Marc-Andre's Visión completed on Torre Egger in Patagonia

The exceptional spell of good weather has resulted in yet another new climb in the Cerro Torre group, this time the hands of Brette Harrington, Quentin Roberts and Horacio Gratton who from 6 - 9 February completed Marc-Andre’s Visión up the East Face of Torre Egger.

The route breaches a hitherto unclimbed crack system up the sharp and elegant East Pillar of Torre Egger and was envisaged by the late Marc-André Leclerc during his ground-breaking first solo winter ascent of Torre Egger in 2016. Leclerc had shared photos of the line with his partner Harrington, and after he perished in 2018 she decided to try the route with good friend Quentin Lindfield Roberts. In early 2019 they succeeded in establishing the first 13 pitches but were forced to retreat from the huge snowfield half way up the mountain onas somehow her mountain boots had detached from the hauling system and fell down the wall.

Harrington and Roberts returned this season and invited Argentinian friend Horacio Gratton to join them. On 6 February, despite encountering "incredibly icy and cold conditions" the trio made swift progress and established a 4-pitch variation to avoid wet and icy sections in the upper dihedral before reaching small and uncomfortable bivy on a snow ledge. The next day they moved their bivy site 100m higher to the midway snow ledge, then fixed the first pitch on the Titanic headwall before waiting for the rest of the day for the sun to clean off unwanted snow and ice above. On day three they reached the summit by following Titanic, started in 1987 by the Italians Guido Cominelli, Lorenzo Nadali and Andrea Sarchi and completed from 2 - 5 November that year by their compatriots Maurizio Giarolli and Elio Orlandi.

Talking about the summit push, Harrington told planetmountain.com "We found rock, ice and mixed climbing throughout the day. I dug a tunnel through the upper summit rime mushroom and we topped out around 6 pm. We spent an hour in the setting sun before starting the long descent. We rappelled throughout the night, arriving at the midway ledge around 2 am." On the next day they rappelled the lower wall and returned to Basecamp.

Torre Egger, Patagonia
Marc-Andre’s Visión
12b/c, 950m, 90 degrees.
Brette Harrington, Quentin Lindfield Roberts, Horacio Gratton. February 6-9, 2020.

Brette Harrington thanks: La Sportiva, The North Face

Reference: www.pataclimb.com, American Alpine Journal

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This is what I was up to for the past 5 days. Along with @quentinclimbing and @horaciogratton we finished our line called Marc-Andrés Visión on the East Pillar of Torre Egger by linking it into the upper Titanic Headwall, to the summit. Cold and icy conditions made the climbing quite challenging, often by use of one crampon on the left foot and one rock shoe on the right foot, one ice axe, and bare hands. 4 days on the wall has left me feeling so very content with our effort and patience as we waited for the wall to clean itself of ice. This would not have been possible without the endless inspiration from @mdre92 . I did not stop thinking of him up there soloing this mountain alone in winter of 2016. #ClimbOnMA , you amaze me more and more as I retrace your steps through the mountains. I will love you forever. @thenorthface @thenorthface_climb @julboeyewearna @goodtogofoods @firstascentcb @dmm_wales @lasportivana #mammutavalanchesafety #Torreegger #alpineclimbing #elchalten #argentina

A post shared by Brette Harrington (@bretteharrington) on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:36pm PST