Fitz Roy - South face
25. Boris Simoncic
650m (400 new) 6a A2
Bogdan Biscak, Rado Fadjan and Matevz Lenarcic (Slovenia), 22/12/1985.
Description. This obvious line in the center of the south face climbs a series of steep dihedrals to join the Anglo-American not far from the summit slopes. Several ledges in pitches seven and eight provide appropriate bivouac sites. It is still unrepeated. It has been inadvertently descended by several parties that have failed to find the preferred Franco-Argentine descent route.
History. After fixing ropes on the lower 300 meters, the first ascensionists completed the route in a 44-hour round trip from base camp. They named the route after Boris Simoncic with whom Lenarcic had attempted Fitz Roy the previous year, just before falling to his death on Les Courtes.
Bulgarians Damyan Cholpanov, Nikola Levakov and Grigor Vatev did the second ascent in 01/2012.
Approach. Río Blanco to Paso Superior to Brecha de los Italianos to La Silla. Getting to la Brecha involves a fair amount of climbing and can be done a number of ways: via the classic couloir leading to it (6 pitches mixed), via a line to the far left, either right or left of the obvious serac or via the rock spur just left of the couloir (Roberta Nuñez –Brazil- and Jose Pereyra –Venezuela- 10 pitches to 6a). It is also possible to approach la Silla from the Torre valley via the Poincenot couloir, but this is a fairly dangerous (serac) and time-consuming alternative.
Pro. Doubles in the big sizes, 10 pitons and two or three ice screws.
Descent. The faster and more direct Franco-Argentine descent is recommended.
Bibliography.
Matevz Lenarcic (1988) Smisel in Spoznanje-Patagonija, Obzorja Maribor, Slovenia; Planinski Vestnik 1986/8 p. 363; AAJ 1987, p. 109 to 113.
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