The 41-year-old from Novara had been blocked for 40 hours on Cerro Torre at 3128 meters
The Italian mountaineer Corrado Pesce, overwhelmed on Friday by an avalanche of stones and stones on a difficult face of Cerro Torre in Patagonia, “can no longer be alive”. This was assured by Carolina Codó, an Argentine doctor and head of the El Chaltén Alpine Rescue Center. «We were only able today to zoom in on the images of a drone flown in the area of the accident on Friday morning. Pesce’s body can be seen slipped 50 meters below the platform where he had spent the night with an Argentine companion. At that height, and without adequate protection, death from hypothermia comes after a maximum of two hours, “he explained.
Corrado Pesce, «Korra», 41, from Novara in love with mountaineering and mountain guide in Chamonix had been stuck on Cerro Torre, a legendary mountain in Patagonia, since Friday. Overwhelmed by an avalanche with his climbing partner, the Argentine Tomas Aguilo while they were on the East face and attempting to climb a new route. Now Tomas is in hospital, after having helped his friend to reach the “box of the English”, a shelter that two English climbers had left on the wall in 1980.
The Argentine had not been able to do anything else, he raised the alarm with the Inreach device and the rescue teams had organized themselves, even with a helicopter, then abseiled to meet the rescuers. By helicopter he was transported to the El Calefate hospital for various fractures. He said that «Korra» could no longer move due to severe injuries. It was immediately feared that he had a broken pelvis. Bad weather prevented the rescuers from returning to the face. He was tied under the ephemeral protection of what remained of the aluminum box: almost halfway up the difficult face: between him and the foot of the impressive East of Cerro Torre there are about 500 meters.
In recent days, bad weather and snow blocked the expedition of the Lecco Spiders at base camp: Matteo Della Bordella, Matteo De Zaiacomo and David Bacci. They too joined the rescue team, with other mountaineers, park guards, gendarmes from El Chalten, the small capital of Patagonian mountaineering.
Corrado “Korra” Pesce, the Italian mountaineer originally from Novara, but living in Chamonix for years
“Korra” and Tomas were descending along the vertical granite wall, just to escape the snowstorm driven by strong winds. The Basque brothers Eneko and Iker Pou on their Facebook page write of «several avalanches have fallen on the face due to the rise in temperatures». Again: «Korra and Tomas lost most of their equipment in the avalanche. Rescue attempts were unsuccessful due to bad weather and falling stones and snow. In this part of Argentina, unfortunately, there is no helicopter suitable for this type of rescue ».
Of the two injured mountaineers they write: «Two of the best mountaineers of the moment». Corrado Pesce who has lived and worked in Chamonix since he was 18 years old is among the Italian mountaineers who have accomplished feats on the Patagonian granite spiers. Considered by guides and professional climbers as gifted with great talent, he became famous ten years ago when after having made two great solo ascents on the North of the Grandes Jorasses (Mont Blanc) and for the repetition of the Via dei Ragni on Cerro Torre, in addition to ‘crossed between Aguja Standhardt and Punta Herron.
Unlimited access to all site content
€ 1 / month for 3 months, then € 3.99 / month for 3 months
Unlock unlimited access to all content on the site
#mountaineer #Korra #killed #Fish #missing #Patagonia #Bad #weather #stopped #rescue