Tuco, Raria and Pongos Groups, Cordillera Blanca. After ascending the Quebrada Pachacoto, near Catac, we arrived at the Quebrada Ingenio which divides the Tuco and Caullaraju groups on the south from the Raria and Pongos groups on the north. A well maintained road to a modern lead mine permits easy access by truck to the low pampa of this region, where the characteristic vegetation is the Puya Raimondi. We explored the Tuco system, emerging from the Quebrada Pastururi (between Ingenio Pampa and Punta Huarapasca) in a southerly direction. After crossing the pass between the Nevado Tuco and Tuco Oeste, we reached the Quebrada Tuco, which we followed to the Condorjitanka Pass. This gave access to the Quebrada Huicsu, which divides the Caullaraju group in the south from the Tuco group. Macario and Eugenio Angeles and I climbed the following virgin peaks: Tuco (17,976 feet) on July 23, Condorjitanka (17,690 feet) and Condorjitanka Chico (c. 17,586 feet) on July 25 and Huicsu (17,838 feet) on July 26. In the Raria group we explored the Quebrada Huaiyacu. On August 2, D. Solano, M. Angeles and I made the first ascent of Raria Norte (18,340 feet). The two Angeles brothers and I climbed for the first time Raria Este (c. 17,979 feet) on August 3 and Raria Este Chico (c. 17,553 feet) the next day. We finally reconnoitered a route above the Quebrada Raria on the south face of Pongos, which we hope to complete in 1964. (Altitudes marked "c.” were made with an aneroid barometer; the rest are from the DÖAV map (1;100,000).

Domingos Giobbi, Club Alpino Paulista