This past weekend I hiked up to Frey again with hopes of climbing the Normal route on Torre Principal! Here's a slideshow jacked full of photos from the one day, two-night trip!:
Here's a video of me just beneath Torre Principal, in Frey, Bariloche, Argentina:
Torre Principal, Frey from nathan conroy on Vimeo.
This week Alisa and I have been fortunate enough to receive Ed and Adriana and as such have made some outings to the must-see spots! I have taken very few photos; Ed has taken more. Alas, I have my camera. Besides going to Cerro Otto, Lago Gutierrez, Frey, and various houses for some excellent dinners, we've generally been improving our perspective of the area and having good times! Here's a brief slideshow with captions! Enjoy and I hope all's well! - n8
I have recently been involved in numerous conversations with Argentineans about the issue of corrupt politicians and a stumbling economy, bound to crash. After reading an article by New York Times´ op-ed writer, Paul Krugman, titled ¨The Uneducated American¨, I realized it was time to put my two cents in the bucket about the part of America that I was reading about: Argentina, South America.
Sitting in the mountain-covered Lakes District of Argentina, Bariloche is deemed the sports center of Patagonia. Its great lakeside location by the Andes and would-be tranquility has led to crecendo after booming crecendo in popularity and population. Many people come to live here from Buenos Aires, Chile, Venezuela, etc., and the chaos of big cities is beginning to show itself in Bariloche. There is more traffic and thus there are more exhaust fumes. There are more robberies and rapes. The control and comfort once known to a nature-loving town has become the nightmare and fear of strangers occupying the same space. The inhabitants themselves take it upon themselves to spread the word and post notices with what information they can get of violators of the law, in hopes of catching them. But the problems are continuing to increase.
I asked a grey-haired, balding man who moved to Bariloche in the 70´s how we can go about fixing this. Well, the problem is that the politicians are corrupt. Now, voting is not voluntary in Argentina. If it were, my new friend claimed, perhaps we could replace some of the dirty crooks in the government. However, they had enough foresight to write a law into the Constitution requiring voting to be voluntary. As long as this is so, they can buy their votes and remain in office, stowing money for their own causes and forgetting about education. This is short-term, unsustainable thinking since each generation will be passing along yet a dimmer future to their mourners. So how do we fix this?
It seems that we have two options: uprising and/or education. One of these is more humane and necessary in the longrun. Not enough money goes to education, which of course is an economy builder and relatedly a facility for preventing problems such as robberies. Although some private schools may hold strong, even in the event of another economic crash in this America, public schools are already suffering. From the information I have gleaned from friends working in the education system here, from private classes to public schools, the kids often times run all over the teachers, who of course are working under the table and without a higher education themselves. Now, an illequipped teacher may already have their work cut out for them, but it certainly does not help when there are gratuitous - or in the least, unneccessary - holidays for teachers in the name of the workers who fix doorknobs. No joke. Private schools here often ignore these holidays, whether or not all of their publicly dismissed students attend the private classes. The public school teachers that I know gripe about losing money for no good reason. But what else can they do? Furthermore, many kids turn to full-time work and/or raising families before they even finish high school. These same people have complaints about the government and the infrastructure of their country. They share their mate with you and are normally very talented and creative when it comes to fixing things with little means, be it a car that other Americans would have scrapped 50 years ago, or a microwave that lost a wire somewhere. What they don´t share is a common fate like us, and what they don´t know how to fix is their government and education system.
In these times, when there are more questions and complaints than answers and results, I look to history and others for examples but find few that might work. It does not help my case that other American countries - even perhaps the strongest in education and cleaning up politics in years past or present - are struggling with the same issues.
I read Three Cups of Tea and had the inspiration and idea to build schools here one day, but alas, there are already many. The issue is funding and education of teachers as well as students. The issue even greater still is a government honestly committed to the future of its people rather than satisfying their immediate desires. Will the time come when the immediate desire of the people are naught but a future of promise? And will the time come when this craving will not yield to any who might stand in the way?
I hope so!
-your landescaper, n8
Brief picture account of two back-to-back trips to Frey this past weekend/beginning-of-week. First, to celebrate Alisa's birthday; second, to celebrate nature! Hope you enjoy!
