Ascarani, Peaks in Soral Groups, Cordillera Apolobamba, and Illimani, North Ridge of North Peak, Cordillera Real. Our expedition from Manresa, Spain, of the Centro Excursionista of the Bages district was highly successful. We carried out ethnological research in the native towns on life, customs and art. We made a study of acclimatization of the human body to altitudes over 13,000 feet. Our climbers, cooperating with the scientists, had brilliant mountaineering success. Our members were Arturo Bargay S., leader, Dr. Amando Redondo A., Dr. Calixto Sabater T., Antonio Bahí A., Ramon Majó L., Ricardo Cots T., Juan Frontera T., and myself as technical director. In the first phase we explored and made a topographic study of part of the Cordillera Apolobamba; in the second we ascended a difficult new route on Illimani. We climbed 19 virgin summits and made three second ascents. (These may be identified on the Imperial College Expedition’s map found opposite pages 38 in the A.A.J., 1960. — Editor.) They were P 5350 (17,553 feet; at head of the Río Sanches-cucho, 1-1/2 miles southwest of Soral Este and 1-3/4 miles northwest of Ascarani) on July 13 by Cots, Bahí; P 5570* (18,275 feet; 1-1/4 miles southwest of Soral Oeste) and four minor summits in the Ridge that runs to the northeast on July 16 by Frontera, Bahí; P 5655 (18,553 feet; westernmost summit of Soral Oeste ridge before the pass, 1/2 mile west of highest summit) on July 16 by Cots, Majó; P 5525 (18,127 feet; 1 mile southeast of Ascarani) on July 16 by Bargay, Montfort; P 5605 (18,389 feet; just northeast of P 5630 and 1-1/2 miles east of Catantica) on July 17 by Montfort; P 5655 (18,553 feet) and P 5655 (18,553 feet) (the two summits on the northeastern end of the ridge climbed in part by Frontera and Bahí on July 16) on July 18 by Montfort, Bahí; P 5650 (18,537 feet) and P 5635 (18,487 feet) (the two summits immediately west of the highest summit of Soral Oeste) on July 21 by Montford, Bahí; P 5520 (18,111 feet), P 5500 (18,045 feet), P 5590 (18,340 feet), P 5640* (18,504, the last named peak is on the Imperial College map, northeast of Match Suchi Coochi; it was a second ascent since the British climbed it) in east-to-west traverse on July 21 by Cots, Frontera; P 5040 (16,536 feet) and P 4960 (16,273 feet) (peaks 3/4 and 1/2 mile southwest of P 5030 and 1-1/2 miles north of Soral Este) on July 22 by Bargay, Majó; Ascarani (18,307 feet; second ascent) on July 22 by Bahí, Montfort; P 5125 (16,814 feet; between P 5030 and those climbed by Bargay and Majó on July 22) on July 26 by Cots, Bargay; P 5390* (17,684 feet; 1/2 mile northwest of Soral Este; second ascent) on July 26 by Montfort, Frontera. The hardest ascent was that of the first P 5655 climbed, which called for two days of extremely difficult ice and rock climbing; there were pitches of slate covered by verglas.

In the second phase of the expedition, we all had to work hard for seven days against cold, steep slopes and bad weather, but we had an added danger: a fusilade from the armed forces, as we ascended the previously unclimbed north ridge of the north peak of Illimani (21,129 feet). In 1938 a plane, reputedly carrying a cargo of gold, crashed on this ridge. Frequent searches for it have made the authorities uneasy. After leaving Base Camp at 14,400 feet on August 9, we ascended to the foot of the north ridge at 16,000 feet and up the ridge to Camp I. We placed 100 feet of rope above camp on difficult rock, using some direct aid. On the 10th we climbed this crux section, which brought us above the first icefall; under rock fall we continued upward, turning séracs on rocks to the left. We finally reached the main ridge crest at 18,375 feet, where we camped. As we pitched Camp II, we were challenged by an armed patrol far below on the eastern glacier. On the morning of the 11th we heard bullets whistle past. Luckily clouds came in and we could continue to place Camp III at 19,000 feet. A radio message to Base dispatched an expedition member to search for the patrol, which he could not find until the next day. The ice ridge above was very steep. Then came a steep couloir. We camped at 20,175 feet in a schrund. On the morning of August 13 we climbed an ice couloir, then less steep slopes to the summit cone to reach the north summit at one p.m. The descent took two days, during which we made fifteen 200-foot rappels. We prefer not to disclose which three members of the expedition made the climb, since it was a team effort.

José María Montfort, Centro Excursionista Comarca de Bages

*The Spaniards measured altitudes by aneroid barometer, whereas the British Imperial College Expedition (A.A.J., 1960, 12:1, pp. 37-42) surveyed by triangulation. The altitudes marked by asterisk (*) are British heights, which should be more accurate because of the method used. Since the Spaniards gave P 5640 as 5700 meters, we have reduced the altitudes of the peaks climbed the same day all by 60 meters, assuming the difference is constant. We feel that the altitudes given by the Spaniards in the Soral Oeste group must be all too high since the British gave the highest peak an altitude of only 5640 meters and the Spaniards gave the altitude of 5655 meters to three summits and of 5650 to another, all four of which must be lower. - Editor.