South America, Peru, Rondoy, Cordillera Huayhuash

Publication Year: 1962.

Rondoy, Cordillera Huayhuash. Walter Bonatti led an expedition of the Monza section of the Club Alpino Italiano to the Cordillera Huayhuash. With him were Bruno Ferrario, Giancarlo Frigieri and Andrea Oggioni. (The latter died tragically on the Grand Pilier du Frêney within a few weeks of his return from Peru.) They set up Base Camp on May 24 at 13,775 feet on the Mitucocha (lake), at the foot of Rondoy, Jirishhanca and Ninashanca. From their high camp on Rondoy at 16,750 feet, after a spell of bad weather Bonatti and Oggioni tried the ridge to the left, but snow and ice conditions prevented their being able to continue. This pair started off again in the evening of June 5 despite poor weather, this time attacking the ridge to their right. It was difficult climbing. They finally tunneled through the ice of the ridge to reach the other side, where they found a steep ice couloir, which they followed to the summit (19,302 feet).* They arrived at 5:30 p.m. on June 6. Bad weather forced them to bivouac in an ice cave only a short distance from the top. Since the weather was better the next morning, they made the half hour climb back to the summit to take photographs, arriving at 7:30. On May 27 Bonatti, Oggioni and Ferrario made the first ascent of Paria Norte (16,968 feet) and on May 31 all of the climbers made the second ascent of Ninashanca (18,495 feet). (First ascent by Klier and Gruber, 1954.)

*According to La Montagne of February, 1962, Bonatti has informed Terray that they reached a subsidiary summit and not the main one.