About the origin of mountaineering in Argentina. Interview with Alexander Cottescu.
Mountaineering in Argentina originated in 1931, and today we will speak with Alexander Cottescu who has witnessed and participates in this story of mountains and adventures in Argentine Patagonia.
1) Tell us a little about yourself and how you are connected with the mountains.
My name is Alexander Cottescu, I was born in Chile but raised in Argentina, Patagonia, my life was spent in Bariloche, a city located in the Northwest center of Argentine Patagonia, a mountain village that currently has 150,000 inhabitants, but has great story. Considering that it is surrounded by mountains, it is well inserted into the Andean ridge, with a landscape of lakes and lagoons.
I grew up there, doing field trips at school or summer walks, always doing some hiking along the trails and nearby hideouts according to age, so I absorbed a bit of this passion that arose at that time and is a way of life today.
2) how mountaineering appeared in Argentine Patagonia
In general, the beginnings of mountaineering in Argentina and more specifically in Argentine Patagonia were varied, apparently because the population consisted of migrants in the area.
Personalities such as Otto Meiling, a German who came from Bavaria, settled in Argentina in the early 1900s and moved to Bariloche, where in 1931, together with other climbers, created the Bariloche Andean Club, which still exists today. day. Both he and others are pioneers in mountain climbing of Cerro Tronador, Cerro San Lorenzo, Monte San Valentin, even attempts to climb the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
Meiling was very important to Bariloche because he built several mountain shelters such as Cerro López in Chaluaco, as well as the Tomseks, Jacobs y Negra lagoons , all these places mountain shelters were created in the 50s.
Otto Meiling lived in what is now Otto Hill, named after him. He was engaged in skiing activities for people, in those years the ski center Bariloche de Cerro Catedral was not yet so popular, so the locals came to Cerro Otto, which was located a few kilometers from the center at a time when the snow came directly to the foundation of the city.
He is considered one of the personalities very important for the mountain tourism of Bariloche, however, going back a little to the past, no less important was the father of Alberto De Agostini, an Italian who was born in the north, in Selesia, Piedmont region, in the Alps, at the end of 1800 -x, and at the age of 26 this father Agostini joins and reaches the south of Patagonia, having entered the Land of Fire, in Punta Arenas, where he makes many business trips to preserve culture, as the Salesianos did, and also explores territories, documenting his trips, there is a very beautiful photographs of that era.
It will then eventually approach north of South Patagonia or sectors such as Lake Argentina or Los Ledyares National Park.
I remember well the difficulties that people faced in those days, these were big expeditions, but first you need to think that at that time the equipment was different, we are talking about something very close to “nothing” in comparison with the fact what now.
The first mountain expeditions were done, for example, with tents that had no clasps, they had buttons, so imagine, climbing ropes are now made of nylon, before they were made of hemp.
People who climbed the peaks, like those with Agostini, were more technical, met animals, used nails. Today these are museum exhibits, very dangerous to use, but these people were very strong, they climbed and took everything calmly.
Personally, I feel that people are changing their vision, and as the equipment improved and the mountain became more accessible to all people, the spirit of the mountain also changed.
A few days ago I spoke with a friend who lives in El Chalten, his father was from the Trentinar region of Italy, and was also a mountain pioneer in the Chalten sector, He was assisted in the expeditions by Camilo Ferrari, who was one of the first to climb El Chalten and Monte Fitz Roy
At that time, people went to remote sectors for mountaineering, it was around the 60s, They settled for several months, and in those months they did not communicate with their families, sometimes they went down to the communication point to send some kind of telegram. telling them everything is okay. In those days, it was normal if someone went to the mountains and did not communicate with anyone for 3 months. Nowadays, people get discouraged when they have no cellular connection for 2 days, and more than anything they love the selfie they take on the mountain.
With the rise of technology and the quality of equipment and communications, things have changed, which obviously brings safer excursions with fewer accidents, but also a shift from mining philosophy to something slightly different from the original.
So the logistical difficulties were in this
- Food
- Access and transport of tourists from rather remote cities of the world at that time to places where there was nothing in Patagonia, like, for example, in El Shalten, so you had to take everything with you ..
