Alpine: Mega New 5.11+ in Torres del Paine

Sebastián Pelletti and Hernán Rodríguez returned to the Torres del Paine massif to establish a new route, Norteado, on the mountain’s West Face. They seized a brief break from guiding to push the line, hustling into the French Valley “all-out disaster style” in hopes of beating an incoming weather shift.

Their approach was chaotic, catching the last boat across the lake, grabbing a short sleep in the forest, then continuing at sunrise, but the climbing quickly delivered: delicate low-angle tech led into laser-cut finger cracks and a demanding wide-crack stem corner, all freed at 5.11+. Battling high winds, they topped out on Nov. 10 and descended safely, despite getting off-route after rappelling down Nacimientos on the north ridge. The route is entirely independent and, in keeping with their style, was climbed without bolts or fixed gear.

Pelletti, a longtime park guide, has built an impressive list of first ascents in the area. In 2024 he and Rodríguez opened Alborada (5.11+, 600m) on Cerro Máscara’s west face and Ultima Ronda (AI3 M4, 700m) on the untouched south face of Cerro Trono Blanco, and earlier that year the pair completed Arma de doble filo (5.11+, A1, 800m) on La Espada’s East Face.