Various climbs, Cordón de la Jaula. A group has been active in this area of Argentina, west of the Cordón del Plata, near Aconcagua but much more isolated. Access has been by the El Plata-Vallecitos col and Quebrada del Peine, after the Quebrada de la Jaula. On October 17 Pablo González, Gabriel Barral, and Alcides Massa left a 4,000m moraine camp and ascended the west face of a virgin 5,147m peak, which they christened Pico El Fede, in honor of Federico Campanini, who died on Aconcagua. They then traversed west and ascended two other peaks, making the second ascents of 5,168m Pico San Esteban and 5,165m Pico Rosa. All three climbs were on 40° snow. A few days earlier Gabriel Moretta, Matías Cruz, and Pablo Ruiz made the first ascent of a 5,245m peak near El Fede, calling it Pico Campanini, by coincidence also in honor of Federico Campanini. (The two groups were unaware of each other.) Their route climbs the south face via a 700m couloir, with 40-70° ice, and a crux 20m serac with ice to 90°. Above the couloir they continued, with climbing to 70°, up a ridge and to the summit.

Marcelo Scanu, Buenos Aires, Argentina