Rasac, South Face, and Other Climbs. After climbing during June in the Cordillera Blanca, we New Zealanders spent July in the Cordillera Huayhuash. From July 5 to 7 Carol McDermott, Steve Rawsley, Craig Stobo and I climbed the west face direct of Yerupajá. We bivied without gear 20 meters below the summit on the ascent and again at 6000 meters on the descent. Rawnsley was subsequently evacuated with pulmonary oedema. On July 14 Julie-Ann Clyma, Hugh Nicholson, Anne Palmer and Chris Ulyatt climbed the west face to the col between Yerupajá Norte and Yerupajá Sur, bivying in the col. Ascents were made of both peaks and they descended on the third day. Three days later Guy Halliburton and Alan Wood repeated this in a day. Stobo, McDermott, Palmer and Ulyatt climbed Rasac via the standard east flank route. Halliburton and Wood then climbed what we believe is a new line on the south face of Rasac. The route takes a line up the left side of the central buttress, while the Rouse-Carrington route went up the right of the buttress. This is a serious and committing route involving steep climbing on hard ice. There was one section of aid on snow stakes to get through a soft-snow overhang capping vertical ice pillars. The sense of commitment was enhanced by descending traverses and pendulums between gullies, which would have made retreat difficult. The summit cornice took two hours of excavation. This climb took place from July 22 to 24, with two bivouacs and 29 pitches. They descended the east flank, taking an hour to the Yerupajá Glacier.

Philip Castle, New Zealand Alpine Club