Cordillera Raura and Cordillera de la Viuda, First Ascents. The Peruvian climber Alberto Murguía and I traveled by bus to Mina Raura, located northeast of Lima and surrounded by rock and ice peaks. The employees of the mine gave us ample hospitality. We first attempted Nevado Pichuycocha (5215m), but were defeated by the glassy ice left by droughts. As a compensation, on June 16 we made the second ascent of Cerro Puyhuancocha (5062m), a long rock ridge situated between two icefalls, south of Pichuycocha. We found a surveyor’s cairn on the summit.

I also made two forays into the Cordillera de la Viuda in the Lima hinterland, making four first ascents. I first explored the Antajacha and Cunchupata valleys, which were devastated by droughts, and then moved to the Curicocha basin, where I camped by a water trickle. On May 2, I climbed Peak 5000m, which I named Cerro Calcuchima. On the 27th, I climbed Peak 5050m, which was baptized Cerro Quizquez (both names represent historic Inca generals). The same day I traversed the three summits of Cerro Carhuac Loma (5150m). In a second trip I travelled to the north end of La Viuda. From the big Chuchún Lake, I toured several basins and explored some peaks. On June 29, under threatening skies, I climbed Cerro Chuluscocha (5000m) and then returned to Lima.

Evelio Echevarría