South America, Bolivia, Ancohuma, East-northeast Face

Publication Year: 1980.

Ancohuma, East-northeast Face. The route we climbed on Ancohuma was to the right of the one done in 1978 by Cosimo Zappelli and his party (A.A.J., 1979, p. 252). We left La Paz on May 22 and drove to the Candelaria mine. The next day with 40 llamas and 10 porters we descended to the village of Coocó and climbed to the lake, Chearcota, where at 15,425 feet we placed Base Camp. Camp I was established at 18,050 feet on May 25. On the 28th we began the ascent, gaining 500 feet and 500 feet the next day. We all left for the summit on May 30 for the final attack, arriving at the summit at five P.M. We were Marco Corte Colo, Agostino Da Polanza, Dr. Giulano De Marchi, Rolando Menardi, Piero Valmassoi, Piero Vecellio Salto and I as leader. The face we climbed up to the summit ridge was in three distinct parts: the lower pillar, a trap- ezoid, having a gully on its left side which we generally followed, some 1150 feet in height; the upper pillar, a triangle some 800 feet high; and the final ice section of 600 feet. The rock was up to UIAA Grade VI-; the ice was not particularly difficult except where we first got onto it. We bivouacked on the top, where Dr. De Marchi suffered frost-bitten feet. We descended the normal route. On June 1, I soloed a new route on the north face of Vilujo IV (18,229 feet).

Gianni Pais Becher, Club Alpino Italiano