There were no rescue systems, so people were much more in danger, but there were also expeditions that approached these Patagonian sites in ox carts, traveling for several weeks until they reached the base of the hill, and then faced an expedition and an ascent. I see it as something much more romantic at the time, even more attractive with a mountain philosophy, much more related to the mountain itself.
3) how did your uncle Paul start mining? Tell us about him and his involvement in this ambitious project.
In my family, it all starts with my grandmother, who is passionate about the mountains, but on a smaller scale (shelters, a few hills), but always going uphill, I remember the story of how when she was young, she left with a friend in a Fiat 600, they drove the entire route 40 and went to El Chalten. They went to bed on the Perito Moreno glacier. as she is also from Europe, when they emigrated, they came from the mountainous regions, so there was always in the family unconscious “this is a mountain and you have to climb it”
My uncle, Paul Cottescu, from a very early age associates with mountaineering in principle, and at the age of 18 he already became a “refugee” from the “Black Lagoon” shelter in Bariloche, and then he worked in the mountain area with people who go hiking and other activities by providing them with services.
The Helysky was also connected to my uncle, from the Helisky of the runway on the mountain with lifting facilities, but this was recently, there were no lifting facilities before.
Also to get to more attractive cross country locations. These sectors had seal skins glued on at the bottom and you could access parts of the mountain where no one else was.
This was my uncle’s first experience, and when he realized that it was his passion and his choice of work, he decided to emigrate to Germany and see if there were job options there, at a time when Argentina was complicated by the military dictatorship.
After realizing that Chalten was his place and where he wanted to develop the project, at that time he meets in Germany a woman who will later become his wife and tells him, showing him a photograph of Mount Fitz Roy, “this is where I want to develop my life and my project ”, and my aunt is delighted with this idea and at a very young age (25 years old) follows him to Argentina. Argentina is very different from Germany in communication and other aspects of development, and yet follows it to Patagonia, where almost no one knew about this place in Europe and trekking tourism was still just emerging.
After arriving, they settled in Schalten in 1987 (Chalten has existed as a village since 1985) and started from the land at that time. The land at that time was obtained in an easier way, because the village had to be inhabited and was on the border with Chile, so people had to settle and generate their projects. This project started with a cafe, which later became a restaurant, and a base center for attracting tourists from Germany, because they were lucky enough to get in touch with the German Alpine Club ( DuÖAV Club), with which they subsequently worked a lot, attracting groups of Germans from 15 to 20 people who toured Argentina and Patagonia mainly on hikes. My uncle specialized in ”alpine guide” even in order to streamline the number of mountain guides and have a good level of their quality, I founded the Association of Mountain Guides in Argentina, and this was the beginning for opening a specialization in Argentina and having quality guides with international certificates.
4) what are the outstanding activities I develop in the mountains
Continuing about my uncle Paula, the achievement to conquer the peak “PUNSEHOT” is one of the peaks that are located in the south of Patagonia, the main peak of Mount Shalten.
In Bariloche he opened several new tracks near “Monte Tronador”, which would be a record to connect in one trip, which lasts one day, the 3 peaks of Monte Tronador (Argentine Summit, International Summit and Chilean Summit).
In addition, a visit to the southern continental ice at Schalten was organized, which is a very attractive expedition, as it is one of the largest ice masses on the planet, in particular the third largest after Antarctica and Greenland. For this expedition, he set off from the north side of Mount Fitz Roy and on expeditions that could last up to 11 days, sometimes on sleds, sometimes on skis compacted with seal skins, sometimes on snowshoes, with the difficulties associated with the high risk of crossing the ice. associated with such an expedition. Therefore, given his knowledge, management and decision-making skills, I manage to create a very good mountain tourism service, both in El Shaltes and Torres del Paine or other routes that are a little further north.
