El Gran Trono Blanco, East Face (Direct), Sierra Juárez On December 27 to 29, Isabelle and Henri Agresti and Larry Gorbet climbed a new route on this 1600-foot face in Baja California. The route went almost all free, and the rock was excellent. Ledges were frequent and natural protection was more the rule than exception, so that only 40 pitons, nuts, and wedges were placed in 20 pitches, with 22 placed on the two aid pitches. Access is best from the plateau behind (west of) Trono Blanco, via descent into Cañón Tajo (3 to 4 unpleasant hours). The first 7 pitches follow the ramp used by Karlstrom et al. in January 1972 (A.A.J., 1972 pp. 157-158; Summit Sept. 1972:10-13). After a bivouac at this point, surprised by a storm, we decided to try to avoid the A3 pitch and wind-exposed diagonal cracks of the original route; instead we followed 13 new pitches more sheltered from the wind. From the bivouac, we traversed slightly right, then up two pitches, after which easy ledges led left to a line above the start of the route (just right of center of the face). From here we went directly up, mostly in cracks and chimneys, in a recess left of a large zone of overhangs. This section includes two A1, F6 mixed pitches and a passage of F9. A second stormy bivouac was necessary after pitch 17. NCCS IV or V, F9, A1.

Henri Agresti, Club Alpin Français