The following are pictures taken from the climbing on Aguja Frey on Sunday, September 27th, 2009. Courtesy of Emma May. I hope you enjoy! - your landescaper, n8
It is now the time of year to camp and climb in Frey. This weekend has been a meticulously chronicled proof of that!
My trusty, lightweight, 3-season, 2-person Sierra Designs tent stands strong against the cold winds of September's goodbyes to the valley and Frey.
DAY 1:
Since I was the only person tenting in this pretty cold weather, I had my pick of all of the campsites, or should I say, rounded fortresses of stacked rocks that partially protect your tent from the wind. More importantly, my view was in my hands! I chose the place closest to the valley! With a cushion underneath my sleeping bag, I slept very warmly! The main obstacle between my dreams and myself was getting accustomed to sleeping in such a restrictive cocoon!
My two new French friends, Mateo and Sage, arriving ahead of me up the snow-covered trail to Refugio Frey.
As any good adventure goes, it begins with something being forgotten. This trip it turned out to be Marcus' car lights. He got a text on his cellphone about 1 hour into the hike from a friend, telling him that he left them on. This is lucky because we were nearly out of cellular reception; unlucky because he had to run back and forth to turn them off, and I was the best option for carrying his bag along with my own! I do need the practice! He caught up with us before the last part: the steep and snowy section! Thank goodness! The rest of the trek is history!
Marcus belaying Mateo up the last pitch of Aguja Frey's classic and original, Sifuentes-Weber, 90m, 5+. This is one of my favorite pictures not so much for the perspective of the refugio and bushes below, but for the evident happiness in both of my friends, withstanding the cold!
This climb is a classic. Last April I tried to climb it, but I didn't study the guidebook well enough before hitting the rock and ended up finishing after the first two pitches on a long last pitch that was an interesting 6a+. This time, not only did we do the correct final two pitches of Sifuentes-Weber, which are really classic, but thanks to Marcus and Mateo and Sage, I got to lead the first three pitches and practice a technique new to me, namely belaying two people at once! It was a great experience and a great feeling to be back on adventurous yet secure terrain being, as Mateo puts it, "Brave and safe"! 
The view of the valley as seen from atop of Aguja Frey. I love Frey!
Marcus poses while belaying atop of Aguja Frey, with a gorgeous sun setting behinds Frey's lineup of proud towers. The leftmost and tallest at around 2400m is Torre Principal, my goal for Monday...! For now, we go back to the refugio and chat in a warm room with our friends Emma, Rob, and Murph from the hostel, Pudu that is, Miles, my ex-nextdoor-neighbor, and Allen, my new friend and refugio-worker. Dinner never tasted so good! Next time I think I'll bring more food, drinks, chocolate, and wine! :)
DAY 2:
The adventure into the unknown!
For some reason my camera was low on battery at the beginning of this two-day climbing rampage so I didn't take that many pictures. That includes missed shots of most of today's activities, so words and memories will have to suffice - and how! We left the refugio at about 11am with one large backpack filled with our ropes, some snacks, the water bottle attached, and wearing jackets and gloves that Marcus let us borrow, and the gear on my harness since I'll be the lead-climber, we start marching slightly uphill towards the largest track of snow nearest Torre Principal.
A picture of Frey, with our approach hike and climb lightly drawn over it. Click on the picture for an enlarged view and better look at where we went!
On the steeper portions of the ascent we encountered only a thin layer of snow above the ice. Luckily, Mateo had burly stiff boots and more frequently than not went first to dig the largest footprints possible to follow. We were safe, but mind you next time I plan on bringing crampons with Marcus and maybe a set of ice-axes for security. As it turns out, the descent through this area was way easier and non-technical in the evening thanks to the warming power of the sun! Long story short: we didn't weave very much, we didn't fall, and we arrived at the little snow-covered dip between Torre Principal (the huge one in the picture) and La Lechuza. I was stunned at the view. Without a doubt, it is the most awe-inspiring thing I have seen this entire trip and I want to return to see it again A.S.A.P., hopefully even better from the summit of Principal (hint, hint). You can see layers of snow-covered mountains Mount Tronador, Lanin, Osorno, Lago Gutierrez, Nahuel-Huapi, Morenito!! It's incredible! Mountains upon mountains, valleys and peaks and lakes! And I was so awe-stricken and caught up also with time and our goal of climbing and even just arriving at our route on Principal that I didn't even take a single picture of it!
