British Women's Patagonia

Patagonia's reputation for having the worst weather in the world was confirmed by this team's experience. Of 28 days in the field, only one full and two half days were free from almost continuous rain or snow, with strong winds adding to the experience. As a result, their hopes of making the first all-female ascent of the 1963 Bonington/Whillans route on the Central Tower of Paine, 2,454m, were well and truly dashed: in fact they did not even touch rock above Col Bich at 1,850m. And then, as if the weather was not enough, the refugio at Base Camp burnt down, destroying much of their fuel, food and equipment. This expedition was the recipient of half of the Alison Chadwick Memorial Grant for 1997.