South America, Bolivia, Condoriri and Huayna Potosí, Cordillera Real

Publication Year: 1990.

Condoriri and Huayna Potosí, Cordillera Real. From September 7 to October 4, Patrick Gabarrou and I made new routes, climbing ice gullies. The conditions were poor, with warm, unstable weather, little ice in the gullies and the rainy season two months ahead of time. On September 10, we succeeded in climbing on the west face a very difficult ice route to the top of the southern spur (5520 meters, 18,111 feet) of Condoriri, accompanied by Yvan Estienne. This was in the northernmost couloir, the farthest one to the left. Two days later, we two climbed another route farther left amid séracs and rock to the top of the southern spur and continued on also by a new route onto the 5700-meter (18,701-foot) southeast spur of Condoriri. On September 19, we made a direct route in the center of the west face of Huayna Potosí.

Yves Astier, Club Alpin Français