Colin Haley & Marc-André Leclerc New Route on Cerre Torre

February 11, 2015

by Leafcutter Creative Digital

PATAclimb.com is reporting that last week on the 2-3 of February, the well accomplished duo of Colin Haley and Marc-André Leclerc made the first complete ascent of the North Face of Cerro Torre. Parts of the North Face have been climbed via other routes but they head for the ridges when going gets quite tough. The route starts as does El Arca de los Vientos (5.10d, VI) but then continues straight up the headwall with 6 new pitches of stunning face climbing before rejoining El Arca. They have named and graded the route - Directa de la Mentira (1,200m, 5.10, A1, WI 4-5)

What is particularly impressive about this team is that, motivated by continual bad weather at the beginning of the season I'm sure, only just finished an attempt on the South East Ridge a couple of days before heading up the North Face, and only a few days before that they completed the first ascent of La Travesía del Oso Buda (1,200m, 5.10, A1, M5, WI 5-6). Which links Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt.

The last 5 or so years has been an important time for Patagonian climbing, as the La Niña weather system which has been in place, has meant slightly longer (although still short) weather windows. This has resulted in some impressive ascents and link-ups by people like Haley and Leclerc, but also the Huber brothers, Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnald to name a few.