TALES FROM THE Gringo Trail
Despite having been subjected to severe and repeated abuse, our van was still running at the end of a year in South America. It had endured punishment that would make incarceration at a colonial-era penal colony feel like a playing shuffleboard on the Lido deck. And yet, our plucky stallion clung to life, held together by a combination of bush mechanics and prayer. In fact, it seemed to revel in the challenge, ushering us ever onward to the next postcard vista with little complaint.
Our personal suffering was marginal in comparison, but our humble Hiace forms an apt analogy for a year-long climbing odyssey in South America. It’s a baffling continent, and travelling through it can be challenging, but the rewards are manifold. In both climbing objectives and day-to-day life, there were significant obstacles, but every challenge provided a valuable lesson. In no particular order, these are they:
Normal Route, Torre Principal – Frey, Argentina (200m, 6a+/19)
Crowning the skyline of the iconic Cerro Catedral, Torre Principal looks a bit like the Hogwarts Sorting Hat might if you use some imagination and/or mild hallucinogenics. By local standards, there’s a bit of an approach, which helps to keep the riff-raff away. Even so, this is a ludicrously popular route, so if you want the place to yourself, it helps if
