Cerro Torre is an iconic mountain. Situated in the wilds of Patagonia, punished by the harshest of winds and weather it’s summit is guarded on all sides by 4000 foot vertical rock wall walls capped by a giant ice serrac. Though only 3127m high it is regarded as one of the most technically difficult peaks in the world.

A thousand feet up the massive intimidated East face attempting to free climb the then unclimbed Maestri /Eggar line Leo slipped and fell violently hitting a ledge with his foot on the way down before the rope caught him 70ft lower.

He smashed the Tauls bone in his right ankle and sustained severe rope burns almost to the bone on his hands. A three day walk from the nearest road, with no possibility of rescue with the help of his partners Kevin Thaw and Alun Mullin he began a grueling 4 retreat.

After an agonizing abseil to get off the wall Leo crawled down the dangerous crevasse filled glacier and unstable steep moraine until reaching the valley floor 4000 feet below. From here he was carried to base camp before a horse finally delivered him to a clinic in the frontier town of El Chalten.

A week later he was operated on in hospital at home in the UK. Told by his surgeon he would be lucky to climb again.

At the indestructible age of just 21 it looked like Leo may have run out of luck. Thankfully after a year of rehabilitation his ankle healed superbly enabling him not only to climb at the top level once again but try his luck at BASE jumping!