Gaucho Argentino

Great job Stephan! Less smoke than Seattle anyways, so great decision to go out there...

Looking at the first half of climbing in the first pic, on the slabs directly under the fall line of the glacier, do you think is there a way up much to the right against the wall? It seems that in there you could be out of the way of ice falling from above? Happy you guys made it to tell the story, rad big-balls sorta climbing...

Do you remember Captain Jack Sparrow: "Yeah, but why the rum is gone??!!"... I could forgive the car, but who took your beers!!!!!!!??????????? Hang em' all... and on a serious note, INSPIRING trip, Pal, thank you for sharing it in all detail, you have quite the story to tell for many years to come!! Kudos...

Off-W, why the pic makes you sad? Glacier used to be much bigger, I guess?

Hi Tom, sorry to bother after so many years, catching up with WA after being away for a while... so, the couloir is in the very left side of your pic, correct?

FYMF!!!!

Pic #6: Every second of your life that you get to spend standing on a couple metal spikes facing a frozen wall, that's MF life... awesome, Bros...

Dude!!! Duuuude!! So freaking jealous right now... can only dream on being up there... thanks for sharing the stoke!

Hi Pal. Thanks for the good intention. At least not mine (guy loading water drip by drip in the plastic bottle, on the TFT :-). Just in case for the future, I did forget somewhere along the N Cascades any amount of money that you say you found :-)...

Awesome, pal. Every weekend should be three days long and in the mountains...

Nope, Pal... You could load up right before getting into it, on the glacier at the base of the gully. After that, no mas agua :-)

Hi, Chad! I'm pretty sure is a great route, and can't be more difficult than the TFT, to mention one. I guess my opinion comes from my experience with mountain rescue, and now with having worked in an ICU during nursing. Form that I assure you I saw many times the definition of "accident": something you can't predict. IMHO, this accident you can't prevent even in an "easy" rock climb like the W Ridge of Stuart, can have a very different outcome roped than not. I can also think on my son reading your TR. I would be much happier him reading something like: "This is a serious alpine route for the solo climber. Make sure you understand what you are getting into, and if you have the experience to go solo for it, go climb it, enjoy it, but also be ready for some serious possibility of getting hurt or even dying". That would be a good encouragement from someone with very solid skills like you in a more balanced way to those younger climbers that may not still even have the appropriate developmental age to understand all the risks (is known that we have fully functional brain only until 23-24 years of age). Again, Chad, not saying anything against you, you are free to do and say what you want, and I can honestly only applaud your physical stamina and mind set up to go for it. I just wanted to make sure my son and any other kiddo that could end up in the ICU where I worked, had a different opinion to read in the same thread. In the end, after reading different opinions and having more information, we can all decide by ourselves. Cheers, my friend :-) Gaucho..

DPS/KK: Did you guys simul most of it? If we were to push for the cars, we would have been there only until like 5 am :-) We got a rope stuck, but still...

Hei, Pal. No kidding you are in good shape!! Given that you referred to all the solo climbers, I'd like to make a quick comment for the same "population": I know of a very good climber, very careful, solid climber, that took a fall in that route because a boulder just got loose, and could have very well died in that route. He's probably alive just because of being roped up and the big pelotas of the partner that down-climbed like 80% of the ridge. Not trying by any means to generate a discussion, just a friendly second opinion. In any case, awesome job, Dude!!

@ Oleg: Nope, but if we would have been in Argentina, that guy would be in the asador for sure!! :-) @ Stephen: Yeap, need a better strategy to balance the two days. Still I think we could have been faster on the ridge, but starting from the col and going back to the cars, is not smart... Next year :-)