Mexican Expedition to the Cordillera Real. The Mexican Expedition to the Bolivian Andes visited the Cordillera Real during the winter months of June, July and August and reached eight important summits. Three of these were in the Illimani group. On July 17, we had the opportunity to attack successfully a virgin peak located in the western part of the main group. At the same time other members of the party climbed two other summits of the range. Hugo Olavarrieta, with the Bolivian, Douglas Moore, made an ascent of the southern peak (21,200 feet) and the Bolivian Alfredo Martínez climbed the central summit (ca. 20,400 feet), while Adrian Aponte with the Bolivians Douglas Moore and Hector Lazarte made the first ascent of the point we called "Cumbre Manuel Hidalgo” (ca. 20,000 feet). We next visited the region near Condoriri, a lovely peak in the center of the range behind the Huayna Potosí group. Olavarrieta, the Englishman Tony Inglis, and the Bolivian Moore, on July 25 ascended an unclimbed peak, the Aguja Negra, which we renamed "Pico Independencia Mexicana” (ca. 17,700 feet). They enjoyed a delightful climb on both rock and ice amid scores of difficult and beautiful peaks. In the same region, Adrian Aponte with the Bolivian Martínez made the fifth ascent of Huallumen (ca. 18,375 feet) on July 21. Before visiting Illimani, we climbed in the Zongo region near Huayna Potosí, where the Bolivians Moore and Jorge Portugal and the Mexicans Aponte, Olavarrieta and I had the opportunity on June 18 to make the first ascent of a peak we called "Cumbre Fraternidad” (ca. 17,900 feet), which rises above the Lago Canada, one of the many lakes, formed by melt water, which make this region a true climber’s paradise. On the same day Moore and Aponte also climbed Cuna Tincuta (ca. 18,375 feet), while the Mexicans Sergio Hernández de la Rosa and Carlos Olivares Valderrabano, with the Bolivians Walter Galindo and Alfredo Martinez, ascended Cuticucho (ca. 17,060 feet). Both of these peaks had been climbed a number of times before.

Antonio Romero Benavides, Federatión Mexicana de Excursionismo