Chacraraju Oeste, Bouchard-Meunier (with variations) to summit ridge, and Alpamayo, Chilean variation. On a July 19 acclimatization climb, Felipe González Donoso, Felipe González Diaz, and I made a Chilean variation (MD 90°) to the 1988 Cacha-Parent route on Alpamayo’s southwest face. [Editor’s note: Moraga originally reported that their variation was to the 2002 Escruela-Tain route (400m, ED 95°), as shown on pp. 138-139 of Cordillera Blanca scholar and AAJ correspondent Antonio Gómez Bohórquez’s book, Cordillera Blanca Escaladas. Bohórquez reports, however, that he mistakenly credited Escruela and Tain in his book, and that the first ascent of this line belongs to Peruvian P. Cacha and Canadian S. Parent.] We attacked the wall by a runnel right of the Cacha-Parent and then traversed left over an arête to follow another runnel just below the huge snow cornice on the summit ridge that threatens the classic Ferrari route. We summitted Alpamayo (5,947m) after 6.5 hours.

On July 22, from high camp below Chacraraju Oeste (6,112m) Donoso, Juan Henríquez, and I reconned the approach to the intimidating south face and assessed the magnitude of the challenge. The wall only grew taller and more vertical as we came closer. We returned to camp to sleep for a few hours before the start of what would be the most demanding adventure of our lives.

The next day we started climbing in alpine style, with each of us leading three-pitch blocks, while the other two followed free climbing. We found mixed sections with thin ice plastered on the rock, inconsistent snow more than 80° steep, and sparse protection. At 8:00 p.m. we dug a small snow ledge, melted water, and ate before continuing at 2:00 a.m.

After 23 pitches (850m, ED+ 95°), by afternoon we reached the summit ridge at about 6,000m. Enormous ice mushrooms greeted us and proved impossible to overcome. We tried our best and even took three whippers in the process, but we could not find a way to the summit. Hopeless, we started the descent, which proved more difficult than the climb. We made 20 long, insecure rappels, eventually following the French Direct route.

We returned safely to the ground after a 50-hour round trip. At some point we all had thoughts that we may well have not made it, but indeed we were hiking back to camp, daydreaming, or rather, dreaming asleep as we hiked.

Editor’s note: Though the Chileans thought they climbed new terrain between the ‘77 Bouchard-Meunier route and the ’83 French Direct route, and Internet reports reported such, further research and comparisons of route lines reveals that they mostly climbed the 1977 route, with minor variations.

Armando Moraga, Chile