Italian expedition aims for winter ascent of Goretta Pillar on Fitz Roy in Patagonia

Currently in Argentina, specifically in Buenos Aires, Italian climbers Matteo Della Bordella, Tommaso Lamantia, and Marco Majori are en route to El Chaltén to attempt the Casarotto Route on the Goretta Pillar of Fitz Roy. A "missile shooting straight into the sky," first climbed in 1979 by the legendary Vicenza-born alpinist Renato Casarotto in one of the most iconic solos of all time – after two previous attempts, one of which was with Luigi Zen and Giovanni Maiori, Marco’s father. Considered by many as one of the most beautiful routes in Patagonia, it has never been climbed before in winter. From the Argentine capital, Della Bordella shared the following with us.

Matteo, tell us briefly about this project.
The idea came because after 14 trips to Patagonia, I’ve always said to myself, "Come on, one time I’ll go in winter, one time I’ll go in winter" - and that time has finally come! It’s a natural evolution, I'm curios to see the mountains I love most – and which I believe are also the most beautiful – in a completely different context.

You've set yourselves an ambitious goal: the Casarotto Route on Fitz Roy’s Goretta Pillar.
Yes. Let’s say the idea of climbing Fitz Roy in the coldest season intrigued me, ideally via a route never done in winter before. When I suggested various lines to Tommaso and Marco, their eyes immediately lit up for the Casarotto. Marco has a strong family connection—his father was Casarotto’s friend and they'd climbed together, and even attempted this route together. Tommy also wanted to climb Fitz Roy, ideally via that route. So by combining my wish to climb something in Patagonia in winter, with an ambitious objective, and their ties to the Casarotto, this idea was born.

What do you expect?
From what I’ve heard, one of the biggest challenges of winter climbs in Patagonia is the extreme cold. It’s true, the weather should be more stable than in summer, but at the same time, I fear it’ll be very, very cold indeed. Climbing a hard route, on a vertical rock face, in such cold conditions… well, it’ll be a real challenge. Let’s see if we can pull it off!

You’ve done the route before, right?
Yes, I’ve climbed it in summer—twice, more or less. The first was in 2015 with Luca Schiera and Silvan Schüpbach when we opened our variation, and the second in 2023 with Leo Gheza during the Care Bear Traverse after approaching from the line from Mermoz. So, I know the route a bit, I know it's very hard, but I also know that maybe it’s doable.

The route is described as one of the most beautiful climbs in the entire massif.
Yes, it’s an incredibly elegant, stunning, aesthetic line—one of the most beautiful in Patagonia. It’s certainly our Plan A, but as always, we’ll have to see how things unfold. We’ll just go there and see.

The expedition is supported by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and sponsored by the Ragni di Lecco.