Editing Cerro Torre

{{Short description|Mountain in Southern Patagonia in South America}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Cerro Torre
| photo = Cerro torre 1987.jpg
| photo_caption = Cerro Torre in 1987
| elevation_m = 3128
| elevation_ref = 
| prominence_m = 1227
| prominence_ref = <ref name=peakbagger/>
| range = [[Andes]]
| listing = 
| location = [[Patagonia]], [[Argentina]], [[Chile]]<ref name="world_mountaineering"/>
| map = Tierra del Fuego
| mapframe = yes
| map_caption = Location on Southern Patagonia
| map_size = 250
| label_position = right
| coordinates   = 
| coordinates_ref = 
| first_ascent = 1974 by Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari and Pino Negri (Italy)
| easiest_route = rock/snow/ice
| country = [[Argentina]]<br/>[[Chile]]
}}
[[File:Cerro Torre group - summits names.png|thumb|right|400px|Some peaks of the Cerro Torre Group. 2: Cerro Torre, 3: [[Torre Egger]], 4: [[Punta Herron]], 5: [[Aguja Standhart]], 7: [[Aguja Bífida]], 11: [[Cuatro Dedos]]]]

'''Cerro Torre''' is one of the [[mountain]]s of the [[Southern Patagonian Ice Field]] in [[South America]]. It is located on the border dividing [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]],<ref name=Congreso/> west of [[Fitz Roy]] (also known as Cerro Chaltén). At {{Convert|3128|m|ft|abbr=on}}, the peak is the highest of a four mountain chain: the other peaks are [[Torre Egger]] ({{convert|2,685|m|abbr=on}}),<ref name="torre_egger">{{cite web|url=http://www.huberbuam.de/aktuell/en/pat20051.htm|title=Torre Egger 2005, Huberbuam|website=Huberbuam.de|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511033955/http://www.huberbuam.de/aktuell/en/pat20051.htm|archive-date=11 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Punta Herron, and Cerro Standhardt. The top of the mountain often has a mushroom of [[Hard rime|rime ice]], formed by the constant strong winds, increasing the difficulty of reaching the actual summit.

==First ascent==
[[Cesare Maestri]] claimed in 1959 that he and Toni Egger had reached the summit and that Egger had been swept to his death by an avalanche while they were descending. Maestri declared that Egger had the camera with the pictures of the summit, but this camera was never found. Inconsistencies in Maestri's account, and the lack of bolts, pitons or fixed ropes on the route, have led most mountaineers to doubt Maestri's claim.<ref name="aaj2004"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-02-22 |title=Jim Bridwell's Last Interview |url=https://www.climbing.com/videos/jim-bridwells-last-interview/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Climbing}}</ref> In 2005, Ermanno Salvaterra, [[Rolando Garibotti]] and Alessandro Beltrami, after many attempts by world-class alpinists, put up a confirmed route on the face that Maestri claimed to have climbed.<ref name="alpinist_16">{{cite web|url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP16/winds-salvaterra|title=The Ark of the Winds - Alpinist.com|website=www.Alpinist.com|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=8 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608052311/http://alpinist.com/doc/ALP16/winds-salvaterra|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="youtube_El_arca_de_los_vientos">{{cite AV media |people= Cesare Maestri|date=25 September 2007 |title=CERRO TORRE - EL ARCA DE LOS VIENTOS-1 |language=it |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGlnBaqC6kw | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609081801/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGlnBaqC6kw| archive-date=2014-06-09 | url-status=dead|access-date=5 April 2017 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> They did not find any evidence of previous climbing on the route described by Maestri and found the route significantly different from Maestri's description. 

Maestri went back to Cerro Torre in 1970 with Ezio Alimonta, Daniele Angeli, Claudio Baldessarri, Carlo Claus and Pietro Vidi, trying a new route on the southeast face. With the aid of a gas-powered compressor drill, Maestri equipped {{convert|350|m}} of rock with bolts and got to the end of the rocky part of the mountain, just below the ice mushroom.<ref name=kearney>{{cite book|first=Alan|last=Kearney|title=Mountaineering in Patagonia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05zs0Cg7VacC|access-date=31 August 2011|year=1993|location=Seattle, Wash|publisher=The Mountaineers Books|isbn=978-0-938567-30-1}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Maestri claimed that "the mushroom is not part of the mountain" and did not continue to the summit. The compressor was left, tied to the last bolts, {{cvt|100|m|||}} below the top. Maestri was heavily criticized for the "unfair" methods he used to climb the mountain.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Ken |title=Interview with Cesare Maestri |journal=Mountain Magazine |date=1972 |issue=September}}</ref>

