hi everyone...

I was wondering if anyone had some route descriptions or topos for some of the routes on the torres del paine. Im interested if anyone knows what grade was given to the simon yates/paul pritchard route from "against the wall" ???

Also does anyone know of other routes on any of the 3 towers that are mostly aid, by which I mean no hard (harder than 5.10) rock or hard ice pitches???

Are there any other granite big wall areas (pref not high altitude) maybe further to the north??? How much further north does the rock continue to be granite for???

What is the best guidebook to the area???

thanks! mostly just idle curiosity so hence my laziness not ploughing thorugh alpine journals and such.

I've never climbed there, only trekked, however you can find some great routes near el Chalten (Argentina) on Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy.

Early this year a Belgian expedition went there for a couple of ascent. If you speak French, you may find interesting information on their website : http://www.giftlist.be/patagonie/expedition.asp

If I find other stuff, I'll let you know.

Maxots,

See my reply to you on UKClimbing.com about Steve Schneider.

For topos of routes in the Fitzroy/Cerro Torre area, see:
http://www.expe.com/montagne/ams/patagonie/index.htm

D

thanks for the replys guys,

Myzantrope: I hadn't seen the first website, pity I can't speak french.
Unfortuanetely those two routes are a bit too superstar extreme rock for me to even dream of attempting them!

Damien: thanks for the second, I had seen that one and it seems to have some great info. It will take me a while to decipher it all. Am I just showing my general stupidity if I say I cant find any of the torres del paine on that site??? Are they up there?? It seems to have only pks in the fitzroy / cerro torre area???

still thanks for the help guys!

I notice there are some routes described or the south tower on this site though they dont seem to be linked from the south tower page??? I emailed the page's author, but no reply as yet...

Cheers
max

No, it's just Fitz/CT.

All Paine routes are also shown on the CDROM 'Mountaineering in South America'. It was compiled by a friend of mine and has sold around the world. I think the url is something like msacd.com or similar.

D

Have you tried emailing Crag Peer (SP member)? He put up some new routes in that area.

yeah thanks, got some info from craig already.

his route sounds pretty epic!