Ecuadorian ascents. Marco Cruz and the Frenchman Joseph Bergé made in October 1974 the first ascent of the north face of Quilindaña, the “Matterhorn of Ecuador” (4898 meters, 16,070 feet), the last 1000 feet being on a near vertical rock wall of not very good quality. Climbers of San Gabriel Institute, Quito, ascended Nevado Cayambe (5789 meters, 18,993 feet) by way of its west side, beginning at the Espinoza Glacier and then reaching the last part of the mountain by a detour to the east, a new route (late 1974). Also in late 1974 climbers of the National Polytechnical School made the second ascent of Fraile Grande, Altar group (5200 meters, 17,060 feet), which had been ascended, with difficulty, by the Italian Tremonti party in November 1972. In May 1975, another party from the Polytechnical climbed El Sangay, which according to surveys by this expedition is only 5160 meters (16,929 feet) high. (Information obtained through Patricio Torres, of El Comercio, Quito.)

Evelio Echevarría