The Climbing Boom in Aysén
Durante la última década esta región de la Patagonia chilena se han transformado en una atracción irresistible para escaladores de distintas partes del mundo.
An unalterable guardian, Cerro Castillo watches over everything with its black and stony mass. Coming from the north, the route that passes through the national park of the same name and descends into the valley of the Ibáñez River merges almost at once with this fortress that seems straight out of the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. At the foot of this rugged giant, which dominates the horizon with no competing peak in sight, is the town of Villa Cerro Castillo, located just less than 70 kms (40 miles) from Coyhaique, the capital of the Aysén region. This is a place that screams Patagonia loud and clear as the wind hits it and almost seems as if it is coming from the stone towers of the mountain itself.
And it is here, where sport climbing in Aysén has most developed its enormous potential. Fifteen years ago, there was virtually nothing in terms of set routes in the Cerro Castillo area, but today it is a far different picture, with ample options that grow with each passing year.
One of the leaders behind the long- running development has been the Catalan Pere Vilarasau, an international mountain guide with the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA). Making Aysén his home for more than a decade, the Cerro Castillo that “Pera” became acquainted with in the early 2000s was far a cry from its current fame in climbing circles. Back then, climbing in the kingdom of Cerro Castillo was in its mere early stages.
“At that time, there was no one. It was a pretty desolate place. As far as mountaineering, there was nothing,” he says with his characteristic white smile, bushy gray beard and burned skin.
But today there are more than 400 established sport climbing routes and a massive event is held annually that celebrates its impressive verticality: Cerro Castillo Roc’fest, a three-day climbing celebration that attracts hundreds of climbers. The event, which began in 2017, has easily become one of the most popular of its type in Chile’s climbing community, bringing together a multitude on its rock walls on a regular basis.
What’s behind this surge in popularity? Vilarasau says that in the beginning, when he would travel back to Europe every year, he spent his savings on furthering his obsession for Aysen climbing. “I brought back 400 bolts — a ton of weight — and we set 60 routes just for fun. It was a pretty innocent thing, 400 bolts get used up right away,” he recalls. However, everything rose to a new level when the outdoor gear company Mammut supported an idea that he had been stirring up for a long while.
“With their help we organized the first Roc’fest,” the Spanish climber said, “and it was a very good year: we set 150 routes and there were a lot of people collaborating. With the few routes it already had, the town of Villa Cerro Castillo already was as an interesting place for weekends and for the people of Coyhaique. But when the Roc’fest was started, an idea which we had been developing for several years, everyone took to it in a very personal way: there were free bolts and camping, there were a lot of good vibes among everyone, it was a great summer. We had made an important push, setting almost 200 routes.”
Thanks to the natural conditions of the area, with its very high walls of limestone, a type of rock that has many different shapes and grips and is perfect to give free rein to the imagination of an open mind — along with the initial kick-start that the synergy between Vilarasau and the local community provided, the area around Coyhaique, and Cerro Castillo in particular, have become the scene of a new way of climbing in Chile.
Only the Valley of the Condors, located near the city of Talca, can compete with the climbing sectors of Coyhaique and its surroundings, both for the number of sport climbing routes and the quality of the rock. Both destinations are tremendously popular with climbers, but unlike Talca, which is only 255 kms (158 miles) from Santiago, Coyhaique is 1350 kms (839 miles) away from the Chilean capital. They don’t make a pilgrimage so far away for nothing.
Reformulation needed
As a consequence of this radical growth in climbing in the area, the way of doing tourism has begun to change in the area, too, but there is still a long way to go. Camila Viejo, a member of the Aysén Climbing Club, went to live in Patagonia
“Fifteen years ago, there was virtually nothing in terms of set routes in the Cerro Castillo area, but today it is a far different picture.”
with her partner and son about four years ago to make a living outdoors. She says that at that time few people were engaged in climbing in the region: “Moreso, there were many more mountaineers, that was the vibe. There were a couple of routes in Cerro Castillo, but not much else.”
With the support of her climbing club, and together with a group of friends with similar interests, they got to work and began to set climbing routes. The increase in the number of climbers that has followed has been substantial, which has sometimes brought negative consequences, even leading to the closure of some places due to conflicts with landowners. This was the case of Salto Chico, where an event sponsored by major brands was held a couple of years ago; the owner did not receive any information or compensation for the activity, and made the drastic, although perhaps justified, decision to permanently ban the climbers from ever returning.
“The people who live here are not used to having such a large flow of people, and there are many people who arrive who don’t know how to behave in nature or take care of the environment,” laments Viejo.
Regarding a tourism plan at the regional level that considers the sport of climbing as an essential part of regional development, this agronomist emphasizes the lack of longterm vision by the authorities, despite the fact that climbing attracts many people to the region. “We are fighting to include climbing in the Strategic Tourism Development Plan, which the regional government is in charge of. We present them with activities, they evaluate them
“We are fighting to include climbing in the Strategic Tourism Development Plan of Aysén.”
and decide whether they will support us. We are the ones who have to be constantly motivating them to be interested,” says Viejo.
Pere Vilarasau’s assessment of the situation is similar. He does not believe that there is a coherent tourism plan in the region, although he sees glimpses of a positive change. “With what we have been doing, there has been a change from within. It is impressive, people dream about playing in their own surroundings, and local politicians have seen in this a model of regional development something that before they did not even know existed. It is a change that has been happening over the past three years. I think that the redefinition of the region in this aspect is going to be important, and for the best,” predicts the Catalan.
Beyond the comfort zone
While sport climbing with relatively easy access, excellent quality, and lots of variety is what has grown the most in the region, mountaineering and traditional climbing have remained as smaller bastions, but not for lack of places to practice such activities. The Northern Patagonian Ice Field hosts world-class summits, providing a natural playground that is very complex and aesthetically magnetic enough for the most demanding enthusiasts. Compared to such renowned places as Torres del Paine, El Chaltén, Alaska or Greenland, this less explored section of Patagonia is brimming with potential that would rival any of the aforementioned destinations.
Nobody knows more about that, or has carried out more adventures in these lands, than Jim Donini, one of the true pioneers of modern climbing. Seventysix years-old and trained largely in the “school” of Yosemite, this American is a living legend: in 1976, he achieved the first ascent of Torre Egger with John Bragg and Jay Wilson.
The Egger, located in the massif of Cerro Torre just outside of El Chaltén, Argentina, is considered, so far, to be the most difficult summit in the Southern Hemisphere. However, his climbing exploits among the great mountain ranges of the world include
“It is the undiscovered Patagonia. It is virgin territory when compared to El Chaltén or Torres de Paine.”