What Happened to Cerro Torre?
Cerro Torre is a formidable granite peak in Patagonia, renowned for its extreme climbing challenges and a history steeped in controversy, particularly regarding its first ascent. Standing at 3,128 meters, it continues to attract elite alpinists seeking to conquer its icy summit mushroom and sheer rock faces, with significant ascents and events recorded up to the present day.
Quick Answer
Cerro Torre remains one of the world's most challenging and iconic mountains for alpinists, known for its extreme weather and technical difficulty. Its history is marked by the enduring controversy surrounding Cesare Maestri's claimed 1959 first ascent and his subsequent 'Compressor Route' in 1970. In recent years, the mountain has seen groundbreaking achievements, including the removal of Maestri's controversial bolts in 2012, the first free ascent of the Southeast Ridge by David Lama, and Colin Haley's historic first winter solo in September 2025.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline12 events
First Noted by Western World
The Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma is credited with the first Western sighting of the Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy groups from a distance.
Cesare Maestri's Disputed First Ascent
Cesare Maestri and Toni Egger claimed the first ascent of Cerro Torre, but Egger died during the descent, and the lack of evidence led to widespread skepticism about their summit claim.
Maestri Establishes 'Compressor Route'
Cesare Maestri returned to Cerro Torre with a gas-powered compressor drill, bolting hundreds of meters of the southeast face, creating the highly controversial 'Compressor Route'.
First Undisputed Ascent
An Italian team from the 'Ragni di Lecco' – Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari, and Pino Negri – achieved the first widely accepted ascent of Cerro Torre via the west face.
First Solo Ascent of Compressor Route
Swiss alpinist Marco Pedrini completed the first solo ascent of the Compressor Route, a remarkable feat documented in the film 'Cerro Torre Cumbre'.
First Complete Traverse of the Massif
Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley completed the first full traverse of the entire Cerro Torre massif, linking Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger, and Cerro Torre.
Bolt Removal on Compressor Route
Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk removed approximately 125 bolts from the upper pitches of Maestri's Compressor Route, sparking a major ethical debate in the climbing community.
First Free Ascent of Southeast Ridge
David Lama achieved the first free ascent of Cerro Torre's Southeast Ridge, establishing a new variation that bypassed Maestri's controversial bolts.
Climb and Paraglide from Summit
Roger Schäli, Mario Heller, and Pablo Pontoriero successfully climbed Cerro Torre via the Ragni route and then paraglided off the summit.
Colin Haley Completes First Winter Solo
American alpinist Colin Haley made history by completing the first winter solo ascent of Cerro Torre, climbing via the Ragni Route.
Highline Established in Fitz Roy Massif
A four-person team led by Lukas Irmler and Antonia Rüede-Passul successfully completed a spectacular highline at Aguja de la S, a peak in the Fitz Roy Massif near Cerro Torre.
Passing of Mario Conti
Mario Conti, a legendary Ragni di Lecco mountaineer and a member of the team that made the first undisputed ascent of Cerro Torre in 1974, passed away.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Cerro Torre, a striking granite spire located on the border between Argentina and Chile within the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, stands at an elevation of 3,128 meters (10,262 feet). Its distinctive shape, often capped by a challenging rime ice mushroom, makes it one of the most coveted and difficult peaks in the world for mountaineers.
The mountain's history is famously intertwined with controversy, primarily centered around Italian climber Cesare Maestri. In 1959, Maestri claimed to have made the first ascent with Toni Egger, who tragically died during the descent. However, inconsistencies in Maestri's account and the lack of evidence on the route led most of the mountaineering community to doubt his claim. Angered by the skepticism, Maestri returned in 1970 and, using a gas-powered compressor drill, controversially bolted a significant portion of the southeast face, creating what became known as the 'Compressor Route.' This act sparked a heated ethical debate within the climbing world, with many considering it an 'unfair' means of ascent.
The first undisputed ascent of Cerro Torre was achieved in 1974 by an Italian team from the 'Ragni di Lecco' group, consisting of Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari, and Pino Negri, via the west face. For decades, the Compressor Route remained the most common, albeit contentious, path to the summit. A pivotal moment occurred in January 2012 when American climbers Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk removed approximately 125 of Maestri's bolts from the upper pitches of the Compressor Route during their descent. This action, while praised by some purists for restoring the mountain's integrity, also ignited further debate among the climbing community and even led to their brief detention by local authorities in El Chaltén.
Following the bolt removal, Austrian alpinist David Lama achieved the first free ascent of the Southeast Ridge in January 2012, establishing a new variation that avoided Maestri's remaining bolts. This marked a new era for climbing on Cerro Torre, emphasizing 'fair means' ascents. The mountain continues to be a stage for remarkable feats. In February 2015, Marc-André Leclerc completed a challenging solo ascent of the Corkscrew route. More recently, in February 2020, German alpinist Fabian Buhl made the first climb and fly from the summit.
As of 2026, Cerro Torre remains a pinnacle of alpine climbing. A significant recent event was Colin Haley's first winter solo ascent of Cerro Torre via the Ragni Route on September 7, 2025, a monumental achievement in the Patagonian winter. Additionally, in March 2026, a highline was successfully established at Aguja de la S, a nearby peak in the Fitz Roy Massif, further showcasing the region's allure for extreme sports. The mountain's allure, combined with its inherent dangers and the ever-present Patagonian weather, ensures its status as a legendary challenge for the world's most skilled alpinists.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Cerro Torre made different choices?