Pucaranra, West Ridge. A strong Italian expedition climbed a difficult new route, the west ridge of Pucaranra (20,168 feet). We were Renato Binaghi, Elio Boreatti, Dr. Emma Cucchi, Eugenio Porro, Antonio and Gianni Rusconi, Andrea Sioli, Gianbattista Villa and I as leader. We ascended the Quebrada Cojup to place Base Camp at 14,575 feet. On July 6 we moved along the glacier up to Camp I. On July 9 we got to the col between Palcaraju and Pucaranra at the foot of the west ridge, where we placed Camp II the next day at 18,075 feet. The narrow ridge was very difficult with cornices, ice, unstable snow, snow mushrooms. We worked for some days, preparing the route up to and over a rock tower. On July 20 both Rusconis, Villa, Porro, Boreatti and I left Camp II to push past the fixed ropes to the summit. By sundown we had not yet made it, but the bivouac tent had wormed its way out of a pack and had fallen off the mountain. We had a cruelly cold bivouac at 19,750 feet before pushing on to the summit (20,167 feet) the next morning.

Rino Zocchi, Club Alpino Italiano