Colin Haley Attempts to Solo Cerro Torre

One of the world's most accomplished alpinists shares his experience about trying to climb Cerro Torre alone in winter

Gripped February 13, 2024

In August and September 2023, Colin Haley attempted to solo Cerro Torre via the Ragni Route in Patagonia’s winter season. Haley said it was colder than his 16 climbs on Denali or Huntington. He just dropped a new video featuring moments from his Cerro Torre attempt.

“I was really secretive about my ambitions leading up to my trip, and told almost no one my goal, or even that I was going to Patagonia,” Haley said on his blog here. “Despite that, Chaltén is a small town with small town gossip, and within a couple weeks of arriving, I think that most local climbers knew what my ambition was.”

In 2022, Haley, one of the world’s best alpinists, made the first winter solo ascent of Supercanaleta on Fitz Roy – read about it here, and watch a short film about it below. About his attempt on Cerro Torre this year, he said, “Because of the frigid temperatures, because of the deep snow, and because of the tremendous labor of a long winter approach with a ton of gear [plus] the demand of facing difficult situations day after day by myself that was psychologically exhausting…I didn’t make it very far up the mountain.”

Haley has made the first solo ascents of several mountains and bold routes, including Infinite Spur on Mount Foraker and the North Buttress of Mount Hunter.