South America, Peru, Cordillera Huayhuash, Tasacra Grande Oeste, Tsacra Chico Norte, Rasac, Ninashanca, Yerupajá, Trapecio

Publication Year: 1980.

Tsacra Grande Oeste, Tsacra Chico Norte, Rasac, Ninashanca, Yerupajá, Trapecio, Cordillera Huayhuash. Our group consisted of Frenchmen Nicolas Jaeger and photographer Philippe Charliat, Englishmen Brian Hall and me, and the Peruvian porter Alfonso Solano Morales. After arriving at Base Camp on Jahuacocha on May 19, Hall, Jaeger and I on May 22 climbed the minor but previously unclimbed summit of Tsacra Grande Oeste (5589 meters or 18,337 feet). We ascended the northwest face (TD) and then descended the southwest ridge leading to Ancocancha before cutting down the southeast slopes. In the company of Charliat we made an ascent of Tsacra Chico Norte by the easy northeast face route on May 27. The next day Jaeger soloed the west face of Rasac Oeste (5700 meters or 18,701 feet, TD). After descending to the brèche behind, he then climbed the west face of Rasac itself (6040 meters or 19,817 feet, D sup), descending by the long ridge over Rasac Central (5617 meters or 18,430 feet). Hall and I then made a difficult new route on the prominent west spur of Ninashanca (5637 meters or 18,495 feet, ED) on June 3 and 4. We descended the northeast ridge and face. Meanwhile Jaeger was filming on Yerupajá. With Charliat and Morales he climbed the west face to the south col and then soloed the final ridge to the summit (6632 meters or 21,759 feet). We three then climbed on June 13 the southwest ridge of Trapecio (5653 meters or 18,547 feet, ED), probably making the second ascent. The next day we descended the much easier north ridge, making the first traverse of the mountain. We had thought of making an extensive traverse of the Huayhuash, but this idea was abandoned after the traverse of Trapecio. Jaeger later decided to try the traverse again and on June 6 repeated the itinerary we had already made on Trapecio but he abandoned the idea until a future year because of bad weather.

Alan Rouse, Alpine Climbing Group