Is Antarctica the New Patagonia?

With Patagonia’s Cerro Torre region quickly becoming almost as accessible as the Alps, some climbers are looking towards Antarctica to find the isolation and commitment that was once synonymous with climbing in Patagonia. The British climber Leo Houlding is one of those individuals. Houlding along with Sean Leary, Jason Pickles, David Reeves, Chris Rabone and film-maker Alastair Lee recently climbed the NE Ridge Ulvetanna 5.12, A2 1750 m. During the ascent, the team braved brutally cold conditions and on summit day suffered through temperatures of -35 C with the wind chill. The climb’s remote location and the lack of any viable rescue further compounded the seriousness of the route.

More details about this new route can be found on the Berghaus blog.