Torre Egger - West Face
7. West face attempts
7.1 Dihedrals left of west face.
In February of 1997 Italians Ermanno Salvaterra and Adriano Cavallaro attempted a line left of the west face, following a dihedral that leads towards the col de Lux (Egger-Herron). After climbing 300 meters they were forced to retreat due to falling debris. An unknown team had climbed 150 meters previously.
In the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons Italians Matteo Bernasconi and Matteo della Bordella made a number of attempts to complete this line. Over a number of attempts divided between both seasons they fixed 17 pitches to eventually make an attempt that took them to a point 20 meters below the Col de Lux. At their last belay a number of pieces pulled and they were left hanging from a single piece, a 0.3 camalot. Feeling lucky to be alive they decided to retreat. To that point they had climbed 23 pitches with difficulties to 7a and A2, placing only two bolts. The fixed ropes and two aluminum ladders used for the glacial approach are still in place. Della Bordella explained the use of ladders to cross crevasses as "Himalayan style, but a sort of 'preview' in Patagonia." Let's just hope that is not the case. Ladders might be a tool in commercial himalayan ascents, but certainly don't belong in alpinism, even more so considering that the most likely outcome is, like in this case, that after using them they get abandoned.
7.2 West face
In October 1996 Italians Lorenzo Nadali, Pietro Dal Prá and Andrea Sarchi attempted a line in the center of the face climbing 4 pitches before retreating. |
Photos (click to enlarge) 
Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro
Torre west face 
Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro
Torre west face |