Caldwell & Vanhee Aim to Free Climb Torres in a Day
American climbers Tommy Caldwell and Siebe Vanhee have returned to Patagonia with an ambitious objective: to free climb the 1,200m South African Route on the Central Torre del Paine in a single 24-hour push.
Siebe Vanhee climbing in Torres del Paine. Photo: Siebe Vanhee/Facebook
“The first time, it took us 19 days, the second time, it took us 18 days…Now we are trying to get it done in a 24-hour push,” the pair reported.
Vanhee is already tied to a major chapter in Patagonian climbing history. In 2024, he joined Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll and Nico Favresse for the first free climb of Riders on the Storm, also on the Central peak of Torres del Paine.
File image of Phurba Ongel Sherpa. Photo: Pioneer Adventure
Caldwell recently climbed the Platinum Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite with Alex Honnold. While Caldwell has climbed often in Patagonia, this marks his first time climbing on the Torres del Paine.
Last week, during a brief weather window, Caldwell and Vanhee launched their first attempt – just hours after Caldwell arrived in Chile. The team, accompanied by photographer Felipe Tapia, started up the South African Route on the East Face at 6 pm, planning to climb through the night.
Vanhee described immediate challenges, including difficult routefinding, questionable rock quality, and wet slabs. After 10 hours of climbing, including a 90-minute rest on a ledge, the climbers turned around at the 14th pitch, at the section known as the Waterfalls.
“The send wasn’t for that day, but it sure was a great reconnaissance mission,” they said. “Next time we aim to make it to our previous high point in six hours…and under 24 hours to the summit!”
The South African Route is a 1,200m, 30-pitch line that follows a dihedral system up the tower’s east face. The route was first climbed during a three-month expedition (November 1973–January 1974) by Paul Fatti, Roger Fuggle, Michael Scott, Merv Prior, and Richard Smithers of South Africa, together with American climber Arthur McGeer.
It was the first route opened on the tower’s east face and the third overall ascent of the Central Torre del Paine.
The first ascent team graded the route A4/5.10 (6+/7- UIAA).
The first free climb came in 2009, led by Nico Favresse and Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, with Ben Ditto. Planet Mountain reported that the trio spent 13 days freeing the route, describing it as some of the best free climbing of their careers. The free-climbing team assessed the overall difficulty as 7b+/5.12c.
Caldwell and Vanhee now hope to push that same historic line in a single continuous day – one of the boldest free-climbing speed objectives currently underway in Patagonia.
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