Bad news from Patagonia.

After a full day of walk, on 7 April, they arrived at Camp 1. The day after nine kilometers to get to Camp 2. The same of last year. But conditions are very different. The lake that there was last year has disappeared. And more the rain starts to come down strong.

The day 9 all go up to Camp 3. It is mounted on a side of the glacier. But a strong wind and rain give many problems. The 10 always under wind and rain all the equipment is transported on the glacier to start to go down in the mills but ... Too much water jumps into caves with raging waterfalls. Back at camp under winds of 100 kilometers per hour they find the tents blown away.

The next day the camp is moved to a less windy place always under rain. But anyway the night the wind (above 100 km/h) disassembled the base camp tent in which among other things slept in 5. They tried in every way to hold it even waking the others. Despite being in 12 there was no escape. The only way not to get carried away was demolish and repair itself all in the few remaining tents.

Yesterday they tried to descend at least one mill. But still nothing to do. So now they will leave the glacier recovering everything possible and making at least two trips will return to Camp 2. The hope is that lower some pit is practicable.

Tomorrow they expected to return to Camp 1 and then from there the 15 mornings with the horses back to Puerto Natales.

We hope that at least on the way back the weather makes them dry out a little.

Universities and research institutes involved: University Bicocca of Milan - Italy, University of Milano, Sciences of the Earth A.Desio - Italy, Natural History Museum of Paris - France, University Diderot of Paris - France, University of Florence - Sciences of the Earth - Italy, University of Bologna - Italy.

Istitutional contact: Administracion de Parques Nacional – Argentine, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine – Chile.

Participants: Alessio Romeo, Francesco Lo Mastro, Martino Frova, Tommaso Santagata, Alain Couté, Catherine Perrette, Farouk Kadded, Hervè Gherardi, Lionel Blain, Serge Aviotte, Alfredo Brunetti, Andrea Franzetti, Andrea Pasqualini, Fulvio Iorio, Omar Belloni, Patrizio Rubcich, Roberto Ambrosini, Roberto Azzoni.

Sponsors: Ferrino, Dolomite, Amphibious, Tiberino, Leica France, Garmin, DeWalt.

Patronages: Union Internationale de Spéléologie, Italian Speleological Society, Italian National Mountains and Caves Rescue Corp.