Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Frey/El Catedral (PATAGONIA) Part 1


After arriving in San Carlos de Bariloche on Wednesday, it was obvious that I should spend a couple of days hiding from the rain and acclimatizing at the hostel.  The wind and inclement weather are abundant staples of the Patagonian wilderness and when they subside, it is immediately time to fit as much activity as possible into the 16 hours of daylight.  After hiking up to the Frey Refugio basecamp in decent weather on Friday, Saturday and Sunday yielded two of the most beautiful days this region can offer, with reasonable wind (it never fully goes away) and 75F temperatures.  My climbing partner, Dan, and I were able to tackle 3 multipitch objectives, one of which being the ultra-classic Bush Goin route on the Campanile Esloveno spire, which boasts 360 degree views of the entire area.  Our ascent of this iconic spire placed us in far and away the most beautiful position I have ever experienced in my life. 
Alex
Refugio Frey!

Dan with our objective, Campanile Esloveno in the distance

About to cross the snowfield to the Bush Goin

Final Traverse:  500+ft of exposure

Weird flowers and other plantlife remind you how far you are from home

Hanging out at the base of the route

Nice shot of me following courtesy of Dan

2 comments:

  1. Woooosh, the pics make me uneasy. You're nuts. Keep it up bud!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yea bud, keep 'em coming! I'm so jealous I can't put it in words

    ReplyDelete