Kayland and Carlo Cosi: that ray of sunshine after a night on Fitz Roy
Here is a short interview with Carlo Cosi, mountain guide and mountaineer, who recently returned from an expedition in Patagonia.
How did this expedition come about?
It was the “dream of life” but I have to thank my friend Fabrizio who launched the concrete proposal. I spent the whole year working hard, so I gave myself all January off and we set off on an adventure. The idea was to go climbing Cerro Torre but in Patagonia everything depends on the weather, often the weather conditions are unfavorable and ruin your plans.
To say: of the 27 days spent in El Chaltén we found only 3 days of good weather! And we made them pay off: in that short time we made 4 peaks in 4 different outings, one with bad weather and the other three with a shy sun.
The weather in Patagonia is strange but the forecasts are reliable: it’s always bad but you can predict those rare good weather windows that allow you to make the climbs.
Patagonia is a dream for any mountaineer: it’s a place so far away from us, so remote and hostile, so told in books and magazines that it becomes an attraction for anyone who does mountaineering.
I was curious, I wanted to see it with my own eyes and I admit it: I wanted to see the notorious weather conditions live. I had heard some absurd stories and I didn’t believe them, I wanted to verify and I really “went looking for it”. But I was repaid: for example, coming down from Fitz Roy we did a couple of double rope throws that instead of going down, as gravity would have it, were pushed upwards by the wind, vertically!
Apart from the terrible weather, did you have other difficulties?
No, it was just the weather, the rest went smoothly. It wasn’t a real expedition, we spent a lot of time in the city and lived it with another spirit. It happened to me in other expeditions, for example in Pakistan, Peru or Morocco, where you have to stay still with 2-3 climbing buddies in a tent for twenty days: it’s obvious that after a while you can’t stand them anymore, even if they are your best friends. Everything went well with Fabrizio.
What was the best part of the expedition?
The first ray of sunshine after a cold night on top of Fitz Roy. And of course the landscape: the mountains of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre are more fascinating than everything else. The last day, before returning home we woke up early and went to see the sunrise from a hill behind El Chaltén: from there you can see the whole chain from Cerro Torre to Fitz Roy, it leaves you speechless.
As for the Kayland equipment, what did you use and how did you find yourself?
I used APEX GTX on all the routes except the Supercanaleta, because in that context I needed a thermal boot to spend the night in the ice. In fact, I used 4001 GTX there.
The experience was positive, 4001 GTX is a lightweight boot, comfortable to walk in, it scales well and is precise. In addition, the gaiter solves many situations. 4001 GTX is good for winter and APEX GTX is perfect for my activities.
Do you have any other expeditions planned?
Lots of dreams. I would like to go back to America, maybe with Sara, for the moment we have no forecasts.