Technical Team

Hielo Patagonico Sur

October 10, 2006. Nadia Tiraboschi, Antonella Giacomini and Eloise Barbieri challenge Patagonia and left for the far corner of the Latin-American continent to cross the difficult Southern Patagonia Ice Field that stretches for about 400 km from the Jorge Montt glacier.

The crossing

The complete crossing of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field is done almost entirely in Chilean territory with access from the oceanic inlet of Calèn, along the Jorge Montt glacier, and exiting from the Balmaceda glacier and then the Last Hope Sound. The point that determined the failure of most daring expeditions is the zone near the Cerro Mayo and, in particular, a depression known as the Reichert incisure or fault or the 1300 hill. This is a brief, pronounced and deep transversal interruption characterized by abyssal and perilous crevasses and seracs that cannot be crossed with sleds and skis. Access to the Calèn inlet was also difficult because of weather conditions and, in particular, due to continuous perturbations from the Pacific. Furthermore, the glacier is receding at an alarming pace, making the point where it becomes possible to use skis and sled further and further away.

THE TEAM

Nadia Tiraboschi
Nadia began practicing Alpinism about 25 years ago, when she also began excelling in climbing. This discipline was the spark that brought her to alpinism, first in the mountains near home and then on more important faces around the world, whether rock climbing or mixed and ice climbing. She also made her mark in Alpine, off-piste, and telemark skiing with important crossings of the Balkans and in Sweden.
In 2004, she participated in the "K2-50 years later" expedition.
Patagonia (1995 and then for 5 years) has already welcomed her as a protagonist along the Franco-Argentina at Fitz Roy, the Willans at Poincenot, and the Maestri at Cerro Torre.

Antonella Giacomini
Member of the Class of 1964, originally from Belluno, she is known for the repetition of numerous traditional routes, with Italian and women's records and extensive experience abroad that has taken her to India, the United States, Canada, Alaska, Patagonia Argentina and Chile, Africa, and Peru. In particular, between 1997 and 1998, she organized the first two Italian climbing-explorative expeditions in the Clyde River area of the Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. In 2000 she successfully completed an independent crossing of 600 km from the east to the west coast of Greenland with skis. In 2002 she was the first Italian, and among the handful of women in the world, to complete the partial north-south crossing of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field, leaving from the Jorge Montt glacier. As a journalist-publicist, she collaborates with several magazines in the sector and of general interest.

Eloise Barbieri
More than a mountaineer, she prefers to think of herself as "a traveler who prefers vertical exploration". Her love for the mountains is born of her Aosta Valley origins, but she soon learned to embrace more remote areas of the earth. Between 1999 and 2000 she circumnavigated the Himalayan region alone on foot and with makeshift means: Southwestern China, Tibet, Pakistan, northern India and Nepal, living with nomads of the plateaus. She then crossed the region of Dolpo with salt caravans and traveled along the frozen Zanskar River during the winter with a group of monks. Between 2001 and 2002 she took two 6-month trips to South America where she climbed some of the most important peaks of the region between Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia: Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, South Illiniza, Alpamayo, Tocclaraju, Ishinca, Chopicalqui, Huascaran, Artesonraju, Illimani, Sajama, Huayna Potosi, Condoriri. Elbrus, Aconcagua, Mc Kinley, and Kilimanjaro must be added to the list. In 2004 she began her first experiences at 8000 meters with success on the Shisha Pangma (Central Peak 8012 m). In 2005 she successfully reached the peak of Cho Oyo (8201 m). In 2006, her perseverance was rewarded and at the end of July she finally conquered Gasherbrum II.