One of the interesting events in which I participated and organized my uncle Paul with the agency was an expedition to the northern ice fields with the famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner, a famous climber with several world records, achieving the same quality of service with the agency that I create with my aunt Andrea Nielsen …
Together with fellow investors, they are promoting what will be HELISKY in Patagonia, conceptually having access to more secluded mountain sectors by helicopter, which is very popular in the United States and Canada, but which in Argentina was quite new and very expensive, besides not available to everyone, you need to understand that 1 hour of a helicopter suitable for the mountain costs $ 6,000 per hour and includes logistics, decision on safety, avalanche risk, stability of the snow mantle and all that. Paul, together with 2 friends, formed this innovative project and my uncle, as a mountain guide, led it. There are more such companies in Argentina today, but my uncle Paul Cottescu was a pioneer in this type of tourism in Patagonia.
5) There is a high risk of accidents in the mountains. Do you remember any major mountain accident in Patagonia and how it was solved?
even go to rescue corpses. It is an accident that the population of Bariloche recalls today, as they were city boys and were associated with several relatives.
As for Mount Fitz Roy, it is well known for its level of difficulty, not so much because of its height, because it is only 3400 meters, but its sloping slopes make the climb quite challenging.
Also, the weather conditions in Patagonia are extreme, for example, from time to time a change in wind gusts from 120 to 1550 km per hour is common in Patagonia and very rapid changes in Patagonia, despite the fact that the day starts out clear, can subsequently be filled with clouds and storms. For this reason, there are also many accidents and risks for people.
Other factors include slipping stones or lack of knowledge and underestimation of the mountain.
As for this, it is a reality, and every year someone dies, especially foreigners who do not know the mountains and do not have rescuers, many bodies have not been found and remain to this day on the mountain, like on Everest.
Planning is important when climbing a mountain, but many tourists arrive in the area with little time and try to climb at any cost, without doing any preliminary preparation and exploring the mountains, which makes accidents easy.
Previously, the expedition was planned for months, now there are people who plan it in days.
6) How is the emergency service organized?
Coming back to the emergency service, there is a relief commission, but it is non-profit, unlike mountain centers like Aconcagua in Chile where people pay quite expensive insurance and there is a relief commission there that saves you if necessary. there is even a helicopter. For the whole of Patagonia, there is no such service, and then, if accidents occur, salvation is solely by the free will of people who are in danger, and, taking into account that it is often a means of labor, since these people are guides or helpers of the mountain, who trying to save someone can lose a season and a bunch of income on which they live, however, Argentines do not hesitate and grab their things in order to save someone, if necessary in general altruism, which can be very dangerous, it is clear,
But in short, it is an independent activity, and these rescue teams are usually numerous, and it is not uncommon to find groups of 30 to 40 people going to rescue 1 person. This is mainly because if a person is very injured, they have to lower him on a stretcher, and these stretchers are difficult to move in the snow with the person on top, and it becomes necessary to carry in turns among the rescuers because it is a strong physical effort.
It is important to consider that a helicopter is not available, with the exception of Gendarmeria but it is not always available, so if a tourist who thinks that in the event of an accident he will be rescued by a helicopter is a mistake, because it is not, unless in the Aconcagua mountains, but not in Argentine Patagonia, this is something that is very important for assessing a risk factor.
Fortunately, there are many travel agencies with experienced guides and excellent service, so that a person who does not have enough mountain experience can access it with a guide and an agency that supports him and makes the right decisions about the itinerary and chooses the perfect time for the expedition. to avoid risk
7) are there organizations for mountain tourism?
Association, in Bariloche it is
Andean Club Mountain Club, in which membership is paid, and this money is used to maintain the premises of mountain shelters
There are other Sky clubs
8) how did mountaineering start in Patagonia?
The origins of mountain tourism in Patagonia began with trekking expeditions, but no difficulties, such as climbing large peaks, mainly along moderately easy roads to access villages at the foot of the mountains, where only good shoes, backpack, and relative fitness.
Shelters are located more in Bariloche or in the north, but no longer in the south, such as in the Glacier National Park, where Fitz Roy is located.
Then more specialized guides on the high mountains appeared, they began to offer climbing to the peaks in the tourist offer.
And thanks to this, it is possible to hire a guide who can lead you to climb Mount Fitz Roy, for example.
9) what kind of tourists come to you?
Tourists with some experience usually come, such as Europeans who have hiked their mountain ranges, such as people who have traveled Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. And, Patagonia, being the trekking capital of the world, attracts people who love and enjoy the activity.
