Part 1: Chasing a line on Argentina’s Southern Ice Cap

By the time Thor Retzleff and Matt Tufts shouldered their packs in southern Patagonia, they’d already landed on one certainty: this trip wasn’t so much about skiing as it was about earning the chance to ski.

Regardless of the outcome, the duo would be in good hands together. Matt Tufts is a photojournalist deeply embedded in the ski community, and Thor is a Vermont-based skier and Renoun athlete with a calm, systems-minded approach to big objectives. Back home, he runs the sustainable portable sanitation company Wasted* full-time; in the mountains, he transitions from office life to expedition mode in a matter of days. He’s the kind of partner you want when the margin is thin: steady, prepared, and all-in.

Patagonia’s Southern Ice Cap has pulled Matt and Thor back again and again over the past three years. It’s wild, windy, and remote, and this season their goal was as aspirational as the place itself: to attempt a massive east-face line deep in the icefield. There’d be no helicopters and no easy exits.

Matt first came to El Chaltén in 2019 and never really left. Over the last few years, he’s spent months at a time living there, building relationships, learning the rhythms of the weather, and slowly earning trust within the local community.

“Every time I go down there, it’s important to invest in the place,” Matt says. “Not just show up, ski, and leave. The weather is brutal. If you go down for two weeks expecting perfect conditions, you might ski zero days.”

Thor approaches it differently, making time out of his work life for shorter, focused windows. Somewhere between Matt’s long-term relationship with the region and Thor’s expedition mentality, the two have built an adventure partnership that works.

Thor touches land with the Endurance 98

This year, they took on one of their most high-stakes expeditions to date. Instead of accessing the ice cap by a more direct approach, they traveled nearly 28 miles through valleys, crossed a lake by boat, and were dropped near a remote estancia, a tiny homestead run by a local family living far from any roads.

And that was just the beginning. The local porters helping with the initial carry-in eventually turned back, leaving Thor and Matt with five people’s worth of food, fuel, skis, ropes, and tents. Those loads then needed to be shuttled through brush, talus, and broken glacier terrain.

“It took us three or four days just to reach snow,” Matt says. “People think expeditions mean you’re skiing every day. In reality, skiing might be five percent of the whole trip.”

Most days included double carries, shwacking through dense brush, and scrambling rock traverses. Inch-by-inch, they progressed toward the glacier.

Next up: the waiting game, the weather window, and the moment the mountain made a decision.

This article was written with content gathered from a Renoun athlete Q&A session arranged exclusively for RenounPro members. One of the many perks RenounPro members experience is access to our athletes and learning about their incredible ski adventures firsthand. Matt and Thor are excellent storytellers and after sharing details about the expedition, they took questions from members.

Renoun Skis Reviews team has over a decade of ski design and manufacturing experience, and decades of combined ski-industry experience ranging from certified PSIA ski instructors to shop technicians, racers, and coaches. We also have a deep passion for and love of all things skiing. The team utilizes this experience to provide unparalleled reviews that dive deep to help guide your purchase for just about any ski-related item and help inform you of any ski-focused tips and tricks about maintenance, on-hill performance, and even the best places to enjoy your Après-Ski. Through written and video content, the Renoun Skis Reviews team is here to help inform you on all things ski-related.

Our team curates recommendations based on an intensive research and review process and leverages our unique expertise in the industry. A product must be exceptional in quality and have unique features to qualify for consideration in our review process. For all tips and tricks, all advice is based on on-hill and ski manufacturing knowledge, as well as intensive research to ensure accuracy and help skiers like you stay informed.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at info@renoun.com.