Peaks above the Northern Patagonia Icecap. The British Joint Ser ...

Peaks above the N orthern Patagonia Icecap. The British Joint Ser­ vices Expedition (11 members, plus two Chilean arm y lieutenants), led by C. H. Agnew and C, S. Gobey, spent five months (O ctober 1972M arch 1973) on the Chilean N orthern Continental Ice. F rom the base, set up at Kelly Inlet, the group made inland trips to pursue research in hydrology, geology, glaciology, natural history and surveying. D uring the survey trips, a party attem pted Patagonia’s highest peak, San V alentín, reaching no higher than 2000 meters because of bad weather and avalanche danger. Cerro La T orre (the “T orre T obler”, of the New Zealanders) was likewise attem pted and the attem pt abandoned because of avalanche risk. One of the leaders and two climbers tackled Cerro A renales (11,253 fee t), reaching a pass of 2000 meters on the Colonia glacier, but were forced to abandon the attem pt on the peak because of crevasses. The last four weeks of the expedition were spent exploring and partially surveying the Benito, San Q uintín, San Rafael, Colonia and Andrée glaciers. On M arch 21, 1973, the party was evacuated by ship. E v e l io E c h e v a r r ía