Torre Norte
The North Tower - Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
15 days climbing
4500 USD per person
Maximum group size - 1 guide / 1 client
Summary:
The North Tower of Paine was first ascended in 1958 by an Italian team led by Count Guido Monzino. Their route follows the South Ridge from the Col Bich, a magnificent V-Notch between the North and Central Tower. The final summit is a 60-foot high wall that is overhanging on all sides. In what has to be one of the most amazing summit pitches on the planet, a line of holds on the south side of the block offers a stellar 5.8 path to the couch sized summit.
Climbing in Patagonia is as rewarding as it is difficult. Seeing the world from the summit of these incredible granite peaks is something you will never forget; climbing in Patagonia will leave you with bragging rights that will last a lifetime. The weather is often relentless and winds can often reach 60 km per hour. There is no reliable weather report to count on as it often changes hourly. Our years of climbing and trekking experience in Patagonia are priceless. Our guides have climbed in Patagonia enough to understand the “weather patterns”, identify potential hazards and know when to push on or pack up. We are proud to provide seasoned, safe and experienced guides because it’s paramount to a successful climb in Torres del Paine.
From a beautiful and relaxing basecamp in the forest, an arduous 5-hour approach leads to the Col Bich. While some technical climbing is involved near the Col, this is mostly hiking on both rough trail and talus slopes. From the Col, a series of cracks leads up immaculate granite for two hundred feet, with just a move or two of 5.10 climbing. From here the climbing eases for the next 800 feet, mostly scrambling and easy fifth class climbing (up to 5.4). A large platform is then reached from which the 5.8 summit tower is ascended. From the summit, views stretch to the Southern Patagonian icecap to the North, the Central Tower to the South, and the pampas of Argentina to the East. The climb from the Col to the summit should take around 3 hours.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive in Puerto Natales, the gateway town to Torres del Paine. Meet your guide and enjoy a team dinner.
Day 2 - Travel to Torres del Paine, meet our gauchos and horses and carry the load of equipment to Refugio Chileno. From here we leave the horses behind and head toward Camp 1 - Campemento Las Torres.
Day 3 - We head further up the valley, to Camp 2, with our loads of equipment to our basecamp at ‘Campemento Japones’. This is our base camp for the next 10 days.
Day 4 - Prep day; gear, food, ropes and most importantly getting our heads on straight.
Day 5 - We start to move essential equipment up to the base of the towers.
Day 6 - Move to Camp 3 (calm winds only).
Day 7 - Climb to the Col Bich between the North and the Central Towers. This is an impressive place, with vast intimidating walls of granite all around and views reaching to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. We will fix ropes to enable multiple summit attempts and quick return if need be.
Days 8-13 - Waiting for weather windows to climb to the summit and back down. The climbing will be a mix of aid climbing and up to 5.9/10 free climbing.
Day 14 - Return to base camp in the Valle Ascensio.
Day 15 - We meet our gauchos and horses at Refugio Chileno. After descending down to Hosteria Las Torres, we meet our driver and return to Puerto Natales, where we celebrate a safe return with good food and world class Chilean wine.
Skills
This will involve climbing at up to 5.10 in rock shoes with a light pack. You need to be comfortable ascending fixed ropes. Speed is all important and if possible we would like to arrange a climb with us here in Patagonia to make sure that you have all of your systems down before putting them to use on the North Tower.
The North Tower is found deep in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, and it measures 2,260 meters high. It was first climbed by Italian climber Guido Monzino in 1958. Monzino was also the first Italian climber to summit Mt. Everest in 1973. The North Tower is one of the three towers in the immediate area: the Central Tower which stands 2,460 meters tall; and the South Tower which rises to 2,500 meters.
Contact our office directly for more information about costs and expedition dates to The North Tower.
