Rock Climbs in Central Chile. Columbians Luis Andrés Romero and Marcelo Arbelaez made a new route in December 1982 on the south face of San Gabriel, 40 miles from Santiago in the Cajón del Maipo. This is probably the best rock climb in the Santiago sector. It is ten rope-lengths (5.10, A3). To the east of Rengo lies the Cajón del Río Claro, the Chilean Yosemite. The granite walls rise 1500 feet. The granite is of good quality though somewhat scoured and with few cracks. The Club Andino Rancagua has made several routes, the best of which are on the south face of the north tower, both climbed in January 1983. They are El Grano Diedro (the Great Dihedral) (5.8; 800 feet) climbed by Juan Rivera, Francisco Arias, Chris Story, Jorge Barrera and Franco Rodriguez in 14 hours and El Picaflor (the Hummingbird) (5.8, A3; 1100 feet) climbed by the same, minus Englishman Chris Story, in three days. The latter is the most difficult yet done in the central Chilean Andes.

Gino Casassa, Chile