Silvio in America del Sud

Salta is a nice and prosperous city in the North of Argentina. I have spent here the last two days eating, drinking and sleeping. Eating enormous steaks I managed to recover in the last 48 hours the four pounds I had lost during my last climb.

Ten weeks from my arriving in South America I have climbed eight mountains:

Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Illiniza Norte, Chimborazo, Sajama, Parinacota, Pissis, Nevado de Cachi.

Five of them are higher than 6000m and despite the small technical difficulties, all the climbs were technically easy when compared to the typical alpine climbing I am used to face in Europe, I had to face major difficulties in such a hostile environment. Camp and climb in there mean one's efforts have to face low temperatures (down to -30 degree), strong wind (sometime at 60 mph) and very thin atmosphere (at 6000m the pressure is lower than 500 mbar).

Strong satisfaction is of course sustaining my effort. The first 6 mountains were absolutely soloed; step by step, day by day, I faced true giants and at risk of my life I standed on the summit.

Pissis was probably the biggest victory. For the first time in my life I climb as part of an international expedition. Seventy climbers from about ten countries decide to face the second mountain of America: Mount Pissis (6882m). After ten days of approach and climb we leave the camp 2 (5800m) on the 23rd November. That day at 9:40am a 33 years old Italian climber (the only Italian of the expedition) is standing on the top. The second climber, from Argentina, will get there only one hour later. For the first time of my life I felt proud to have defended the colours of my country.

Right now I am exactly on plan with my expectations, despite some difficulties encountered during the first month. Is this going to last? I don't know. I know just that despite such a continous effort I still find in mountaineering reasons, answers and satisfaction that do not have equals in my "normal" life.

Now I am looking partners to climb more technical mountains, perhaps on new routes. Nevertheless I will continu to climb some mountains alone. This is dangerous but the real dimension of climbing, the pure essence of the encounter of the man with the mountain can only have place in the pure condition of the solitude.