Aguja Poincenot: Whillans – Cochrane
Tad and I returned to El Chalten for a well deserved meal and some story swapping with friends. We felt great about being in this place in what seemed to be an uncharacteristically good weather season. Everyone was getting out and going for it. But the warm temperatures seemed to be putting the ice routes out of condition. My long time friend Jess had just made a good attempt on the Exocet Chimney on Cerro Standhardt, but what is typically a sustained 500m WI5 turned to a cold shower and they turned back. So when we jumped on the computer and it looked as though the climbing gods were opening the gates to yet another three day weather window, route selection was a point of great attention. Tad and I had left a cash at Paso Superior with the intent of returning to climb Poincenot if the weather would allow. Now that it was definitely allowing, we rationalized climbing the route in warm temperatures by getting a very early start and avoiding any kind of soft snow on the ramp as well as the possibility of getting caught in wet slides. How the mixed pitches would look was to be left to mystery. We departed town the next day in beautiful weather for the Whillans – Cochrane 5+, AI3, M4, 550m
We arrived at Paso Superior with light packs and the temperatures were quite warm as expected. We hoped the ramp would harden up during the night for easier and more speedy climbing in the morning. The night was calm, and pretending to read in my sleeping bag, I felt a world of gratitude for being at the foot of such an amazing climb. Doubts swirled and faded and an overriding calm settled in. I was anxious to climb for sure!
The alarm beeped at 1 am an hour later we were on the glacier and approaching the giant bergschrund that guards the base of the route. We chose to begin to the far left and gain the ramp directly. Stepping out with a lot of vert below was rad. Once on the ramp, we encountered good snow and ice conditions quickly making it to the mixed chimneys. The chimneys have great stone and awesome cracks to place cams and picks. The warm temperatures had made only rock protection a real option but the climbing was good. After the second pitch we went right and found M4 climbing all the same. Once at the shoulder we switched to rock shoes for the fun rock pitches to la cumbre. It was a dream!! We began to rappel from the summit around 6:30 pm and reached the shoulder above the mixed chimneys at dark. Then we rappelled through the night with only a couple hold ups with the ropes reaching the glacier at sunrise.
I felt very strongly the bond of partnership that night rappelling the rock, ice, then finally over the bergschrund to the comfort of the glacier. I never forgot that it was just the two of us out there going for it, and it was incredible. Some people get stoked on solo ascents of scary routes. I would have to agree that they are bold, even genius in there self reliance. But for now I am content with sharing my experiences in the mountains with great people. Inspiring people. In this way, the memory is not simply mine to cherish, but shared. And if there is one thing that I walked away from my time in Chile and Argentina with, it was the realization that to share is to fulfill at least one of our true purposes here on this floating sphere.
A big thanks to my larger than life friend Tad McCrea
Tad put together a VIDEO of the climb Here
Aguja Poincenot
Tad navigating the way to the start of the ramp
Beau climbing up the ramp. Photo by Tad McCrea
Tad nearing the end of the ramp and start of the mixed pitches of the route
Beau Leading up the start of the mixed pitches. Photo by Tad McCrea
Tad leading a short and fun pitch to just below steeper mixed climbing. Photo by Tad McCrea
Beau climbing the M4 Right handed option of the mixed terrain. Photo by Tad McCrea
Enjoying great weather at the top of the chimneys before starting up the rock pitches of the route
Tad climbing on the 3rd pitch of rock
Beau climbing a splitter 5.9 fingers pitch, Aguja Saint-Exupery in the background. Photo by Tad McCrea
Super fun 5.8 hands that led us within two pitches of the summit. Photo by Tad McCrea.
Arriving at the summit with perfect weather conditions and the Torres in the background. Photo by Tad McCrea
Cumbreeeeeeee!!!!
tad rapping in golden light
Harvest moon while rappelling the top of the Chimneys. Photo: Tad McCrea
Sunrise again!! Photo by Tad McCrea
The Amy Route: Aguja Guillaumet
After five months of good times in a far off land, my friend Tad finally arrived to El Bolson, Argentina. We cruised out to the farm where I had been working and settled in for a few days. A week later, food and gas taken care of, we departed for El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Range. Unbelievably, we arrived just in time to catch a three day weather window. So we hopped in a taxi for the Rio Electrico and made camp beneath the puma of granite, Aguja Guillaumet. Our plan was to carry over our gear to Paso Superior for an attempt on Aguja Poincenot later in the week. And on the way over, climb the Amy Route on Aguja Guillaumet.
Check out the VIDEO Tad put together Here
Approaching up Rio Electrico
Tad McCrea Approaching Paso Guillaumet
Tad Getting up the pass….YEAAAA
What a place
Starting up the Amy route
the “M3” pitch. Photo: Tad McCrea
Beau following the first pitch of rock
Beau leading the 3rd pitch of rock
The last rock pitch before the summit snow field. Photo: Tad McCrea
The best rock I have ever climbed on. Ice, Mixed, water at the top –
Somehow, we managed to summit our first peak not three days after arriving in El Chalten. Needless to say, we were jazzin hard all the way down to town. What a joy to combine so many technical aspects of climbing in this dream of a setting. I was so impressed with the beauty and quality of rock on the route. We felt handed a gift.
On the way back to Chalten with light packs!
Beau Carrillo - Mountain Guide 