South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Peaks West of Urus Oeste

Publication Year: 1984.

Peaks West of Urus Oeste. We climbed in the Cordillera Blanca from June 19 to August 1. We helped in the rescue of a serious climbing accident of the Swiss. A rope-team fell some 1500 feet from just below the summit of Hua- scarán Norte. One climber was killed and three more seriously injured. I was able to give medical assistance to these three and we provided rescue equipment, I-V fluid and medicaments. One badly injured Swiss was carried to Musho by night on June 27. We climbed by their normal routes nine peaks, including Pisco Oeste, Tocllaraju and Ranrapalca. We climbed to two summits which we believe were first ascents. They lie west of the west col of Urus Oeste. From the Quebrada Ishinca we climbed grass slopes to a glacier on the left side of the summit pyramid ofUrus Oeste which leads to the col. From the col we followed the snow ridge to a summit that looks from the valley like the Aiguille du Midi. We continued along the short corniced ridge to a higher summit of some 5100 meters (16,733 feet), the last prominent rise on the ridge. We also climbed a snow dome that rises north of the first peak.

Bernd Fertig, M D., Alpinclub Karlsruhe, West Germany