Japanese Expedition to the Cordillera Blanca, Cordillera Ayacachi and Cordillera Vilcanota. The Peruvian Andes Expedition 1961 of Kwansei Gakuin University was planned as one of the ceremonial events of the 70th anniversary of the university and supported by the Osaka Asahi Press. The members were not experienced except in the mountains of our country. Seven of our party (Ichizo Misawa, Sotoji Tanaka, Hidehiro Minamii, Hiromitsu Nagai, Akira Normura, Yoshihiko Owagwa, and Sukenari Yokoyama) left Japan by ship and arrived at Callao on May 18, while Takane Fujiki and I arrived at Lima by plane. We were joined in Peru by Itaru Mishimura, who lives in that country. We were heartily accepted by the Peruvian authorities and Japanese colonists; therefore, all went on favorably for us. We first visited the Cordillera Blanca and ascended from Yungay through Musho. On June 9 Fujiki and Nishimura climbed Huascarán’s north peak (21,834 feet) and on June 11 Takana and Ogawa reached the south peak (22,205 feet), both by the regular routes. From this region we journeyed to the Cordillera Ayacachi, northeast of Cuzco and northwest of Marcapata. We left from Mahuayani village. On July 4 Misawa, Nishimura and Yokoyama made the second ascent of Coylloriti (c. 18,375 feet) directly from the glacier. Two days later all other members ascended the east ridge. Colquepunco (c. 18,550 feet) (First ascent August 22, 1953 by P. Ghiglione and F. Marx. They gave the altitude as 19,751 feet, but this appears to be too high.—Editor.) and Ayacachi IV (18,210 feet) were climbed on July 8 by Misawa and Minamii. The latter was a first ascent. On July 9 Tanaka, Nomura and Ogawa climbed Ayacachi I (c. 18,375 feet), Ayacachi II (17,880 feet) and Ayacachi III (18,210 feet). Most of these climbs had been done three weeks before by the Spanish expedition. We then moved south into the Cordillera Vilcanota, where on July 26 Nomura and Ogawa climbed Cayungate II (19,459 feet). This was accomplished after 35 hours of attack from an advanced camp with a bivouac; it is believed to be a first ascent. The next day Takana and Yokomura made the first ascent of Cayungate III (19,584 feet), climbing in 11½ hours from the advanced camp. On July 30 Fujiki, Misawa, Minamii and the Peruvian Guardia Civil Víctor Manuel Dueñas ascended a minor peak (19,310 feet) of Cayungate I by its northwest face, a first ascent. We call this peak “Pico de Victor.”

Daizen Kawamura, Kwansei Gakuin University Mountaineering Club