Climbers Succeed on Classic Fitz Roy Route
A long weather window and good conditions lead to an ascent of Supercanaleta in Patagonia
Spanish climbers Nieus Ecureuil and Lucia Guichot have climbed Supercanaleta, a 1,600-metre alpine route on the Fitz Roy in Patagonia. The round-trip took them six days.
“We took advantage of a weather window,” said Guichot. “Six days in which we didn’t see anyone.” The experienced duo spent a few days at the base of the route inspecting conditions before committing. The climb follows a 1,000-metre couloir before the upper 15 pitches of rock and ice climbing to the summit.
Supercanaleta was first climbed in 1965 by the Argentineans Carlos Comesaña and José Luis Fonrouge. In 2022, Colin Haley made the first winter solo ascent, read about his climb here. This tends to be the time of year when climbers find the most success on Supercanaleta, by March the snow and ice has melted out.
After reaching the summit of Fitz Roy, Ecureuil and Guichot rappelled the Franco-Argentine route back to safety. In 2014, American climber Chad Kellogg died from rockfall while descending Supercanaleta.
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