Fitz Roy - North face


16. Attempt

Marcelo Aguilar (Argentina) and Vincent Banderet and Paul Maillefer (Switzerland) 18-20/11/1985.

Description/History. They started climbing on the far right of the north face, close to the face’s lowest point. After the initial buttress they dropped down slightly and traversed left, crossing the line that 22 years later would become Los Ultimos Dias del Paraiso, to climb an obvious corner system leading to the big ledge that the following year (1986) got christened Grand Hotel. Just shy of the Grand Hotel, some 700 meters up they accidentally dropped a pack while rearranging a belay and were therefore forced to retreat. It is unclear which line they had hoped to climb in the upper headwall. They rappelled along the line of Los Ultimos Dias del Paraiso, which is why Jakofcic and Lacen initially thought they were not climbing virgin terrain.

Approach. Eléctrico Valley to Paso Cuadrado to North Fitz Roy glacier. It is also possible to approach Fitz Roy’s north face via Torre Valley to Boquete del Piergiorgio or Hombre Sentado.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Fitz Roy north face