The route Maestri followed is now known as the ''Compressor route'' and was climbed to the summit in 1979 by [[Jim Bridwell]] and Steve Brewer.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=apoc>[http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/cerrotorre224/index2.html climbing.com: ''Apocalyptic warrior''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601035328/http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/cerrotorre224/index2.html |date=June 1, 2010 }}</ref> Most parties consider the ascent complete only if they summit the often-difficult [[Rime ice|ice-rime]] mushroom.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

The first undisputed ascent was made in 1974 by the "Ragni di Lecco" climbers [[Daniele Chiappa]], Mario Conti, [[Casimiro Ferrari]], and Pino Negri.<ref name="alpinist_16" /> The controversies regarding Maestri's claims are the focus of the 2014 book on Cerro Torre, ''The Tower'', by Kelly Cordes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cordes |first1=Kelly |title=The Tower: a chronicle of climbing and controversy on Cerro Torre |date=2014 |publisher=Patagonia |location=Ventura, California |isbn=978-1-938340-33-8 |edition=1st}}</ref>

==Subsequent ascents==
In 1977, the first [[Alpine style]] ascent was completed by Dave Carman, John Bragg and Jay Wilson (USA). They took a week to summit Cerro Torre, which had taken the Italian group two months to summit.<ref name="alpinist_16" /> In 1980, Bill Denz (New Zealand) attempted the first solo of the Compressor Route. Over a five-month period, he made 13 concerted{{Clarify|reason=vague|date=October 2017}} attempts but was driven back by storms on every occasion. On his last attempt, in November 1980, he got to within {{convert|60|m|ft}} of the summit.

In January 2008, [[Rolando Garibotti]] and [[Colin Haley]] made the first complete traverse of the entire [[massif]], climbing Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre together. They rate their route at [[Grade (climbing)|Grade VI 5.11 A1 WI6 Mushroom Ice 6]], with {{convert|2200|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}} total vertical gain. This had been "one of the world's most iconic, unclimbed lines", first attempted by Ermanno Salvaterra.<ref name="alpinist_26">
{{cite journal | last = Garibotti | first = Rolando | title = The Torre Traverse | journal = Alpinist | volume = 2008 | issue = 25 | pages = 52–59 | publisher = Alpinist Magazine | location = Jackson, Wyoming, USA | date = September 2008 }}</ref>

In 2010, Austrian climber [[David Lama]] was held responsible for around 30 new bolts and hundreds of meters of fixed rope added to the Compressor Route on the mountain (due to bad weather conditions, much of the gear was left on the mountain and later removed by local climbers).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web10s/newswire-david-lama-compressor-bolts|title=Dozens of Bolts Added to Compressor Route - Alpinist.com|website=www.Alpinist.com|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="klettern.de">{{cite web|url=http://www.klettern.de/community/leute/david-lama-interview.653109.5.htm|title=Nach der Kompressor-Route: David Lama im Interview|language=de|website=Klettern.de|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> Although the bolts were drilled by Austrian guide Markus Pucher,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1319502/Bolts-chopped-on-Cerro-Torre|title=Bolts chopped on Cerro Torre :: SuperTopo Rock Climbing Discussion Topic|website=www.SuperTopo.com|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> and not by Lama himself, it was done as part of his trip sponsored by Red Bull, and many climbers regard Lama and [[Red Bull]] as responsible. Many of the bolts were drilled next to cracks, which are usually used by climbers for protection on the route.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1319502&tn=100|title=Bolts chopped on Cerro Torre :: SuperTopo Rock Climbing Discussion Topic - page 6|website=www.SuperTopo.com|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> This has caused a large controversy in certain climbers' circles, as his actions are unethical according to climbing purists. Although Lama was not aware of the sheer number of bolts that were drilled, he took full responsibility for the actions. In the upcoming years, he publicly regretted what happened.<ref name="klettern.de"/>

