Rolando Garibotti
The mountains have been Rolo’s safe haven since he was a kid growing up in northern Patagonia. He’s been climbing in Patagonia just shy of three decades, and though his passion has shifted over the years, spending time in nature continues to be the one constant that makes him content. He’s a guide, co-author of a guidebook to the area, Patagonia Vertical; and creator of the online climbing guide pataclimb.com. These days he splits his time between the town of El Chaltén in Argentina and the Dolomites in Italy.
Rolando Garibotti looks back at a lifetime spent in Patagonia and forward to the generation following in his footsteps.
Weather has a way of complicating—and enriching—everything. By the time I top out, it’s snowing and it’s dark. I walk back as far as the rope will let me, and in the flattest spot I can find, I dig a hole and sit, bracing myself. I yell, “Rope-fixed!” repeatedly, but my partners can’t hear me…
While many historic climbs occurred this past season, if I were giving awards, my “Patagonia d’Or” would go to a selfless and lasting non-ascent. The momentum began in late 2014, with climber Steffan Gregory, who sent me an email: “I’m looking at returning to Chaltén next season and wanted to put some time in giving…
Rolo and a handful of stoked Patagonia ambassadors and friends will be sharing images and stories of their adventures throughout the Patagonia climbing season. Follow along at patagonia.com/vidapatagonia. If you’re planning to make a climbing trip to the area, tag your photos with #VidaPatagonia to appear on the page. The peaks of the Chaltén Massif…
Our friend Rolo Garibotti just sent word about his latest labor of love for the region he loves so much. Previously, we updated you on his work with the Patagonia Sustainable Trails Project. Today, we're happy to share news on the launch of Pataclimb.com, an online climbing resource assembled by Rolo and his friend Doerte…