South America, Peru, Other Ranges, Chuspi, Cordillera de Huaytapallana, and Other Peaks in Central Peru

Publication Year: 1969.

Chuspi, Cordillera de Huaytapallana, and other peaks in Central Peru. While working with the Instituto Geofísico near Huancayo, established by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, I visited the Huaytapallana together with Bernard Frey and Marie Mayer on June 13, 1964 to make the first ascent of Chuspi (18,000 feet). We reached the upper half of the northwest ridge from Laguna Chuspicocha and followed it to the top. On July 4, 1964 I climbed Lasontay (2 miles southeast of Chuspi, 18,280 feet) from near Mina Reina by the west spur, a horizontal traverse of the western névé and the north ridge. Lasocuchuna (18,230 feet), southernmost of the three high peaks of the range, is best known because of the nearby Paso de Huaytapallana. Sometimes it is called Lasontay Sur, or Yurac Rumi. It was climbed on August 14, 1964 from the pass via the south ridge by B. Frey, M. Mayer, François Mégard, and myself. Descent was made partly by rappel to the upper eastern glacier. These climbs were made directly from Huancayo, getting back by car the same day. In the Huaytapallana Karu I climbed the main, north summit of Apucasa (17,300 feet),* southern peak of the range, via Jallalampa and the north ridge on June 7, 1967.

Nevado Yuracmayo (c. 11°25' south, 75°23' west, 16,750 feet) was climbed by the way of Hda. Yuracmayo, the south glacier, and southwest ridge, descent by the north ridge, on December 6, 1964. In Yuracmayo and Maco this peak is called Apu Huayhuay. In the Cordillera Oriental Nevado Ulcumayo (16,500 feet) was traversed from the southeast to the main summit on August 15, 1965. While this chain is some 12 miles east of Carhuamayo, Raushjanca (16,600 feet) is about the same distance east of Junin. It was first climbed on September 7, 1957, by Manuel Garay, Francisco Chuco, Gerardo and Bernardo Yantas. I followed on November 4, 1967 by the west spur. Consisting of volcanic rock it is entirely bare of permanent ice.

In the Cordillera Occidental, south of Oroya, I climbed Culic (17,050 feet) above Mina Norma on July 22, and with Bernard Frey Tullujuto (18,470 feet) on July 31, 1965, by the south ridge. Also Tatajaico (18,110 feet) I ascended via the south ridge on June 14, 1967, while Tatatunshu (17,240 feet) and Tranca (17,620 feet) were climbed on June 15 and 17 together with Ekke Ruebel and his party. On October 18, 1965 I visited Cerro Turuyoj (P 5396, 17,703 feet) which is 8 miles south of Minas Yauricocha. A note by Fred Ayres and David S. Palmer dated June 9, 1963 was found on Razuhuillca (16,178 feet) near Huanta on July 13, 1967 which I climbed by the west face.

Olaf Hartmann, Goettingen University

* Apucasa is not the peak climbed by Stanley Shepard in 1965 (A.A.J., 1966, 15:1, p. 179). He climbed the northernmost, and highest peak, called Pampalazo. But he overestimated the height by about 900 feet and confused some of the names.—O. H.