Honnold and Caldwell Won a Big Award 10 Years Ago
Before Dawn Wall or Freerider, they completed an epic traverse in Patagonia
It was 10 years ago that Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell received a Piolet d’Or for their multi-day traverse of the Fitz Roy range in Patagonia.
In February 2014, before Caldwell had completed the Dawn Wall and before Honnold had free-soloed El Capitan, they succeeded in completing the first full traverse of the Fitz Roy range, from north to south. They had to climb seven summits: Aguja Guillaumet, Aguja Mermoz, Cerro Fitz Roy, Aguja Poincenot, Aguja Rafael Juarez, Aguja Saint-Exupery and Aguja S, a total of 4,000 metres of ascent with some pitches going at 5.12.
They simul-climbed much of the climb, simul-climbing 20-pitch sections, such as the Goretta Pillar, in a mere three pitches. This was Honnold’s first climb in Patagonia. Caldwell has done a number of impressive ascents in the area, most notably the first free ascent onsight of Linea de Eleganza on Cerro Fitz Roy.
On Feb. 15, several days into their climb, their one rope had been reduced to 38 metres long. About the traverse, Patagonia expert Rolando Garibotti said, “It should be noted that their success was in spite of very bad conditions, with much ice and snow in the cracks and on the ridges courtesy of one of the wettest summer seasons in many years.”
A Line Across the Sky
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