climbing the aguja frey...N.G.

Climbing the Aguja Frey, Lake District of Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Photograph by Forest Woodward

“I was superconcentrated on my climbing,” recalls climber Luli Murakami, seen here on a route known as Sifuentes Weber on the Aguja Frey, located in a haven of granite needles overlooking the Patagonian Andes. The Argentine climber was leading on the last pitch, after a crack ends and where a rock face begins and leads to the summit. “This was a very fun route," she says. "The needle also has many other options to climb—some are really hard. Whatever route you choose, the view is always spectacular.”

In the background is Tomcek Lagoon, Catedral Hill on the right, and El Piramidal needle at the bottom of the lagoon.

"Argentina is a great place to climb because it has many amazing spots offering a wide variety of styles, different types of rock, beautiful landscapes, and friendly people," Murakami says. "There are many places to explore and open new routes."

Getting the Shot

During his first assignment in Patagonia, photographer Forest Woodward wasn’t certain how smoothly the shoot would work out. His is nerves were quickly calmed. “After 48 hours in transit, we finally hiked over the ridge that overlooks Frey, and I couldn't help but smile to myself," he recalls. "The place is so breathtakingly beautiful that it was hard to take a bad picture.”

“I knew I wanted to get a shot on the Aguja Frey that showed not just the route, but the natural beauty of the surrounding cirque and the lake below,” he says. With the sun behind him, casting harsh shadows on Murakami’s climbing route, Woodward momentarily thought the shot wouldn’t work. “Luckily a cloud passed over the sun for a few quick seconds, evening out the light on the rock and eliminating my cast shadow, and I was able to snap this frame,” says Woodward, who found himself climbing, rappelling, and shooting with a recently fractured hand.

Woodward shot with a Canon 5d Mark II, 16-35 Canon f2.8 L series, and a Singh-Ray 2-stop soft graduated ND filter.