Women's climbing team opens new alpine route in Patagonia | Angelina di Prinzio on »Sincronía«

In the remote peaks of southern Patagonia, three women have established a new alpine route. Angelina di Prinzio, Paloma Farkas, and Catalina Unwin opened a 900-meter line on the previously unclimbed west face of Cerro Steffen (3.300 m).

Sincronía (900 m / WI4 / M4 / 60°) at Cerro Steffen 

A year ago, the three women began dreaming about this project, Angelina di Prinzio tells us. They discussed a scholarship and saw it as the perfect opportunity to launch an all-female expedition. None of them had ever been on an expedition with the other two before – and initially, they considered that their biggest challenge. But as soon as they started planning, "everything fell into place quite naturally," Angelina reports.

Together, they wanted to bring their years of experience as mountaineers, their training, and their passion to this adventure – alone among women, in a wild and remote environment. They began planning virtually from three different countries: Argentina, Chile, and the USA. Because there was little information about Cerro Steffen, they relied on some old photos and the report of the first ascent from 1965 to find possible routes.

Synchronicity that

The biggest challenges of this expedition were the weather, the tricky crossing of the glacial lake Lago O'Higgins, and the uncertainty of whether their planned route would be feasible. Patagonia is known for its extremely unpredictable climate, which can change rapidly. This weather uncertainty dictated their strategy right up to the last moment, from the selection of equipment and the amount of provisions to the entire logistics. "Fortunately, an eight-day weather window opened up—something totally unusual in Patagonia," said di Prinzio. 

The women had to wait for perfect conditions to cross the glacial lake. Private boats in such remote regions of the Andes are incredibly expensive. The Chilean government's only public vessel departs only every 15 days – and only under truly perfect conditions.
Once on the ice field, the climbers waited patiently at the foot of the 1000-meter-high wall for their weather window. When the opportunity finally arose, they didn't hesitate and began their ascent. They climbed the steep, icy line and, after a long day on the wall, reached the summit. The team describes their climb as a moment of profound camaraderie and shared determination.  Synchrony, which in German means "synchronicity".

Synchronicity, the
noun, feminine
"Simultaneity, the temporal coincidence of psychological and physical processes that cannot be explained causally"

In conversation with Angelina di Prinzio 

Lacrux: What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the expedition? 

Angelina: On a mixed-grade pitch I was leading, I experienced a feeling of complete connection with my body and the mountain. Every movement made me so happy, and my mind became completely calm, even though I didn't know what would come next. I simply accepted that. I enjoyed this feeling of not knowing how the next pitches would unfold and simply trusted that I would find a way. There were three pitches where I was in this state of complete presence and connection, and it was truly beautiful.

Lacrux: Is climbing in an all-female rope team different? 

Angelina: We believe that climbing among women is a different experience. It's not better or worse than in mixed groups—just different. There's a stronger sense of parity. For example, all three of us felt we could explore our potential in a more authentic and natural way. We didn't feel the need to lead just to prove something. We did everything out of pure motivation, joy, and a sense of complete dedication. 
Furthermore, we've found that there are very few female role models in the mountains. You rarely see them in action. So, when you see a friend leading a really difficult route or carrying her super heavy backpack across rough terrain, it's very inspiring and gives you the strength to do the same.

Lacrux: What were the biggest challenges for you during the expedition?

Angelina: Besides crossing the glacial lake and the weather, the uncertainty surrounding our planned route was a major concern. We had a very good, high-resolution photo of the west face, but when we arrived at its base, this 900-meter-high wall loomed before us, making it nearly impossible to see beyond the first 300 meters. We had to surrender to the process and trust in our abilities and technical skill to overcome everything we encountered while climbing.

Facts about the line

• Cerro Steffen, 3.300m, Southern Ice Field
• alpine style
• Second ascent of Cerro Steffen 
• First line in the west face 
• 900 m / WI4 / M4 / 60°

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Credits: All images: Angelina di Prinzio