Trip Report
Piedra Parada
Thursday February 8, 2018 5:45am
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Piedra Parada and Rio Chubut
Piedra Parada and Rio Chubut
Credit: yanqui
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Ever since the Petzl RocTrip in 2012, Piedra Parada has become the place to clip bolts in Argentina (bring a few pieces of gear if you want to summit the Piedra). It was time to see if the place lived up to the hype. In a word, the answer is "Yes". Piedra Parada turns bolt clipping up to eleven.

Part 1: The Journey South

The Piedra is smack dab in the middle of nowhere (forget the phone connection). It's 1750 kms from my house (coming from the Atlantic more than 200 kms are dirt road) so we decided to spend two days driving and visit the Patagonian coast on the way.

The girls are ready to go.

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Credit: yanqui
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A guanaco cuts into Patagonian traffic

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Credit: yanqui
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His buddies play it cool

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Birds look for shade and/or camouflage

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The Patagonian ostrich (the Ñandu)

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The Patagonian rabbit/deer (the Mara)

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It looks like the coast must be near

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Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
Credit: yanqui
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Maybe this guy knows the way

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Credit: yanqui
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Here we go!

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Credit: yanqui
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If you zoom in on the coast you will you see it's littered with blubbery, living things, although none of them is human.

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Credit: yanqui
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Like this

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Credit: yanqui
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The shoreline in Patagonia is crowded in a different way

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Take it easy!

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This youngster seemed to be contemplating

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Though she wasn't alone

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No shortage of birds

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We found the boardwalk

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and spent the night in Puerto Pirámides

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Credit: yanqui
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Part 2: 10 Days at the Piedra

Gaby unpacks

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Credit: yanqui
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Shelter for 10 days (the kids slept in the VE-25)

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There's climbing in them-there hills!

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Gaby leading our first route: a 5.8 that overhung 15 feet!

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This nearby 5.9 was one of dozens of 5-star routes we climbed (Gaby on the sharp-end)

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Evening entertainment at the Piedra

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Martín, Analía and Rafi arrived the next day

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Gaby playing porter in the canyon

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Analía top-roping a 5.9

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Gaby belaying a Brazilian on a 6a+, two Chilean girls on a 6b, Martín and Analía on a 6a+ and Fede with some kids from Balcarce on a 7a.

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Same wall, different angle

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The 6a+s and the 6b were easy for the grades (more like 5.9s) but they were way good, anyways!

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Fede and the kids went down the hill to climb a 6c

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Breakfast is served!

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Gaby and the kids. The German is sitting behind, working on his notes.

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The German warmed up by hiking 6c+'s

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Some days were cold

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One of the best routes we did was the following 6b+. It was easy for the grade (maybe 10b or 10c) but it was 13 bolts of beautiful, steep, bolt-clipping ecstasy.

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Time to go back to camp

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Rafi trying to look studly for the girls

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The furthermost area of established climbing, near the end of the main canyon, is called "La Calavera". Look for a skull on the wall past the narrow side canyon

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Martín belaying Analía (invisible) in the Canyon of the Calavera (the small side canyon visible in the previous photo)

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More evening entertainment

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Let's go climbing!

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The Jardín de Edén has 5 different 5-star lines. Great climbing! Here the grades felt solid

Gaby leading the 6a: 13 bolts of continuous, pumpy, vertical to slightly overhanging climbing on positive holds. Good lead, Gaby!

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Me climbing something else in the Jardín. More bolt-clipping ecstasy!

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The swimming hole

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Beautiful light on our last walk out

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Here is the official Petzl movie about the 2012 RocTrip, if anyone is interested in that sort of thing. The video does make some interesting use of music.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Cheers!

  Trip Report Views: 2,845
yanqui
About the Author
yanqui is a climber from Balcarce, Argentina.

Comments
EdwardT

Trad climber
Retired
  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:00am PT
Excellent TR. Love all the pics. Thanks for sharing.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:31am PT
Cool. Thanks
i-b-goB

Big Wall climber
Nutty
  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:41am PT
Hoot!
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
  Feb 8, 2018 - 07:12am PT
Envious, Yanqui! That looked like total fun!!


Maybe in my next life, I'll get to be born and raised
in the Southern Hemisphere!

TFPU!
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Feb 8, 2018 - 07:16am PT
yes! LETS GO CLIMBING*, THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT TR
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 08:59am PT
Thanks for the Peninsula Valdes photos, too. It's a wild wild place with mind blowing wildlife. Not a great place to get around by hitchhiking in the late 70s, though.
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 09:23am PT
Fascinating, thanks-lars
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 09:43am PT
Oralé! Gracias!
jogill

climber
Colorado
  Feb 8, 2018 - 12:44pm PT
A super TR, Tim. Thanks!
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
  Feb 8, 2018 - 12:56pm PT

A sport climber's heaven... TFPU!
BigB

Trad climber
Red Rock
  Feb 8, 2018 - 02:31pm PT
place looks awesome fun
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Feb 8, 2018 - 02:48pm PT
Looks like a great vacation! So may cool places in the world.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Feb 8, 2018 - 03:03pm PT
A little bit of heaven 👍🎊
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Feb 9, 2018 - 12:55pm PT
Wow that place looks cool. The best places seem to be far from everyone at times. Kinda like Wyoming.
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
  Feb 10, 2018 - 09:20am PT
This place looks awesome. Thanks for the trip report
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Feb 10, 2018 - 09:32am PT
Posibilidades sabrosos!
Muy bien hecho caballlero.
Bullwinkle

Boulder climber
  Feb 10, 2018 - 11:26am PT
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
Author's Reply  Feb 11, 2018 - 10:05am PT
I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the reclusive, Patagonian StoneNude, but to no avail! Besides, I don't know how to shoot in black and white. Or in color, for that matter. Although I have gotten pretty good at giving a solid belay while snapping butt shots.

Darwin: I can imagine! Even nowadays, the few vehicles that travel the peninsula are mostly tour transports or family cars packed to the brim with offspring and supplies. No es fácil hacer dedo!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Feb 11, 2018 - 10:56pm PT
wonderful!
mcreel

climber
Barcelona
  Feb 11, 2018 - 11:47pm PT
Great TR, thanks! Looks like a great destination.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Feb 12, 2018 - 04:51am PT
Great pics! Gotta get down to Argentina someday, definitely high on my list.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Feb 12, 2018 - 07:32am PT
¡Muy Bien!
Larry Nelson

Social climber
  Mar 2, 2018 - 10:08pm PT
muito bom
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Mar 2, 2018 - 10:45pm PT
thanks for the TR
so many places....
Go