Notable Ascents in the Cordillera Blanca, 1989. I feel that the international press has exaggerated the danger to climbers in the Cordillera Blanca. Despite many fewer climbers, many have visited the region safely during the past year. Among other climbs made in the region, I note the following. Taulliraju: From July 5 to 10, New Zealanders Peter Sykes and Lionel Clay made the second ascent of the English Fowler-Watts route on the southwest face with a variation at the beginning, where they went further left on the spur. Huantsán Oeste, Southwest Face and South Ridge; Santa Cruz; Huandoy Sur and Norte: Frenchmen Daniel Bianchi, Emmanuel Beguin, Jean Philippe-Floras and Eric Brochot climbed a new route on the southwest face of Huantsán Oeste from July 20 to 25. They reached the summit on July 23 and went on to attempt the main summit, but they gave up 50 meters from the top because of the exposure, 60° to 70° ice and unstable séracs. In the final part, they joined the Italian route of 1973; the Italians also failed to climb from the western foresummit to the main summit. At the end of July they moved to the Llanganuco valley, where they climbed Huandoy Sur by the southwest ridge and on to Huandoy Norte the next day. Joined by Sylvie Tubiana and Marie-Claire Mandon, between June 28 and July 6, they climbed Santa Cruz by the northeast face and north ridge, the original 1948 route. Catalans Toni Casa, Jordi Sunyer and Joan Amils carried out a remarkable program in June and July. See below. Ocshapalca: On July 26, Catalans Olivier Cantet, Víctor Domenech and Albert Castellet repeated the route on Ocshapalca done shortly before by Casa, Sunyer, Amils and Obregón. Aguja Nevada, Ocshapalca, Vallunaraju Sur, Maparaju and Cayesh. On June 21, Gianni Calcagno, M. Giovale and Roberto Piombo climbed „the Aguja Nevada by its northwest face. On the 28th, Calcagno and Piomba made still another new route on the south face of Ocshapalca. The same pair climbed a new rock route on the southeast face of Vallunaraju Sur on June 30. These two then ascended Maparaju by the west face on July 6 and Cayesh by the 1986 English route in a single day from Base Camp, on July 7.

Walter Silverio, Asociación de Guías de Montaña del Perú