After some other small adventures, and typically tough route-finding in Frey made even more difficult by the deepness of the snow, we started climbing. This was funny because we had to make an anchor for ourselves at the base of whatever climb it was we were doing just to stay on the wall and not fall back into the steep bank of the snow that we traversed at the base of Principal. Well, also to hang our backpack up, put on our shoes, have a snack and water, get out and organize the gear and ropes, etc.! Then I started climbing. Occasionally snow and ice filled up the crack, leading me to sport-climbing techniques, and sometimes eliminating gear placements causing run-outs. As it turned out, the first two pitches which are normally French-grade 4 and about 30-meters each, I led together! Marcus yelled up as we had discussed, "You have 5 meters left" (in Castellano, or spanish), and since I could still see no bolted anchors but rather only ledges of snow and ice and more of it, I backtracked and made an anchor for him to follow!
Mateo giving the peace sign at the anchor of pitch 2 of Torre Principal's ice- and snow-ridden Clemenzo route. I'd still give it three stars!
By the time Mateo arrived, it was almost 4:30, getting colder on the shaded East Face of Torre Principal, and his toes were numb. I gave leading one more shot and could see no way to pass through. I new that we had arrived at the snowy ledge that was supposed to be a traversing pitch, but without an ice axe to clean it, there would be no gear placements let alone climbing it! 
N8 atop pitch two of Clemenzo on Torre Principal, Frey, Argentina.So, again I backtracked, looped a sling around some sturdy triangular rocks for a second anchor, better suited for bailing since it only left a cheap sling behind, as opposed to three expensive and useful cams, and down we went!
Our progress up the Clemenzo route, roughly sketched on a picture I took of Torre Principal as we were trekking away from it after bailing.
Another great part of this adventure was skiing down. After passing over the ridgeline between Principal and Aguja Frey, the softness of the snow literally allowed us to ski with our shoes. Even our friends sitting on rocks around the Refugio, watching us come down, thought that we had skis on! We had allowed ourselves plenty of time to descend before nightfall but as it turned out, descending was fun and easy!!
Mateo and I, happy and tired, turn to look back once more at the footprints from our Torre Principal adventure, with Aguja Frey and our friends awaiting us in the background.
What a great way to make friends closer!
More to come soon! -your landescaper, n8
As I write this, it is Thursday, September 24th, and we are already into climbing season. I have climbed the last 5 out of 5 days! Alisa isn't far behind, joining me on 4 of the occasions, and that's with her busy work schedule to boot! The weather now is cool but sunny, and in many of the climbing locations the wind adds an extra crisp chill which requires a pullover but gives your hands a nice reprieve from sweat, unlike in the summertime! So, we've been taking advantage of the weather! We've also been making new friends and hanging out with old ones, which I especially enjoy!
Here I am, lowering off of a "rest day" or easy climbing day at Piedras Blancas, or Cerro Otto, where Alisa and I managed a two-pitch and then a final single pitch for the morning climbing day!
Above, here's Alisa smiling on the first day of this climbing rampage, on top of Casa de Dani, as in Daniel Seeliger's home/outdoor climbing wall! We went with Juanjo and Nicocinero!
Here I am enjoying one of the awesome 6's (or 5.10 through 5.11's) that we did on our second day of climbing, which took place in the old section of Valle Encantado, a truly amazing place on this earth, and surely one of my favorites in the Bariloche area. It was great to be able to share it with the new friends of Marcus and Sarin - I hope I'm spelling your name right!
The last two days I've gone consecutively to Cerro Ventana, in particular the sector called La Visera, where my project stands. Come to find out, I have two new friends, a rambunctious pair named Claudio and Machi, who are both trying the 7c right next to mine. So, combined with my friend Lucas and myself, there are now a bunch of us to share our motivation on these hard, legendary routes on the overhanging upper sector in Cerro Ventana! Here's two pictures of Lucas trying "Forza Mandinga"! Stay tuned for soon-to-come sends and perhaps even a fun video!!!...I hope!
Also, to give you a brief preview of the future, which is of course subject to change, I plan to have an asado on Friday, and climb some trad. multi-pitch in Frey Saturday through Monday! Then I will look to finish up my 7c and head back to Frey as soon as possible to keep logging kilometers of climbing before my 4-month trip to Cochamó! Wahooo! Salu2 a todos del sur!
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