Home > International

Markus Pucher’s Cerro Torre Solo Attempt Ends Near Summit

Marcus Pucher soloed the Ragni route on Cerro Torre on Sept. 3 and stopped only 40 metres from the summit. The snow and rime ice conditions were too difficult to risk climbing. The strong Austrian climbers has been talking about climbing the iconic mountain in winter alone for many years. Pucher made the first solo ascent of the Ragni to the summit in 2013 and again in a severe storm in Patagonia’s 2014 summer. In 2015, Pucher made a solo attempt in winter, but stopped 300 metres below the summit.

Rolando Garibotti posted the following details on his Patagonia Vertical Facebook page. Pucher started on Sept. 1 and spent the night on a glacier, an hour past Paso Marconi. The next night he bivied at Filo Rosso. At 5 a.m. on Sept. 3, he set off for the Ragni, passing Czech climbers on the way. It was hard climbing past the Elmo. With only an 80-metre half-rope, four screws and some slings, he self-belayed on only one pitch and free-soloed the rest. The ice was hard and pick placements tricky to get. Near the summit, he took a photo of himself and then rappelled. At 10 p.m. on Sept. 4, he returned to his tent and was in El Chaten on Sept. 5.

Markus Pucher on solo winter attempt up Cerro Torre 2016.
Markus Pucher on solo winter attempt up Cerro Torre 2016.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Easter Weekend Sales on Climbing Gear

Be sure that your rack is updated and ready for the upcoming rock climbing season