On 16 January 2012, American [[Hayden Kennedy (climber)|Hayden Kennedy]] and Canadian Jason Kruk made the first "fair-means" (a term used to describe a reasonable use of bolts for safety and aesthetics, "a long-accepted practice in [the Patagonian] mountain range")<ref name="alpinist">{{Cite news|title = Kennedy Kruk Release Statement|url = http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12w/newswire-kruk-kennedy-statement|date= 26 January 2012|first1=Hayden|last1=Kennedy|first2=Jason|last2=Kruk|newspaper =[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]]|access-date = 5 April 2017}}</ref> ascent of the Southeast Ridge, near the controversial Compressor Route, using only two of Maestri's original belay anchors on the headwall.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Episode 6: Hayden Kennedy: Alpine Taliban or Patagonian Custodian? (Part 1)|url = http://enormocast.com/episode-6-hayden-kennedy-alpine-taliban-or-patagonian-custodian-part-1/|website = The Enormocast|access-date = 11 November 2015|language = en-US}}</ref> After summiting, Kennedy and Kruk removed 125 of the bolt-ladder bolts during their descent. Colin Haley, who watched the ascent from Norwegos, estimated the climb took them thirteen hours from their bivy on the shoulder to the summit. "The speed with which they navigated virgin ground on the upper headwall is certainly testament to Hayden's great skills on rock", Haley reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12w/newswire-compressor-kennedy-kruk-flash|title=Compressor Chopped - Kennedy Kruk Update - Alpinist.com|website=www.Alpinist.com|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> There has been much discussion concerning the removal of bolts from the compressor route by Kennedy and Kruk. However, the consensus amongst the climbing community is that of agreement for removing the bolts and it has embraced their actions as having "restored Cerro Torre's southeast ridge to the realm of genuine adventure".<ref>{{Cite web|title = Piolets d'Or - Special mention for two climbs on Cerro Torre|url = http://www.himalayamasala.com/himalaya-blog/piolets-dor-special-mention-two-climbs-cerro-torre|website = HimalayaMasala|date = 21 March 2013|access-date = 11 November 2015|archive-date = 25 February 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210225214011/https://www.himalayamasala.com/himalaya-blog/piolets-dor-special-mention-two-climbs-cerro-torre|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In contrast to David Lama's free ascent (also "fair-means"; January 2012, together with Peter Ortner), Kennedy and Kruk used bolts, although not Maestri's, during their ascent.<ref name="klettern.de"/> Lama estimated the difficulties of his free ascent, which followed a new line circumventing the bolt traverse and in the upper headwall, as grade X− (hard 8a but mentally highly demanding; e.g., climbing on loose flakes, long runouts).<ref name="klettern.de"/> Lama stated that a free repetition of the original Compressor Route is virtually impossible, in particular as the rock of the last pitches comprise no climbable features.

==Notable ascents and attempts==
[[File:Cerro Torre (east face) and Laguna Torre.JPG|thumb|Cerro Torre (east face), Torre glacier and [[Laguna Torre]], 2010]]
* 1959 – Cesare Maestri (Italy) and Toni Egger (Austria) - Unsuccessful attempt of North Face. Egger died.
* 1970 – Maestri ''et al.'' (Italy), Compressor route to 60 meters below summit.<ref name="pataclimb">{{cite web|title=Cerro Torre - South east ridge|url=http://www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/chalten/torregroup/torre/SEridge.html|website=PataClimb.com|access-date=6 April 2017|date=18 February 2016}}</ref>
* 1973 – Keven Carroll (AUS) and Steven McAndrews (USA) West Face 5th ascent. Died on descent from rock fall. Earlier seen on summit ridge.
* 1974 – Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari and Pino Negri (Italy). First undisputed ascent.
* 1977 – Dave Carman, John Bragg and Jay Wilson (USA). First Alpine-style ascent.<ref name="alpinist_16" />
* 1979 – [[Jim Bridwell]] and Steve Brewer complete climb of Compressor Route.
* 1981 - Tom Proctor and Phil Burke (England). Diedre, East Face to North Face and retreat below cornices.
* 1985 July 3–8 First winter ascent by Paolo Caruso, Maurizio Giarolli and Ermanno Salvaterra (Italy).<ref name="pataclimb"/>
* 1985 November 26 ''Compressor route'' - first solo by Marco Pedrini (Swiss).<ref>[[American Alpine Journal]] 1986, pp. 205, and 1987, pp. 103–108</ref> Filmed by Fulvio Mariani: ''Cerro Torre Cumbre''.
* 2004 ''Five Years to Paradise'' (ED:VI 5.10b A2 95 deg, 1000 m) (right center on East Face): [[Ermanno Salvaterra]], Alessandro Beltrami, and Giacomo Rossetti (all from Italy).<ref name="alpinist_10"/>
* 2006 January 22 – Krzysztof Belczynski and Marcin Tomaszewski made 2nd or 3rd ascent of "Compressor" route up to the summit in alpine style, 33 hours round trip from Norwegian shelter
* 2008 February 25 – [[Valery Rozov]] makes the first [[Wingsuit flying|wingsuit BASE jump]] from Cerro Torre.<ref>{{cite web |title=BASE Jump From Cerro Torre |url=https://www.climbing.com/news/base-jump-from-cerro-torre/ |date=2008-03-03 |publisher=Climbing.com |access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref>
* 2012 January 16 – First 'fair means' ascent of the Southeast Ridge (5.11 A2), without using any of Cesare Maestri's bolts on the Compressor Route, by Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk.<ref name="alpinist"/>
* 2012 January 19 – First free ascent of the Southeast Ridge by a new variation, also without using any of Cesare Maestri's bolts on the Compressor Route, by [[David Lama]]; Lama and Ortner.
* 2013 February – First free solo of Cerro Torre by Austrian alpinist Markus Pucher.<ref name=rockice2013/>
* 2015 February 21 — [[Marc-André Leclerc]], 22, soloed the 4,000-foot Corkscrew route (5.10d, A1) on Cerro Torre—the hardest route ever soloed on the granite tower—in a single day.
* 2020 February 7 – First climb and fly from the summit of Cerro Torre by German alpinist and paraglider Fabian Buhl.<ref name=rockice2020/>

