On September 7, Colin Haley achieved a historic first, completing the first solo winter ascent of Cerro Torre in Patagonia. The American climbed via the Ragni Route.
This marked Haley’s tenth climb of Cerro Torre and the culmination of a dream he had nurtured for over a decade.
“I kneeled on the summit of Cerro Torre just before 10 pm, by myself,” Haley wrote in a blog post, describing the moment he reached the summit under a brilliantly bright full moon.
A monumental challenge
The spectacular Cerro Torre is a beacon for alpinists because of its technical challenges and unpredictable weather. According to Haley, the climb demanded “ice climbing skills, mixed climbing skills, rock climbing skills, snow climbing skills, big wall skills, a high level of physical endurance, skills to thrive day after day in a cold, harsh environment, ski mountaineering skills, cross-country skiing skills, and even mountain biking skills.”
Haley’s extensive experience, including seasons on Denali, waterfall climbing in the Canadian Rockies, and big wall climbing in Yosemite, prepared him for this monumental challenge.
Colin Haley’s high point on Cerro Torre in 2023, on top of the Elmo. Photo: Colin Haley
Patagonian legacy
Haley’s history with Patagonia is storied. A veteran of the region, he first climbed Cerro Torre in January 2007 with Kelly Cordes. The pair completed the first full ascent of Los Tiempos Perdidos, an 800m ice chute on the South Face, followed by another 600m from the Col de la Esperanza via the Ragni Route. This route, first climbed in 1974 by a Ragni di Lecco team (an Italian mountaineering club), is renowned for its unique ice and rime features shaped by Patagonia’s fierce winds.
Haley’s subsequent ascents of Cerro Torre include the Torres Traverse with Rolo Garibotti and a single-day Torres Traverse with Alex Honnold, both among his life’s most meaningful climbs. In 2022, he completed the first solo winter ascent of the Supercanaleta route on Fitz Roy, and in January 2023, he carried out the first alpine-style solo ascent of Fitz Roy’s Goretta Pillar.
Moonrise above Aguja Bifida from Haley’s campsite at the base of Filo Rosso, on September 4. Photo: Colin Haley
The spark of an idea
The idea of soloing Cerro Torre by the Ragni Route first took root in December 2007, while Haley camped alone on the Torre Glacier after his partner bailed. Eventually, he retreated at the bergschrund below the Standhardt Col, deeming the goal too ambitious at the time.
A year later, in December 2008, Swiss alpinist Walter Hungerbuhler, inspired by a conversation with Haley, completed the first solo ascent of the Ragni Route. Though Haley was not upset, the experience taught him to be more guarded with his ideas, recognizing the creative aspect of envisioning new challenges in alpine climbing. Hungerbuhler’s ascent, however, occurred during a busy summer season with multiple parties on the route. This prompted Haley to consider a winter ascent to ensure a true solo experience.
Morning light on the Torres on September 5, as Haley headed up Filo Rosso. Photo: Ty Lekki
The 2013 attempt
Haley’s first serious attempt at a winter solo came in August 2013. That winter, he traveled to El Chalten — a town largely deserted in the off-season — and made one attempt on September 14. The Ragni Route, which faces south and receives little sunlight in winter, presented unexpectedly fragile ice. The fragility made free-soloing sections, which Haley had found manageable in the summer, far more challenging.
Additionally, the long approach was far more taxing in winter, requiring significant gear caching. His 2013 attempt ended just above the Col de la Esperanza. He had underestimated the difficulty and the need for extensive self-belaying in winter conditions.
Climbing the first roped pitch in September 2025. Photo: Ty Lekki
Pucher’s near miss
In 2016, Austrian climber Markus Pucher came remarkably close to achieving the first winter solo of Cerro Torre. Pucher, whom Haley describes as a “super-badass,” reached just one pitch below the summit before retreating, an effort Haley deeply respects.
“Arriving one pitch from the summit of Cerro Torre by oneself in winter is an incredible effort,” Haley wrote.
Pucher had previously made a solo attempt in 2015, reaching just below the Elmo, and his 2016 effort remains one of the most impressive in the peak’s winter climbing history.
Haley climbs up the Elmo. Photo: Ty Lekki
The 2023 setback
In 2023, Haley spent August and September in Patagonia, singularly focused on Cerro Torre. Heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures (colder than anything Haley had experienced, even after 16 ascents of Denali and a winter climb of Mt. Huntington) made the climb exceptionally challenging. Deep snow, the physical toll of the long approach, and the psychological strain of facing difficult conditions alone led to an unsuccessful attempt.
Discouraged, Haley declared he was done with rope-soloing and unlikely to revisit the project, citing the immense labor of the approach and the route’s severe cold in winter.
Dusk on September 6. Photo: Ty Lekki
The return
Circumstances in 2025 reignited his ambition. After an unsuccessful climbing expedition in the Karakoram’s Charakusa Valley, where poor conditions and constant rockfall thwarted his plans, Haley returned to Chamonix. With only six days to prepare, he made a spontaneous decision to return to El Chalten, arriving on August 13.
A favorable weather window was already underway, prompting him to begin portering gear immediately. Over several missions, he cached equipment near the base of the Ragni Route, having learned from his 2013 and 2023 attempts that preparation was crucial. On one mission, he hired a porter to carry 20kg to La Playita, a small but transparent detail he noted in his blog.
Haley starts up the first pitch above the Headwall, with Fitz Roy behind. Photo: Ty Lekki
The summit push
By September 4, with gear in place and promising weather, Haley began his ascent. Accompanied partway by photographer Ty Lekki, who skied to the Circo de las Altares to capture stunning images of the climb, Haley started from the top of Filo Rosso on September 6. The climb was grueling, with brittle ice, steep rime, and the physical demands of self-belaying.
A critical moment came on the final pitch, where a collapsed section of the summit mushroom forced Haley into a narrow crevasse.
Nearing the top of Haley’s first pitch on September 7. Photo: Ty Lekki
For nearly three hours, he chipped away at glacial ice in contortionist positions, leaving behind gear to squeeze through.
“I spent the next two hours and 45 minutes making my way through this crevasse, which I would describe somewhat as the ice version of the Harding Slot,” he wrote.
Emerging just before 10 pm on September 7, he reached the summit under a full moon, a moment both triumphant and nerve-wracking because he had to focus on the descent.
Looking up the last pitch from the penultimate pitch. The serac scar is clearly visible, and the false tunnel is the hole a bit to the right of the central arete. Photo: Colin Haley
A difficult descent
The descent was full of challenges, including a failed Beal Escaper device that forced Haley to cut his rope, requiring numerous Abalokov anchors with a shortened 45m line. Physically depleted, with swollen hands and feet, he reached the top of Filo Rosso by 6:15 am on September 8. The journey back to El Chalten took several days, with Haley carrying heavy gear through deteriorating weather. By the time he reached the Rio Electrico bridge, he had been mostly alone in the mountains for seven days.
Colin Haley at the entrance of the false tunnel. Photo: Colin Haley
The ascent marks the second complete winter climb of the Ragni Route, following a 2013 climb by Stephan Siegrist, Thomas Huber, Matias Villavicencio, and Dani Arnold. It is only the third complete winter ascent of Cerro Torre, after the above 2013 ascent and a 1985 Compressor Route expedition. Haley’s solo effort, however, stands alone as the first of its kind and is a testament to his deep connection to Patagonia’s mountains.
“This might be the most special one,” Haley reflected.
The summit of Cerro Torre in moonlight. Photo: Colin Haley
Colin Haley at the top of his first roped pitch. Photo: Colin Haley
For more details, you can read Haley’s blog here.
