Conrad Anker Instagram – 30 years ago today, the last day of the year, @johnmiddendorf4 and I climbed Cerro Torre, Patagonia via the Compressor Route. (South East Ridge) Established in 1970 by Cesare Maestri with a gasoline powered drill, the controversial route sported a stack of bolts and was the quick way to the top.
John and I enjoyed the climb, yet these was something amiss. The wildness of this peak was sacrificed for human ego. Maestri, making up for his fanciful ascent of 1959, bolted the peak into submission.
In 2012 the late Hayden Kennedy and
@jason_kruk removed the bolts, giving the mountain its power back and creating controversy.
If Cerro Torre is a peak that you are interested in please listen to @climbinggold. The recent season includes the Maestri Mystery with insight from @kellycordes, author of “The Tower”, the definitive book on this subject.
In reviewing my journal from 30 years ago I reflect on how climbing has changed. Even if we have better weather forecasts and lighter & stronger gear, the sense of self discovery one gets from a proper Patagonian beat down still remains. This primal connection to living is as real as it gets.
First photo of the Cerro Torro group from the summit of Chalten by Galen Rowell. | Posted on 01/Jan/2024 11:01:30
