Maestri-Egger 2002 Alpine Style

Although Cesare Maestri said that he had climbed (with Toni Egger, who was killed during the descent) a route to the summit of Cerro Torre, 3,128m, as long ago as 1959, there has always been doubt in some minds as to the authenticity of his claim, and the route has never been repeated. Viewing the peak in 2001, Mullin thought that much of the ice and summit mushroom had disappeared, thus reducing the objective danger at the crux, so he determined to attempt the route himself. Using a 'caterpillar style', with one man leading a block of pitches whilst a second cleans and the third jumars on a free line. All went well for the first 360m, but then a small foothold snapped, and Houlding fell, causing serious injury to an ankle. After evacuating him to hospital, an American climber, Johnny Copp, was recruited for a return to the fray, but the window of 'good' weather was over, and no further progress was made - in fact retrieval of the abandoned gear became an epic in itself.