Cerro Torre tragedy : the rescue story by the Ragni di Lecco

Della Bordella, De Zaiacomo, Bacci

Cerro Torre East face, with north face in the shadow and Conquista path/ ©Matteo Dellabordella

What has happened in recent days on Cerro Torre has overwhelmed us. In the space of a few hours there was anxiety as we waited for news, relief at knowing that our climbers were safe and sound, happiness at having achieved a new route and despair at the tragedy involving Corrado « Korra » Pesce and Tomas Aguilo. Our climbers Matteo Della Bordella, David Bacci and Matteo De Zaiacomo experienced this tragedy first hand as they too were opening a new route on Cerro Torre when it happened. Here is their report of the events – their new route, the accident, Aguilo’s rescue and Korra’s attempted rescue.

Tuesday 25th January.

It is 11.30 am, David Bacci, Matteo De Zaiacomo “Giga”, and I (Matteo Della Bordella) set off up the east face of Cerro Torre, via the route established by Cesare Maestri and Toni Egger in 1959, up to the triangular