On Superstition (Hardwear Sessions)

The Red Pillar, Patagonia

View More Photographs from Janet and Freddie's trip to Patagonia.

By Janet Bergman

I feed out another arm length of rope to Zach and a smile comes across my face. I'd momentarily imagined standing on the diving board summit of Mermoz. Realizing the prematurity of the thought (I was sitting at a belay only a few hundred feet up the wall), I pushed it away before the vision in my mind's eye was clear.

'Tranquilo' is not the word I often associate with climbing here in Patagonia. I spent an entire season here injured once, cloaked in fear and anxiety yet wondering why I wasn't enjoying myself. Then there were the many predawn approaches that revealed wind and ominous clouds over the ice cap as we got started climbing. Not to mention the week of perfect weather Kirsten was sick for. Icy rock; windy conditions; parties already on the route...few alpine climbs truly fall into place seemingly effortlessly.

Back in town after Kirsten departed for home, I ran into Zach, who was having a similarly trying season but had extended his ticket in hopes of one last chance to pull things together. As if on cue, a good weather forecast came.

Logistics for us going climbing together were tough though, as each of our climbing gear was stashed in separate valleys. The route we decided on was where my gear was, so among the borrowed gear Zach gathered was the pink 'princess' helmet.

We fueled up on day old facturas and instant Nescafe at 2 am and the four hour approach was shortened by a frozen glacier, which had us taping up before sunrise. The climbing was of the highest quality and our dynamic was good, as if we'd been climbing together for years, though this was our first time tying into the same rope.

Half way up a climb I'd been dreaming of for years, I gazed out over the expansive Patagonian landscape and sighed at the relative ease an effort can unexpectedly take. Some people have their amulets to wear or refuse to change their socks; my superstitious ritual is to prevent my mind from moving too far ahead when things are going right. Knowing that the possibility is real to actually stand up there is what starts the imagination, and that possibility is almost as sweet as reaching the summit itself. I gently pushed the vision away again and came back to the moment, still smiling.

Here are some photos from the past few weeks climbing with Kirsten and Mark and Maddog and Freddie and also of that day on the Red Pillar with Zach. Homeward bound in a few days, its been a great trip!