My First Mountain

Para ver em português, acesse: http://firstmountain.blogspot.com.br/2013/02/mfm-is-back-frey-fendas-praia-e-vinho.html

The fingers burn, brought little food for the camp and we do not take a bath in three days. Everything becomes irrelevant when you look at the spectacular view of the granite needles around the emerald Frey lake´s.

A year and a half after the first high mountain in Bolivia, a willingness to explore new boundaries in different climb styles resulted in a new journey: the Cerro Catedral, or better known as the zone of refuge Frey. For those who don´t know, Frey is one of the most famous traditional climbing crags in Argentina. At the foot of Patagonia, the place has more than 50 granite needles! With high quality routes, a refuge with a good humor team and climbers from around the world camped around the lake. The weather is almost indescribable. The Frey is a school, not only for the sport, but the culture and lifestyle of climbing.

Substitutions were made - this time the team had the originals Bruno Senna, Caê Benfica and Leo Santiago, and new Breno Rates and Daniel Carvalho, aka Popo.

This time, it was a trip of pure climbing, alpine adventure. Planning stuck to a list and meetings in pubs about what to bring, which obviously resulted in unforeseen, improvisations and sacrifices, like leaving half of luggage in Bariloche, by the impossibility to load everything into the refuge. Notice to mariners, take only what you really need, because it is hard to let go of things that are already there or cutting your book in half (removing the read pages) to reduce weight.

In Bariloche, city where the flight arrives and one purchases food for the camp, we estimate that the 5 together totaled about 160kg of equipment, clothing and food. How to come up with all this stuff? In this season it has been forbidden the use of horses or mules for tourists - just the Refuge can use to climb with supplies and get the trash down. We were forced to get two human-porters to distribute the weight and still left over 18kg. Solution? recruit the girlfriend of one of the porters - which was really embarrassing! the chica got the backpack, and said it was ok!

To get there, it is just take a bus to the ski resort of Cerro Catedral, and three and a half hour walk uphill as workhorses. Once there, the reward: the Refugio Frey, a cold beer at room temperature, and the hallucinatory landscape of the 50 needles around him.

The North Face Mansion (it can not be called simply as a tent), which was installed in a position sheltered from strong winds, had to endure heavy. Neighboring tents were ripped off. But as this house has no eaves, we were very quiet to let concerns only at the wall.

The day to day there is something! The slogan is tanning. Sleep is comfortable, wake up with the sun baking the tent, outside the wind asks you to good clothing, breakfast in our makeshift kitchen and expanded to six comfortable seats. Then, climber´s community meeting beside the shelter, exchange tips and ideas, organizing equipment, and get up for climbing! Between 40' and 3 hours of walking, you're in any of the major needles, with 3 stars routes. At the end of the day everyone returns to the refuge, taste a good shared wine, discuss the achievements, some venture on the guitar when it's cold and all squeeze in the cafeteria for warmth.

The official trios were Cae + Bruno + Leo and Breno + Popo + Victor (São Paulo, firefighter rescuer and very good person we found there, always with good mood, and with the security that if some shit happens, the rescue was already there).

We´ve climbed TOP routes, three stars whenever possible, on the needles:

1 - The Needle Frey, who faces the shelter, with 5 min. walk, our first crack with the right to night climb with full moon, and repetitions in the rain.

Bruno and Leo celebrating the first ascent in Frey

Breno in his first route in Frey

2 - The Principal - having heard of the majesty of the name, the Main needle of Frey resonated in our minds. Everyone wanted to reach the summit more important and some members even claimed that would get emotional on the summit. It is one of the most distant, with 3h walk on loose stones, it took us 12 hours to climb and descend ... coming for more than 1:00 in the morning at camp. Still, greeted with applause by party staff, which waited us with a bottle of wine to celebrate the day of glory!

3 - M2, with one of the most fun summits, even with a short route, the route has an amazing visual, with a background composed by Frey and his emerald lake.

4 - La Vieja, with a 3 * route more demanding and astonishing.

5 - Slovenian Campanille, with one of the most incredible landscapes and presented by a Condor flight;

After a day of hard climbing, or half a day, or nothing, always there is the option of Playa Frey. With no wind, and strong sun, nothing better than taking a dip in the defrost lake in front of the shelter, with the option of a slack line impossible to take three steps for mere juniors in the sport.

Crack-Glove (compulsory purchase, you find in Adrena Aventura)

Glove for those who faltered and did not buy the glove.

Abuelo

Marquinho, Brazilian climber and godfather of the expedition.

Bruno and his "reduced" book

Leo trying to memorize the music created in Refuge

Vasco, the soul of the refuge Frey

We managed to endure for seven consecutive days, with an odor of baby-wipes masking stinky feet, a lot of climbing, tuff crags, tanning, jokes, music, wines and beers, pizzas and Macarrones. But no one is made of iron, and we deserved to eat a first quality steak of Chorizo, back in Bariloche! Until someday, Frey!

Para ver em português, acesse: http://firstmountain.blogspot.com.br/2013/02/mfm-is-back-frey-fendas-praia-e-vinho.html

For portuguese version, access: http://firstmountain.blogspot.com.br/2013/02/mfm-is-back-frey-fendas-praia-e-vinho.html

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