South America, Peru–Cordillera Blanca, Artesonraju, Ski Descent

Publication Year: 1985.

Artesonraju, Ski Descent. The ski descent expedition to Artesonraju consisted of Peter Werschkul, Jack Leaven, Doug Greene and me. In 1978 Patrick Vallençant first skied this peak by the same route. I was the first American and second person to do so. On May 28 Werschkul, Leaven and I left a 17,000-foot bivouac to climb the south face. The snow was thigh-deep. At 19,200 feet, 500 feet below the summit, a large fracture extended horizontally across the whole face where the slope changed from concave to convex. We decided it was too dangerous to proceed higher. It took me 35 minutes to ski 1700 vertical feet on the 50° to 60° slope. I then skied the rest of the way to our 17,000-foot bivouac site. The next day I skied down to our Advance Base at 16,000 feet.

Kim Anderson, Unaffiliated