Paine Grande
No doubt, Torres del Paine is the principal attraction within the famed national park of the same name. Its incredible granite walls summon thousands of visitors who year after year come to see them up-close. However, the true ruler and lord of this land is Paine Grande. It's a mountain which contrasts enormously with its rocky and vertical neighbors, and which could perfectly enter into another category of mountain given its vastness.
With four summits perfectly aligned in a north-to-south axis, the huge protruding tower of its principal summit is the real gem of this mountain chain, which, with its icy tongues and erect walls, stands out like an impregnable fortress. But it's not just this, as Paine Grande also seems to the heathen eyes extremely aloof. Few are those who are blessed enough to admire it in all its splendor, as much of the time its tormentous, dominant climate enshrouds it within a greyish, cloudy veil.
Factors such as these help explain why its principal summit has been walked upon just three times so far (1957, 2000 and 2011). There have been others who have not returned to tell the tale. “The most relevant aspects of this mountain include its significant incline of almost 3,000 meters and the different mountain techniques required, such as moving through deep snow or across glaciers and climbing up huge ice walls. Everything I mention requires a lot of preparation in Patagonian expeditions, as well as knowing how to read the climate and adapting to adverse conditions,” highlights Sebastián Irarrázaval, who participated in the winter ascent of 2011.
For many, trying to reach the top of Paine Grande in winter is an act of madness. Still, this Chilean doctor and mountaineer explains that “despite the cold weather (with temperatures dropping various degrees below zero) and the shortness of the days, Patagonia has a more stable climate and less wind at this time of year, which means that the climb during the day to the summit is safer.”
All of that on a route which is approached from the southeast and where the greatest difficulties experienced are a huge quantity of snow in the lower area and plenty of ice in the higher zones. “The route chosen on the day we reached the summit was by the south face, a line of more than 500 meters at its most vertical edge. It was very direct and didn't give us any respite as the vertical incline was a constant 60° to 90°, without rocky ledges or places to rest en route,” Sebastián recalls.
These are some of the reasons why this climber asserts that his expedition to Paine Grande “does not compare with any other, not even with the summit of Everest,” a peak which he climbed in 2012. As well, he emphasizes that “one must have lots of respect for Patagonia, which possesses an untamed and wild environment which attracts us, but at the same time, if we are not careful, it can really hurt us because we are insignificant in the face of the power of nature.”