South America, Peru—Cordilleras Huayhuash and Raura, Rasac, Middle Buttress of West Face, and Yerupajá, West Face Direct

Publication Year: 1984.

Rasac, Middle Buttress of West Face, and Yerupajá, West Face Direct. From June 23 to 26 Louis Deuber, my wife Alice and I climbed the west face of Rasac. From Rasaccocha we climbed east for four rope-lengths over polished cliffs to a small lake at the edge of the glacier, where we bivouacked at 16,000 feet. We ascended a not very steep glacial terrace to the foot of the middle buttress at 17,725 feet, then climbed the left side of the buttress to bivouac in the upper third. We reached the summit ridge 800 feet north of the highest point. This was an objectively safe, demanding and interesting ice climb with some pitches up to 60°. [The buttress was climbed by two Frenchmen and a German in 1980, though they approached the buttress differently, traversing from the col west of Rasac Oeste. See A.A.J., 1981, page 226.—Editor.] From July 3 to 7 Deuber, Kurt Graf, Peruvian Alberto Callupe and I climbed alpine-style the direct west face of Yerupajá, emerging right on the summit. We bivouacked at 19,700 and 21,000 feet and a rope-length below the summit. We bivouacked again at 21,000 feet during the descent. Callupe, who is one of his country’s best climbers, is the first Peruvian to climb the west face direct (and probably the first Peruvian to reach the summit).

Hans Zebrowski, Schweizer Alpen Club