Markus Pucher Attempts Fitz Roy Solo in Winter

It has been a winter of near sends in Patagonia. First was Pucher’s attempt to solo Cerro Torre, but he stopped just below the summit due to conditions. Then was Marc-Andre Leclerc’s bold attempt to solo Torre Egger for the first winter solo ascent, but he stopped 200 metres below the summit. Both attempts ended due to poor climbing conditions, too much snow and too little ice.

This past week, Pucher attempted to solo the Supercanaleta on Fitz Roy. He made it within a few hundred metres of the summit. The initial couloir took him six hours, according to Rolando Garibotti’s Patagonia Vertical, but he often climbs it in two. The snow was too deep to move quickly. With a possible weather window this weekend, Pucher and Leclerc might be back at it. Patagonia winter ends on Sept. 22 when springs arrives.