== History ==
After the signing of the [[Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina|1881 Treaty between Argentina and Chile]], the boundary in the area was defined in 1898 by the boundary surveyors, [[Francisco Pascasio Moreno]] from Argentina and [[Diego Barros Arana]] from Chile. Huemul was declared a border landmark. The surveyors had no differences in the area between Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Stokes, unlike other territories that were subject to arbitration in the [[1902 Arbitral award of the Andes between Argentina and Chile|1902 arbitral award]]. The boundary was defined by the following mountain landmarks and their natural continuity: [[Mount Fitz Roy]], Torre, [[Cerro Huemul|Huemul]], [[Cerro Campana (Patagonia)|Campana]], [[Cerro Agassiz|Agassiz]], [[Cerro Heim|Heim]], [[Cerro Mayo (Patagonia)|Mayo]], and [[Cerro Cervantes|Stokes (nowadays Cervantes)]].<ref name=Moreno1902>{{cite book|author1=[[Francisco Pascasio Moreno]]|title=Frontera Argentino-Chilena - Volumen II|date=1902|pages=905–911}}</ref><ref name=Arbitraje1902>{{cite book|title=Arbitraje de Limites entre Chile i la Republica Arjentina - Esposicion Chilena - Tomo IV|date=1902|location=Paris|pages=1469–1484}}</ref><ref name=BarrosArana1898>{{cite book|author1=[[Diego Barros Arana]]|title=La Cuestion de Limites entre Chile i la Republica Arjentina|date=1898|location=Santiago de Chile}}</ref> Chile has defended it as a border landmark.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Daniel Álvarez Soza|title=CAMPOS DE HIELO SUR. UNA CONTROVERSIA PENDIENTE DE LÍMITES ENTRE ARGENTINA Y CHILE|url=https://revistas.userena.cl/index.php/ruta/article/view/1572|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231180440/https://revistas.userena.cl/index.php/ruta/article/view/1572|archive-date=December 31, 2022|publisher=Universidad de La Serena|date=2021|accessdate=December 31, 2022}}</ref>

In 1998, the "Agreement between the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Argentina to determine the boundary line from Mount Fitz Roy to Cerro Daudet" was signed, defining section A and a small part of section B, with the area between Fitz Roy and the Murallón still pending.<ref name=Acuerdo1998>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=140087|title=Acuerdo entre la República de Chile y la República Argentina para precisar el recorrido del límite desde el Monte Fitz-Roy hasta el Cerro Daudet|date=December 1998}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Cerro Torre was featured in the 1991 film ''[[Scream of Stone]]'', directed by [[Werner Herzog]] and starring [[Vittorio Mezzogiorno]], [[Stefan Glowacz]], and [[Donald Sutherland]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102855/ IMDb article on ''Scream of Stone''], directed by [[Werner Herzog]] from an idea by [[Reinhold Messner]]</ref>

[[Jon Krakauer]] mentions it briefly in ''[[Into Thin Air]]'' as one of his earlier difficult ascents (1992): "I'd scaled a frightening, mile-high spike of vertical and overhanging granite called Cerro Torre; buffeted by hundred-knot winds, plastered with frangible atmospheric rime, it was once (though no longer) thought to be the world's hardest mountain".<ref name="Krakauer"/>

