Belgian "Dream Team" climbs Central Tower of Paine

1/19/06

“Yesterday, Séan (Villanueva) and I summitted the Central Tower in the Torres del Paine in pretty-bad conditions. We fortunately had luck with us coming down the wall (and our ropes didn’t get stuck). Now we’re all ready to get on Riders on the Storm [{7c, A3, 1200m; VII 5.12d, A3, 36 pitches on the seldom climbed 4,200 foot east face of the Central Tower of Paine, pronounced pah-eeneh] and spanning over a month and a half to establish in 1990-91 by Wolfgang Güllich, Kurt Albert, Bernd Arnold, Norbert Bätz and Peter Dittrich}.

My man! Good job on the Central Tower! Did you climb the Bonnington-Willians [VI 5.10+ A1, located on the west face, typically climbed in a day, and freed by Mike Pennings at VI 5.11b R], or by a different route?

“Yes, we did the Bonnington but in nasty conditions.”

2/16/06

“We’re really psyched because we just succeeded on Riders On the Storm. We did it in big wall style over an 11-day push on the wall. We freed everything except for three pitches (and two others we didn't redpoint). Sometimes ice was a big obstacle but we were able to get past these cruxes. Everything we deemed freeable for us except one pendulum. However we discovered a three-pitch variation to the right of the original line that might go free, but would be very hard, perhaps 5.13. The Portaledge was really nice to have. In one storm we flew in the air in the portaledge for many long seconds without touching the wall. After we tied it down, it was better. Time and weather conditions kept us from freeing everything. Three pitches are around 12d or harder. I redpointed one of them. It was an exceptional route, as good as the quality found on El Cap, and steep too. Here is the latest news from our expedition via a Team Patagonia write-up: