The Summer 2013 issue of Patagon Journal magazine includes a 2-page spread of my photograph and article on trekking on the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap and camping in Circos de los Altares beneath Cerro Torre.
Patagon Journal is a quarterly magazine edited by Jimmy Langman devoted to the nature, culture, travel and outdoors in Patagonia. International subscriptions are available and the magazine (and website) are a great way to find out more about the beautiful place that is Patagonia!
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One of my Patagonia pictures, showing the skyline of Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Cerro Standhardt from Filo del Hombre Sentado (The Sitting Man Ridge), was chosen by Patagon Journal to illustrate an article in their Winter edition by Patagonia climbing legend, Carlos Comesana.
Carlos, along with his compatriot, Jose-Luis Fonrouge, made the second ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy in 1965 by the Supercanaleta (Super Colouir), a 1700m gash in the west flank of Fitz Roy which is just out of view in the picture to the left.
(See the full picture here. And another version of it here).
Patagon Journal magazine itself is fantastic and highly recommended. It makes me ache to go back to Patagonia. I do have some ideas up my sleeve, not least thanks to Patagon Journal’s editor, Jimmy Langman, and all his hard work in getting the magazine up and running.
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Patagonia mountain, Aguja Guillaumet, reflected in mountain guide, Pedro Fina’s sunglasses
You may or may not know but in 2007 I wrote a travel and trekking guidebook to Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park.
The book stemmed from an initial visit to Los Glaciares National Park in 2005 to do the Southern Patagonia Icecap traverse. When I returned to Scotland, I sold some pictures of the west face of Cerro Torre to the now-defunct High Mountain Sports magazine and wrote a few articles detailing my trip which, after about a year of effort and another trip for research purposes, turned into a whole book about the park which was subsequently published by Sergio Zagier, owner of Argentine book publishers, Zagier & Urruty.
Sergio contacted me last month to say that we were coming to the end of the print run, having sold 1000 copies. Which is way above my initial expectations and pleases me immensely. So I wanted to do two things. Firstly, say a public thanks to Sergio and to everyone who has bought the book – I hope you found it useful and informative and would agree that Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre are the most stupendous mountains to see – but also to advertise it to those who haven’t, but are perhaps organising a trip to Patagonia. It’s simply an amazing place to go and I believe, although things will have changed a lot administratively since I last visited, I still do have the most comprehensive and up-to-date book about trekking in Los Glaciares National Park.
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I’m pleased to say my ‘Four day trek around Fitz Roy’ article has been published for a second time, this time in John Summerton’s Sidetracked Magazine.
(From John’s website - Sidetracked Magazine is an online journal featuring a limited collection of personal stories of travel, journeys and expeditions. The concept is simple: to capture the emotion and experience of adventures and expeditions throughout the world… and to inspire.)
I’m really happy about this. Sidetracked is a great resource for people like me who daydream of travelling to remote places around the world. The stories so far have been really interesting and it’s clear John puts a lot of effort into designing and producing a quality magazine.
I’m looking forward to issue 05.
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Participants – Just me
Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Cerro Standhardt are three mountain spires in Argentine Patagonia, at the tip of South America.
Undisputed queen of the mountains is Cerro Torre, the Tower Mountain. It rises vertically for 3,128m and is generally regarded as one of the most difficult in the world to climb. That’s not because of the altitude or highly technical climbing, but by virtue of its location: standing sentry for the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap. Cerro Torre lies right on its edge.
Once described by the South Tyrolean climber Reinhold Messner as “a shriek turned to stone”, Cerro Torre receives the full brunt of the prevailing weather off the Patagonian ice cap. The freezing conditions, coupled with the almost constant high winds, regularly sees it and its adjacent peaks covered in a maelstrom of moisture-laden, boiling storm clouds and coated in a rime of perilous, and at times unclimbable, snow and ice mushrooms.
In 2009, Alpinist Rolando Garibotti, along with climbing partner Colin Haley, completed the ‘Torres traverse’, a long-coveted, continuous climb over all three spires and the sub-peak of Punta Herron in between.
Rolo and Colin Haley approached the peaks via the Torre valley and Torre glacier. To get the view of the mountains above, you need to approach them a different way. From El Chalten, head to the Electrico valley and pass through the Refugio los Troncos campsite at Piedra del Fraile (the Priest’s rock). From there (the owners may charge you), climb steeply uphill to reach a glacier that provides access to a small mountain pass, Paso del Cuadrado. It’s best to get there early morning for the sunrise.
Find out more about travelling around the Torres region, in Los Glaciares National Park, athttp://www.colinhenderson.co.uk/patagonia-trekking.html
For details of Rolo and Colin’s traverse of the Torres, visit http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb-trips/trips/rolo
I specialise in capturing people hill walking, hiking and backpacking in the Scottish Highlands & Islands. If you are interested in a photographic record of your day or weekend out, please contact me.
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