In March 2014, an adventure documentary was released following the "first ever free ascent" of Cerro Torre, featuring [[David Lama]]. ''Cerro Torre - A Snowball's Chance in Hell'' premiered at [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]] in September 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cerro Torre: A snowball's chance in Hell |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/films/cerro-torre |website=redbull.com |access-date=11 December 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="aaj2004">
  {{cite journal | last = Garibotti | first = Rolando | title = A Mountain Unveiled | journal = American Alpine Journal | year = 2004 | volume = 46 | issue = 78 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/americanalpinejo00john/page/138 138–155] | publisher = American Alpine Club | location = Golden, CO, USA | isbn = 0-930410-95-5 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/americanalpinejo00john/page/138 }}</ref>
<ref name="alpinist_10">
  {{cite journal  | last = Salvaterra| first = Ermanno  | title = Cerro Torre, Five Years to Paradise, New Route  | journal = Alpinist  | volume = 2004  | issue = 10  | pages = 82
  | publisher = Alpinist Magazine  | location = Jackson, Wyoming, USA  | date = March 2005  }}</ref>
<ref name="Congreso">
  {{cite book|author1=Congreso de la nación argentina|title=Trámite parlamentario|date=1998
  | publisher=Imprenta del Congreso de la Nación|page=940
  | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fa-4AAAAIAAJ&q=%22cumbre+del+Monte+Fitz+Roy%22
  | access-date=8 January 2015|language=es
  | quote="Desde la cumbre del Monte Fitz Roy la línea descenderá por la divisoria de aguas hasta un punto de coordenadas X=4.541.630 Y=1.424.600.", contained in the international treaty "Acuerdo para precisar el recorrido del límite desde el Monte Fitz Roy hasta el Cerro Daudet de 1998"}}</ref>
<ref name="Krakauer">
  {{cite book | last = Krakauer  | first = Jon  | author-link = Jon Krakauer
  | title = [[Into Thin Air]] | year = 1999 | orig-year= 1997 | page = 28
  | publisher = Anchor Books / Random House | location = New York, NY, USA | isbn = 0-385-49478-5}}</ref>
<ref name="peakbagger">
  {{cite peakbagger|pid=8646|name=Cerro Torre|access-date=}} this prominence value appears to be based on a summit elevation of 3,102 m.</ref>
<ref name="world_mountaineering">
  From Rodrigo Jordan, "Cerro Torre", in ''World Mountaineering'', Audrey Salkeld, editor, Bulfinch Press, {{ISBN|0-8212-2502-2}}, p. 156: Cerro Torre rises "on the border between Chile and Argentina." However Chile and Argentina have long-standing border disputes.</ref>
<ref name="rockice2013">
  {{cite web | url = http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/austrian-free-solos-cerro-torre
  | title = Austrian Free Solos Cerro Torre | date = 25 February 2013
  | publisher = Rock and Ice | access-date = 17 April 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="rockice2020">
  {{cite web | url = https://rockandice.com/climbing-news/fabian-buhl-climbs-cerro-torre-and-paraglides-off-summit/
  | title = Fabian Buhl Climbs Cerro Torre and Paraglides Off Summit | date = 11 February 2020
  | publisher = Rock and Ice | access-date = 17 March 2020}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Cerro Torre}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130720081546/http://mountain.ru/expeditions/2002/CerroTorre/map_CerroTorre_hr.jpg Map of Cerro Torre]
*[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/may/07/features.sport5 The Guardian (UK) article on Cesare Maestri and the controversy regarding the first ascent]
*[http://pataclimb.com/knowledge/articles/pdf/amtunveiled.pdf AAJ 2004 article "A Mountain Unveiled: A revealing analysis of Cerro Torre's tallest tale" by Rolando Garibotti in pdf format]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111126195326/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/photography/patagonia/cerro-torre-maestri.html Maestri article, National Geographic]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Torre, Cerro}}
[[Category:Landforms of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina]]
[[Category:Argentina–Chile border]]
[[Category:International mountains of South America|Torre]]
[[Category:Mountains of Argentina]]
[[Category:Mountains of Chile]]
[[Category:Mountains of Magallanes Region]]
[[Category:Última Esperanza Province]]
[[Category:Climbing areas of Argentina]]
[[Category:Climbing areas of Chile]]