South America, Argentina—Central Andes, Cerro Olivares Sur, First Ascent

Publication Year: 1991.

Cerro Olivares Sur, First Ascent. A 5850-meter ( 19,193-foot) mountain was discovered during one of my many forays into the high country west of the city of San Juan. It belongs to the long ridge of the Cerros Olivares. Dr. Franco Cremonese, governor of Veneto in Italy, led ten Italians and ten Argentines, including several women. We left the hamlet of Leoncito on New Years Eve for the Tocota and Izquierdo valleys. On January 2, we placed camp at 4900 meters near the foot of the south ridge of our mountain. Mountain sickness and accidents (I was kicked by a mule) allowed only the following to complete the first ascent: Italians Cremonese, Rosario Minola, Armando Ragano and Vittorio Zanuso and Argentines Ana Miglioli, Teresa de Latli, Michele Beorchia, Mario Munoz, José Oviedo and Carlos Ramirez. Other peaks climbed were “Cerro del Polio” (5500 meters, 18,045 feet), which lies south of Olivares Sur, by Eduardo Oviedo, Mirador de Olivares (4800 meters, 15,748 feet) by Miglioli, Latli and José Oviedo, and P 4400 and P 4600 (14,436 and 15,092 feet) by Munoz solo. Except for Mirador de Olivares, a second ascent, all other peaks were hitherto unclimbed.

Antonio Beorchia, San Juan, Argentina