Escape from Cerro Torre

Mauro Bubu Bole and Riccardo Milani abandon hopes of forging a new line up the South Face of Cerro Torre, Patagonia

April 2003

Hardly anyone was given a chance by the Patagonian weather this year, and like almost all other expeditions, Mauro Bubu Bole, Riccardo Milani, Ulderico Mazzoleni and Paolo Schiavo have been forced to give up hopes of climbing a new route up the south face of Cerro Torre.

After enduring two months of storms Bole and Milani played their last card, staging one last attempt. Heavy snowfall pinned them down before they got far. Hoping for the weather to improve they decided to sit it out but...

"invane. Our portaledge was the only safe place, since avalanches kept coming down from the Torre and Cerro Adela. The storm continued and we had to dig ourselves free throughout the night. The build up began to bury the ledge, initially placed 8m above the glacier . At 12.00 the corner of the ledge was hit by an avalanche.

It was then that we realised that our shelter was no longer safe, and that we had to get out, fast! But the descent was extremely dangerous, as we had to cross an avalanche prone slope with 1.5 meters of fresh snow, and battle against violent gusts of wind. We were in danger.

At 22.30 - after about 7 hours descending the glacier, surviving two avalanches, a 50m fall and a gust of wind that flattened us down for 20m - we reached our intermediate camp. We shook hands, conscious of the fact that we were lucky to be alive.

We're happy to be alive, but regret the terrible weather and our misfortune. Our expedition ends here."

Riccardo Milani and Bubu Bole