Round 3- The Photo Story Edition

Now that we're back in the States with a fast internet connection, we'd like to present "Round 3- The Photo Story Edition."

Hiking along the Rio Electrico to Piedra Fraille

Rio Electrico Valley. Lowest snowline yet.

Rio Electrico Bridge. Time to start hiking.

Rio Electrico

Piedra Fraille

 

Hiking from Piedra Fraille to Piedra Negra (High Camp)

 

Summer blooms

 

Straight Up.

Lowest snow yet. Not promising.

Piedra Negra - Eying the conditions on the route and watching avalanches go off all around

 Weathering clearing on Aguja Guillaumet

Tim looking for snow/ice on the route from Piedra Negra (yep, piedra negra (black rock) is aptly named).

Avalanche and an American team en route to Super Canalata on Fitz Roy

Fitz Roy creating turbulence

Attempt #1: The Brenner-Moschioni Route 

Pre-dawn start from Piedra Negra.

Made Paso Guillaumet at dawn. Ready to switch from snow to rock climbing.

First pitch of Brenner-Moschioni. Discovered that the cracks were filled with ice from the storm earlier in the week.

Turning back after a hard fought climb up the iced cracks of the Brenner-Moschioni.

Attempt #2: The Amy-Vidailhet Route 

Dawn at Paso Guillaumet, again. Best conditions yet.

Crossing the glacier onto the east side of the Fitz Roy massif to reach the Amy.

The start of the Amy couloir, leading to rock pitches, and the summit.

Our first challenge. The bergschrund (the crevasse at the top of the glacier).

Gorgeous granite walls make us eager for rock pitches above.

Fun first few snow pitches!

Tim leading up onto steep snow, turning to ice. Above he finds hard ice that pushes the limits of our experience and gear (one ice tool between us and crampons meant only for snow). Falling ice and a massive, teetering chandelier of icicles overhead finally seals the decision. We're turning around.

 

A moment for a Team North Carolina selfie on the final rap station.

Bonus Fun- Glacading!

Mountaineers may seem like a serious bunch, but what they don't tell you is that when the conditions are right, they sled down the mountain on their butts, hooting and hollering the whole way!

 

 

Note the text-book use of the ice axe for maneuvering and controlling speed.

 P.S. In case you were wondering, this is how much butter was left in the end. A half a kilo went up the mountain and about 50 g came back down.