South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Nevado Santa Cruz

Publication Year: 1976.

Nevado Santa Cruz. We four, Jean Baehler, Claude Guinans, Serge Claudet and I, started our approach from Colcas, an hacienda above Caraz with one porter and ten donkeys. We took three days to go past the lake, Cullicocha, between 14,100- and 15,100-foot passes, then to go by the village of Alpamayo and to reach Base Camp on July 11 at 14,775 feet on the northeast side of the Nevado Santa Cruz. Camp I was placed at 17,725 feet at the foot of the great northeast face, where the first ascent of the mountain had been made in 1948 by Swiss. We had hoped to climb the north ridge and began to fix ropes on the lower part, despite snowy weather. We gave up the route in favor of the 1948 route. Camp II was placed on the north ridge where we emerged from the face at 19,700 feet. On July 21 Baehler, Guinans and Claudet reached the summit (20,535 feet). The descent was made en rappel down the great face.

Jean-Jacques Asper, Club Montagnard de I’Androsace, Switzerland