Then it is a tourist who already knows what he is looking for in some way.
This is a fairly active tourism from different groups of complexity. And many come in groups.
The Andes mountain range is very extensive, and the Darwin mountain range extends further south in Tierra del Fuego forming a very long mountain range in which to hike and hike.
10) what do tourists like the most?
The villages around the mountains have managed to create a large offer of gastronomy and hospitality, so not only get to a secluded place, as many Europeans are surprised by the large open spaces, which are often empty, since the villages are very small and not everything is inhabited between them.
But despite the remoteness and smallness, a high quality service is provided, of course, with standards different from European ones, because if we think that there is goat milk from a producer in the Alps, which is nearby.
In Patagonia, food is sourced with great difficulty from other remote large cities, but despite this there is a good supply of food.
11) need adaptation or special training for mountain tourism? Special equipment?
First, there is minimal physical fitness, not related to a sedentary lifestyle, to face 24-kilometer hikes with steep climbs from 600 to 1400 meters. Therefore, only to be in moderately good physical condition.
However, there are also short hikes and places with car access for people with disabilities, which also allow you to enjoy the incredible visual spectacle these mountains have to offer.
- Hiking boots
- Quick Dry Pants
- Storm jackets as wind is a very present factor in Patagonia
12) How was the development of high-altitude hotels for tourists?
They were started by Otto Meilning and are now part of the tourism offer, which offers rooms, breakfasts and the entire gastronomic offer. The costs are not that high, at about $ 20 a day.
There is also access to places where you can stay with your own tent.
Currently, the hotel offer is wide for tourists and with very good equipment.
13) what is the dynamics of the shelter staff? Do they live there or come for the season?
The shelter staff usually live there during the season, settle in and have weekends when they descend to the base village.
There are also slopes for moving food, drinks and debris that forms in mountain shelters.
There is a norm on the mountain that says that “everything that goes up the mountain comes back down,” I organize that too.
This is mainly because there is little biological activity from extreme temperatures, which makes it difficult to decompose an organic product like the shell of a sycamore tree, for example.
14) What experience did you have at the top of the mountain and what did you like the most?
Mostly hiking the 1,800m trails and Fitz Roy one of my greatest experiences was the opportunity to climb the Southern Continental Ice Route as the third largest ice mass in the world, which was a dream come true that I invited a guide friend to join. This expedition lasted 5 days, in a tent. It was extreme because the weather was very bad and therefore dangerous.
Currently, I am already thinking about higher level mountains and considering that I will have to hire a guide, since we are talking about 3000 meters mountains with ice zones and climbing difficulties, and therefore the mountains become risky for life, therefore it is not recommended to conquer them in alone.
I also did ski trips to distant places
15) how do you deal with the pandemic?
Argentina is only slowly opening up international tourism, so the pandemic is hampering tourism development.
The pandemic gave the grief a good respite and gave it time to re-vegetate the trails, so it was not wrong to see it in this aspect.
16) what is the most beautiful place in the Argentinean mountains of Patagonia would you invite our readers to?
Obviously, I recommend the village of El Chalten, a small village of no more than 1,500 inhabitants located in the province of Santa Cruz in Patagonia, in what will be the northern sector of Los Graciares National Park on the shores of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torres …
You arrive in this village by plane, on which you first arrive in a city that is 200 kilometers away, it is called Calafate, next to the Argentine Lake sector, which also has its own mountain range. Where is the famous Perito Moreno glacier, a must-see for tourists who come to this sector, because it is the only one that is in equilibrium, not retreat, and which, moreover, is the only one in the world that has such easy accessibility , in which you can approach even by car, and then walk through the footpaths no more than 100 meters.
I also recommend Calafate, which has very good gastronomy and expeditions of all kinds including glacier boat trips.
There are several stops for rural tourism and horseback riding, sheep shearing.
And when you return to CHALTEN you pay nothing but your accommodation, food and guide, the walk in the park is free and includes trails and the people are very friendly and many tourists who came there fell in love with this place and returned to live there after that and make a life project.
There is a very good international travel service, many people are trained to serve tourists, speaking not only English but also French, German and Russian. In general, the language is not a limitation, because the staff is highly qualified.
