Gran Gendarme Del Pollone

2. West face - Witches Brew

350m 7a A2

Crystal Davis-Robbins and John Verbeck (USA), 2/2011.

Description. The face is rather featureless so the start of the route is quite obvious, up a right facing corner with various cracks to its left that connect into it. The first pitch starts with a finger crack and traverses over to a dihedral (hands and fists) to a ledge (6b+). The second pitch climbs a short offwidth to a finger crack in a dihedral, then around a corner and over a boulder (6b/6b+). The third pitch starts with some scrambling into a right facing corner that thins out (tricky pro), then opens back up (offwidth) to a few exciting moves at the end (7a). The forth pitch involves a steep hand and fist crack over a bulge to finish with a thin finger crack around a corner (6c+). From here a thin seam to the right connects to an overhanging thirty meter offwidth with loose flacks dangling off of it (7a A2). The next couple pitches follow a giant black dike that starts left of the offwidth and slowly traverses right on easy terrain that leads to the ridge and to the Carrington-Rouse line.

History. The first ascensionists retreated upon reaching the ridge, in the vicinity of the Carrington-Rouse line.

Approach. Piedra del Fraile to Marconi glacier, then up...

Pro. Doubles to # 4, and one # 5, stoppers, hooks useful.

Descent. Down the south ridge in three rappels and much scrambling.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Cerro Pollone, Gran Gendarme - North

face