South America, Peru, Salcantay, East and South Ridges, 1983

Publication Year: 1985.

Salcantay, East and South Ridges, 1983. Yugoslavs arrived at Base Camp south of Salcantay on June 7, 1983. On June 12 Tine Bucik, Slavko Frantar, Vanja Matijevic and Lado Vidmar started up the south ridge while brothers Niko and Slavko Novak headed for the east ridge. The latter two made a variant at the beginning of the New Zealand route and reached the summit on June 14, 1983. This route ascends the southeast face and joins the east ridge halfway up. They descended the Polish route, which follows the whole east ridge to its base. The south-ridge group took the Japanese route. On June 12 they got to 17,225 feet. The next day bad weather and technical difficulties prevented their gaining more than 800 feet. On the third day, 65° to 75° ice and difficult rock led them to the crux, a 130-foot-high vertical ice step. They bivouacked on the top of this. They reached the summit on June 15, 1983 and also descended the Polish route.

Franci Savenc, Planinska Zveza Slovenije, Yugoslavia