Jun 4, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min · 11 segments
The east face of the Central Tower in Chile's Torres del Paine is one of the great walls of the world. The first route up the face, climbed in 1973 and 1974 by a South African team, had only been…
Siebe VanheeGuest
Jim AikmanHost
Ben DittoGuest
Welcome to the Cutting Edge Podcast, back for another story from the wildest corners of Earth, this time on an iconic granite spire in the Patagonia region of South America.

In February of 2026, Belgian climber Seba Van He and American Tommy Caldwell pulled off an unprecedented 24-hour climb of the enormous east face of the central tower in Torres del Paine, Patagonia.

Their climb demonstrates a clear evolution of climbing style in the area and a narrow triumph over the notorious hazards of climbing at the southern tip of South America.

We've got Seba and Tommy on the show this month, as well as Ben Ditto, a member of the First Free Ascent team, to talk about the climb.
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