Cordillera Raura. From July 8 through July 22, I conducted a climbing school in the Tinquicocha area of the Raura. My companions were Leslie Vanden Brock, Keith Jimmerson, Julie and Robert Carpenter and Ed Anderson. Having spent June in the Cordillera Vilcabamba doing anthropological studies, we were well acclimatized and were able to start climbing the day after our arrival at the Raura mine. None of our group excluding myself, had any previous snow or ice climbing experience so the first few days were practical exercises in the techniques and theory of alpine climbing. Choosing an easy nearby summit for our first climb, Julie, Keith, Ed and I climbed Patrón Noroeste (17,317 feet) by its east face on July 11. The weather, as it would be for all of July, was perfect and our thermometer gave a reading of 65° F at noon on the glacier. For the next week we concentrated our efforts on the nine summits of the misnamed Siete Caballeros group. Between July 13 and 15 we climbed three of the Caballeros which probably could be called south to north, peaks 4, 6, and 7. I am currently working on a map based upon data from the mine and measurements that we took ourselves during the climbing, which should help clarify the confusion of misplaced peaks in the Raura. On July 16, Julie, Robert, and I placed a high camp north of the Tinquicocha Basin. The same day we did a reconnaissance on a splendid, unclimbed, ice and rock peak north of the Caballeros, Chirajanca (5000 m. ? 16,404 feet), the peak above the lake, Patarcocha. The following day, Robert and I reached its pointed summit by a complicated route, which started on the west face and finished on the east. The climbing was difficult on mixed rock and ice; a fitting climax to a pleasant stay in Raura.

GARY ZIEGLER