On the third try, Tommy Caldwell of the U.S. and Siebe Vanhee of Belgium have done the nearly impossible. They climbed the South African Route up Central Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia in 24 hours.
They called the challenge SAIAD — South African In A Day.
Taking advantage of a short weather window, the climbers completed the route in exactly one day from the base of the tower to the summit. They started at 3:20 am and stood on top at 3:20 am the following day. They even had time to stop for 1 hour and 45 minutes to brew coffee near the summit.
Topo of the route and timing along several of the pitches. Photo: La Sportiva
Caldwell and Vanhee climbed in a fast, bold style, with no portaledges or fixed ropes.
“They climbed every pitch free while battling unpredictable weather, 5.12c cruxes, a demanding 60‑meter off-width, and an exposed alpine finish in the dark,” Edelrid, one of their sponsors, reported. “Moments after reaching the summit, a storm hit, turning their eight-hour descent into a fierce fight through snow, wind, and near‑zero visibility.”
Secrecy game
What the climbers have not yet revealed is the date of the ascent. Last week, they moved from their base in Puerto Natales, Chile, to El Chalten, Argentina. This suggested they had abandoned their Chilean goal for the season after two failed attempts in the past few weeks. On the second attempt, the pair reached the 21st pitch, beyond the greatest difficulties, but had to retreat due to a developing storm.
A Patagonian classic
The South African team that in 1973 made the first ascent of the 1,200m, 30-pitch route needed 13 days to do what Caldwell and Vanhee managed in a day. Caldwell and Vanhee also made the third free climb of the route.
The route follows a dihedral system up the center of the east face of the Central Peak of the Torres del Paine group. It includes difficulties up to 7b+ (5.12c). The unpredictable Patagonian weather further spices up the climb.
“Strategically, this climb was perhaps more complex than others I’ve done in Patagonia,” Tommy Caldwell told La Sportiva, another sponsor.
This is Vanhee’s second major feat on Torres del Paine. In 2024, he teamed up with Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll and Nico Favresse for the first free climb of Riders on the Storm, also on Central Torres del Paine.
