Cerro Standhardt: First climber of all three peaks

Stephan Siegrist successfully completes the winter trilogy of the Cerro Torre Group in 2012. Together with Ralf Weber and Thomas Senf, Stephan Siegrist succeeds in climbing Cerro Standhardt in winter. The Swiss trio reached the northernmost peak of the Cerro Torre Group in alpine style via the Exocet route on August 1, 2012. Stephan Siegrist thus became the first alpinist to climb all three main peaks of the Cerro Torre Group in winter. Three friends, three summits.

Text: Rahel Schelb Photos: Thomas Senf

Mountaineering in the Patagonian winter is still in its pioneering phase. One could almost compare it with summer mountaineering thirty years ago, when there were not yet countless alpinists in the Patagonian mountains. Few climbers dare to approach the mountains in winter. So it's a completely different thing to be alone on the mountain and hope for well-meaning weather gods. In addition, the already cold temperatures seem considerably lower with the dreaded Patagonian winds. However, mountaineering in winter also brings decisive advantages compared to summer: the snow is often more solidified and the danger of falling rocks and ice is also considerably reduced. In addition, today's accurate weather information allows a summit attempt even with a shorter window of good weather. However, the main activity in Patagonia consists of an often grueling wait. The good weather windows between the notorious storms are usually rare and short. The days in winter are also short: Daylight is only available between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., so the nine hours have to be used well.

The Cerro Torre Group
Cerro Standhardt (also known as Aguja Stand-hardt), with an altitude of 2,730 meters, is the northernmost of the Cerro Torre group, located in the Campo de Hielo Sur on the Argentine-Chilean border, about 50 km north of the famous Torres del Paine National Park. It was named after the German photographer Ernst Standhardt, who lived in Patagonia since the 1930s and was responsible for many of the first photographs of these mountains. Cerro Standhardt was first climbed on January 29, 1988 by the Americans Jim Bridwell, Jay Smith, Glen Dunmire and Greg Smith through the route Exocet. In 2008, Stephan Siegrist already stood once on the summit of Cerro Standhardt, then in the Argentinean summer, together with Alex Huber, Roger Schäli and Ralf Weber. Now, on August 1, 2012, Stephan Siegrist, together with Thomas Senf and Ralph Weber, realized his goal of climbing Cerro Stanhardt in winter.

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