Portillo and Pangal districts. Among the more important activities for the 1969-1970 local season (December through March) are the following climbs. The rock peak of Caracoles (4510 meters, 14,797 feet), located near the ski resort of Portillo, was ascended for the first time by Police Captain Pedro Rosende and five other companions on December 7, 1969. Sergio Kunstmann and P. Marín ascended a small peak near the international pass of Piuquenes, which they named Punta Rayada (“Striped Mountain”, c. 13,100 feet). The fine rock spires, with small hanging glaciers, located at the head of the Pangal river, behind the town of Rancagua, were the goal of a party of the Club Andino de Chile, section Santiago, led by S. Kunstmann. The following ascents were made: second ascent of Cerro Cotón (4500 meters, 14,764 feet) on January 16, 1969, the first of Cerro Triangulación (4000 meters, 13,124 feet)on January 15, Morro Trasnochados (4500 meters, 14,764 feet) and Punta Campamento (3900 meters, 12,795 feet), the latter two on January 20. Augusto Figueroa and Oscar Urrutia, of the Club Andino Rancagua, made also the first ascent of the rock peak Chapa Verde (“Green Slab”; 3400 meters or 11,155 feet) on August 30 in wintry conditions. At the end of the season and in the same area of the Pangal valley, Alto del Cipresito (3950 meters, 12,959 feet) was also ascended for the first time on April 19 by W. Foerster, S. Kunstman, L. Rivas and M. Zwahlen.

The most important ascent of the 1969-70 season in Central Chile was the opening of a new route on Alto de los Leones (5445 meters, 17,854 feet), located near Río Blanco. A group of eleven men of the 2nd Mountain Regiment of the Chilean army, led by Major Emilio Moraga, attempted the peak in three different rope teams; two of them followed the normal route (used by the six previous successful expeditions to the top) and the third climbed a variant to the right (north face, northern gully). The groups joined in a high camp at 16,400 feet, and the following day, January 9, reached the top. The descent was made by the normal route. Difficulties of the new route were rated as V, with one short section of VI, in which a rope was fixed. Rock was found to be extremely unstable, which is typical of this district in Central Chile. All the remaining faces and ridges of this fine mountain remain as yet to be climbed.

Humberto Barrera V., Club Andino de Chile