Fin del Mundo 2004

The mountains of Argentine Tierra del Fuego, although relatively well travelled and easily accessible, have not received much attention from climbers until recently, although a small community of climbers is now established in Ushuaia. This team planned to make up for that by visiting the hinterland to explore and climb new winter and mixed routes, including the unclimbed south face of Monte Vinciguerra (1,450m), which the leader had 'scoped' in 2003. However the late reduction in team size from four to two made this logistically impractical, so attention was directed at Cerro Bonete (1,118m) instead, which had previously only been climbed by its non-technical SW ridge. On this they achieved the first ascent of the 300m NE ridge (AD), which they plan to call 'The British Route'. They also made an almost complete ascent of a couloir (Negra's Gully) on the unclimbed technical SE face at Scottish IV, being stopped 10 metres below the NE ridge by loose rock and a lack of ice - the result of an unusually warm winter. They also reconnoitred several future objectives.