Ascent of the Cathedral, Chilean Patagonia 1970/71
Click for MAP of the are.
While climbing on The Fortress, our eyes had often been drawn across the Francis valley to the granite monolith on the west side known as The Cathedral. I'm uncertain as to who named it but certainly, viewed from the east it sported a gothic profile. The expedition consisted of Dave Nicol (leader), Bob Smith, Bob Shaw, Guy Lee and myself. Dave and I were accompanied by our wives. The format was similar to that of the Fortress expedition two years earlier and we arrived at Pudeto in early December 1970, along with an obligatory army cook and a liaison officer. Picture 1 shows unpacking at Pudeto with L-R Bob Shaw and other members back views, being instructed by wives as to the best way to unload. At Pudeto we were joined by ex pats Roger Whewell and his wife Elspeth.
The peak was completely unexplored and we had no way of knowing the best approach. The weather was settled so we chose to re-ascend the Frances valley for a close look at the east side of our mountain. Picture 2 crossing the lake in our dinghy with Cerro Cuerno Principal and Cuerno Este behind and to the right of the Frances valley. We bivouacked near where we had camped on the Fortress expedition and in the morning pressed on for a closer look at our objective, picture 3. The whole cirque formed an almost impenetrable barrier, save for a couple of dangerous looking gullies and we decided to investigate the west side of the peak.
Access to the west side required a trek around the south side of the big snow peak the Paine Grande where were would hopefully find an access valley. The answer was provided by the Rio Olguin which poured from the snout of the Glacier Los Perros. Picture 4 show some of the stunning scenery on the trek round. This was Lago Grey and its glacier. Huge seracs continually broke away from the end of it, exploding into the water. It's probably much shorter now. Minor tracks led into the Olguin valley where we were able to establish an advanced base camp (ABC) in the trees. The weather broke to resume traditional wind rain and snow and time was spent reading, brewing and cooking fairly tedious meals consisting mainly of semolina I seem to remember.
Eventually, a weather window arrived and, carrying huge loads we abseiled down the steep moraines that lined the valley, to the glacier snout, then onto the ice and up the short icefall. We had previously surveyed the icefall and found the best route to be on the left (TRB). Above, the glacier was mainly un crevassed and we got our first view of the west side of The Cathedral. The south ridge was highly serrated but the north looked easier apart from a rocky excrescence on it nicknamed 'The Wart'. Picture 5 the icefall, 6 our peak.
The weather window didn't last long but it gave us time to dig a poorly positioned snow hole. Should I say ice hole? After about a metre of digging we encountered a glacier and consequently had to build igloo fronts on our residence. We traversed across to the base of our ridge and despite worsening weather managed to leave fixed ropes down the side of it for a rapid return. Picture 7 shows the snow hole after the next storms. The weather sort of settled again and we made a bid for it. We spent overnight in the snow hole and next morning returned to the ridge. Picture 8, making progress.
The early parts of the ridge proved fairly straightforward, even in big boots but it was blocked by the 'The Wart'. Fortunately there was a thin crack on the left side of this that succumbed to a bit of aid climbing of around A1. Above, the angle gradually eased as we progressed pitch by pitch. Picture 9 jumaring up fixed rope on The Wart, Picture 10 easier ground, picture 11 a Condor, picture 12 nearing to top, snow mushrooms ahead.
Absorbed and facing east we hadn't noticed something happening over the ice cap to the west. Thin wispy clouds flew towards us followed by a darker grey blanket that soon obscured the sun. Picture 13, looking west towards the weather, picture 14 the top. Back, Bob Shaw, Bob Smith, Guy Lee. Front Dave Nicol, Roger Whewell, photo Chris Jackson
The weather rapidly took a turn for the worse. High winds pinned us to the ridge as snow poured across the peak from the nearby ice cap. The ropes soon became coated in ice and it all became something a struggle to abseil down the sharp ridge. Eventually in the gathering gloom and the roaring of the storm we came to the abseil station that we'd set up previously. Within an hour we we in the snow hole to the eerie silence that only snow holes can provide. The weather kept us in the snow hole for some days.