the chains…

 

*click*

 

 

A huge smile spread across both of our faces. We cheered together, 25 meters apart, as she looked around at the beautiful Coll de Nargó landscape behind her! Her energy was vicarious, and when she got down to the bottom we just started dancing and celebrating and hugging.

 

The day was a huge success. Not because of the send, because it’s never really about the send, is it? It was a success because Sónia overcame the physical, mental, and emotional barriers she faced while on the wall. It was a success because we shared this universal moment of trying hard. What we walk away with after a day like this trickles down into our everyday life, and feeds into what makes us, us.

 

 

A huge smile spread across both of our faces. We cheered together, 25 meters apart, as she looked around at the beautiful Coll de Nargó landscape behind her! Her energy was vicarious, and when she got down to the bottom we just started dancing and celebrating and hugging.

 

The day was a huge success. Not because of the send, because it’s never really about the send, is it? It was a success because Sónia overcame the physical, mental, and emotional barriers she faced while on the wall. It was a success because we shared this universal moment of trying hard. What we walk away with after a day like this trickles down into our everyday life, and feeds into what makes us, us.

 

 

Although I didn’t send a project or climb at my limit, I also tapped into my try-hard. I had been nervous about the day; the grades at Coll can be hilariously sandbagged. Usually, I’m the one who’s scared! I knew I wanted to create a calm, fearless energy at the crag for Sónia to feel comfortable in. The entire day I was hanging draws while onsighting new routes, setting up top ropes, and taking them down again. I felt my confidence grow as I played more and more on the rock, laughing with Sónia and having such a fun ‘girls day out’ at the crag.

 

A few days later, I returned to the crag filled with positive energy from my day with Sónia. Her try-hard percolated into my mind, my energy, my forearms and fingers. I had been too scared to lead my own project at Coll, so up until this point, I had only tried the second half of the route twice on top ropes others had put up for me. But now I was psyched. I took a deep breath, harnessed the try-hard, and went for a lead attempt despite not knowing all of the sequences by heart. And then, I sent.

 

 

Although I didn’t send a project or climb at my limit, I also tapped into my try-hard. I had been nervous about the day; the grades at Coll can be hilariously sandbagged. Usually, I’m the one who’s scared! I knew I wanted to create a calm, fearless energy at the crag for Sónia to feel comfortable in. The entire day I was hanging draws while onsighting new routes, setting up top ropes, and taking them down again. I felt my confidence grow as I played more and more on the rock, laughing with Sónia and having such a fun ‘girls day out’ at the crag.

 

A few days later, I returned to the crag filled with positive energy from my day with Sónia. Her try-hard percolated into my mind, my energy, my forearms and fingers. I had been too scared to lead my own project at Coll, so up until this point, I had only tried the second half of the route twice on top ropes others had put up for me. But now I was psyched. I took a deep breath, harnessed the try-hard, and went for a lead attempt despite not knowing all of the sequences by heart. And then, I sent.

 

 

I wake groggy and hungry after a fitful sleep. I check the InReach: the boys have made it to the summit and back to camp in a 28-hour continuous push! Also, they’ve warned us of a possible storm brewing on the forecast for tomorrow. It’s already 4 pm. Tomorrow isn’t that far off, and we still have more than half of the wall above us. We decided to keep going for now. Was this reckless?

 

The cracks above look both cleaner and easier. Climbing quickly has never been my forte, but we have to seriously pick up the pace. Of the three of us, I have the best chance of making this happen over this type of terrain. I charge ahead with a new mindset, leading full 60m pitches on repeat while focusing on a silly little mantra: 

 

I am speedy Bronwyn!

 

The wall steepens again at the second grassy ledge, and I can see a blank section looming a few pitches above. We reconvene for a group check-in: How’s everyone doing? What’s the update on the storm? Should we keep going up? If so, what path should we take? After some more 5.9R scrambling, I pull out into a wildly exposed arching roof that would connect (hopefully?) into a new corner system up high. It worked! I belay the girls up to me, and Kelsey takes the lead as we head into our second night on the wall, but who’s counting? 

 

Ang and I sit at the midnight belay, bundled in our puffies, while Kelsey quests on above, raining dirt down on us as she digs out spots to place Friends. Finally, Kelsey comes onto the radio: Off belay! Wooo! You’re off! Ang and I follow, clinging onto desperate crimps through the surprise slab crux — wow, Kelsey, well done! After a group hug at the belay, Ang takes the sharp end as the early morning sun peeps around the corner. I bring us up the final proper pitch and surprise the girls with a small pack of gummies I’d been saving for us. 

 

 

 

We stay roped up a little longer (wary of our mental exhaustion) and then drop the rope and Friends and throw our arms around each other, jumping up and down and shouting wildly!!!! Of course, I’m very proud of our accomplishment, but deeper than this, I am thankful for these two ladies. What could have been a stressful and arduous experience instead was fun and light. I trusted we would care for each other and make good decisions. The teamwork felt easy. I’m also proud that we could find the confidence to set off and did not let intimidation or self-doubt repeatedly turn us around. The most memorable and life-changing experiences happen when you step out into the unknown.

 

From the summit, we can see the iceberg-laden ocean stretching off into the distance. We try to radio the boys, but the radios are dead–It doesn’t matter. It’s a long but simple hike down the sloping backside of the formation. Finally, we can let our guard down and trudge forth like zombies for many hours more. And eventually, there will be friends, food, and cozy tents to sleep in.

 

 

To start, what sparked your interest in Patagonia? It is very different from your typical climbing style.

 

Patagonia is always somewhere I've wanted to visit, as I thought it would suit my style of climbing well; big rock faces, crack climbing, and moving quickly and efficiently over moderate-level and adventurous terrain.

 

How does it compare to other destinations you have visited, such as Norway, Yosemite, or the US desert?

 

The nuts and bolts are the same; jamming techniques like I've practiced in Utah, moving quickly like in Yosemite, and climbing adventurous terrain like in Norway are all the same. The big differences are the weather and approaches.

 

To start, what sparked your interest in Patagonia? It is very different from your typical climbing style.

 

Patagonia is always somewhere I've wanted to visit, as I thought it would suit my style of climbing well; big rock faces, crack climbing, and moving quickly and efficiently over moderate-level and adventurous terrain.

 

How does it compare to other destinations you have visited, such as Norway, Yosemite, or the US desert?

 

The nuts and bolts are the same; jamming techniques like I've practiced in Utah, moving quickly like in Yosemite, and climbing adventurous terrain like in Norway are all the same. The big differences are the weather and approaches.