Behind the Climb: Colin Haley & Tyler Karow on the Southeast Ridge of Cerro Torre | Patagonia

Cerro Torre Southeast Ridge Ascent

• 🚀 Climbers Colin Haley and Tyler Karow successfully ascended the Southeast Ridge (Filo Sureste) of Cerro Torre in Patagonia.
• 🎯 The route is considered a modern hard classic in Chaltén, combining rock, ice, and mixed climbing.
• 💡 Colin Haley had made three prior unsuccessful attempts on the route, with two ending in the ice towers due to weather and one at the headwall.
• 🔑 Colin specifically sought to lead the headwall pitches, as it was the only section of the route he hadn't previously led.

Climber Dynamics & Strategy

• 🧩 Tyler specializes in technical alpine climbing and efficient big wall ascents, while Colin excels in alpine, ice, snow, and mixed terrain.
• 🛠️ Colin emphasized meticulous tent platform preparation for optimal rest during bivouacs, sometimes taking over an hour.
• ⚡ The team opted for an 11 PM start, climbing the first five hours in the dark to reach the ice towers in optimal conditions and avoid a cold, verglassed headwall.

Overcoming Route Challenges

• ⚠️ On the "hastening crack," they encountered rhyme ice, a dense, chunky frozen formation requiring extensive hacking to reach the underlying rock.
• 🧊 Tyler navigated a 5.10 free climbing section on the hastening crack, requiring a switch from mountaineering boots to climbing shoes.
• 📈 Observations in the ice towers revealed significant melting over the past decade, making the section more mixed and highlighting evidence of climate change.
• 💧 The headwall pitches were intensely wet due to midday sun melting snow slopes above, making the climbing more challenging than anticipated.

Mental Fortitude & Descent

• 🧠 Colin maintains a pessimistic outlook to avoid disappointment, while Tyler embraces an optimistic "over stoke" approach.
• 📌 The descent involved complex rappelling in Patagonia, characterized by strong winds, challenging terrain, and the need for frequent anchor building.
• ✅ They made a strategic bivouac at Cole Patients before completing the final stages of the descent.

The Value of Alpine Climbing

• 💬 The climbers emphasized that the primary reward of mountain climbing is the memories created, as there are no tangible outcomes.
• 🎥 Filming during the ascent served as a crucial tool for reliving and preserving these special experiences.
• ✨ This ascent marked Colin's ninth climb of Cerro Torre, returning to the mountain after a nine-year hiatus.