A Patagonian Love Story with Silvia Loreggian
Last Thursday Italian mountain guide, Silvia Loreggian talked about her climbing experiences in Patagonia - from dirt bagging it hitchhiking for a month and a half to summiting Fitz Roy.
Really excellent talk with lots of good practical advice about the area and how to prepare for a big expedition like this.
“I think that when you go
for the first time you need to be very passionate and you need to choose a good partner.”
And a good partner is someone that you already know because you'll find a lot of difficulties.
We heard about good climbing areas such as at Los Arenales, close to Mendoza - very quiet unlike a more crowded El Chalten with good quality rock and lots of opportunity for new routes.
Also climbing Fitz Roy by the famous route Supercanaleta, with 1,000m of snow gully followed by grade 5 rock. Not to be underestimated as often if the gully is in good condition the rock isn’t. As was the case for Silvia and her boyfriend climbing the rock section with axes and crampons all the way, making for a slower ascent in the top section and unplanned bivi 200m before the summit.
You can’t discuss Patagonia without discussing the weather; we heard tales of ropes flying high in the sky preventing abseil descents and the importance of being flexible to choose the best itinerary for the conditions. Checking with all the other alpinists, locals and tourists alike about the conditions of the routes you have planned to maximise your chances.
“To have good weather, you have to be very lucky!”
Patagonia is a thin land, with mountains in the middle and storms from both sides of the ocean crash against the mountains.
Silvia also shared her training strategy which in addition to rock climbing involved many big long outings in the mountains to get used to spending a long time outside in cold conditions.
Despite all this hardship though, they’re planning to go back and try an unclimbed project with Ermanno Salvaterra on West Face of Torre Egger this autumn (all being well). We wish Silvia the best of luck and hope to hear more about it on her return.
Do watch the video to see all the cool pictures and detailed accounts and advice for yourselves x
“I have to say that the best wall for me is for sure is the Marmolada and so all the routes that I climb there are beautiful. Because the rock is just perfect.”
If you’d like to read more about the Marmolada - check out our member Katie’s account of her ascent of the Marmolada in our Fave Routes section.