Ancohuma, Barrador Intimo; Pico del Norte, C’est la Vie, and other ascents. Climbing early in the year on the east face of Ancohuma (6,427m), Frenchmen Pierre Bogino and Simon Paris added a new ice/mixed line, which they named Barrador Intimo. The east face features three big pillars—the left one climbed by Arias and Mesili in 1970; the central one, which has 700m of rock at V+ and A1 followed by a 300m ice ridge, by Italians Zappelli et al. in 1978; and the right one (ca 750m, VI-) by Italians Agostino de Polenza et al. in 1979. How the new 800m French mixed route relates to these is unclear, but the pair report difficulties of V/5 and superb granite. From a camp below the face they climbed the route in 13 hours and descended the Normal Route, to regain their camp in an 18-hour round trip.

Bogino, this time with Alexis Loireau, also repeated the Via del Triangulo on the west face of Huayna Potosi (Hans Haztler-Alain Mesili, September 1971, ca. 750m, 55-60° mixed). Again, climbing so early in the season that they found delicate ice and mixed terrain at IV/5 (90°); they completed the route in 13 hours.

On the East Face of Pico del Norte (6,050m), the summit that marks the end of the long ridge running north from Illampu, Bogino and Paris added a route christened C’est la Vie. Again, the exact location of the climb on this broad and imposing face, which has plenty of scope in snowy conditions for many mixed lines, some potentially hard, is not clear. However, it is 600m high and IV/4 with some sections of 90° mixed and good rock. The weather was far from perfect, with thick mist leading to soggy snow, and the pair took 12 hours to complete their ascent. However, the fun had just started, as a difficult descent, most likely by the Normal Route, took longer, and the pair returned to their camp 25 hours after leaving.

Lindsay Griffin, High Mountain INFO