JD-0251
Second pitch of "Barridos por el Viento" (Swept by the Wind, 5.13a), Piedra Parada, near Esquel, Patagonia, Argentina
© 2001 Jerry Dodrill

Damian Benegas doing 5.12 free moves while his brother Willie belays below. We had been working on this steep new five pitch sport route for a week, but were limited to morning climbing due to fierce Patagonian winds. I was on assignment in Patagonia for The North Face who sponsors the Benegas Twins. Endless jumaring, rappelling and hanging in space while always spinning in the wind rattled my nerves as I photographed them. Occasionally, the wind blew me straight out from the cliff then stopped, resulting in a crushing pendulum swing back into the wall on my 100 meter rope.