Northern Andes Summary

Argentina-Chile, Northern Andes
Author: Marcelo Scanu . Climb Year: 2013. Publication Year: 2014.

Cerro Río Salado. In November, Glauco Muratti and Adriàn Petrocelli ascended an unclimbed volcano near Ojos del Salado: Cerro Río Salado (6,350m). They left their vehicle at ca 4,700m, and the next day reached a camp at ca 5,200m. On the third day the pair reached a col between the peak and Volcàn Huayco (which lies to the south). On the fifth day they reached the summit by the north face and north ridge, and they descended the same day.

Cerro del Nacimiento, south face. On December 20, Guillermo Almaraz and Pablo Bertoni ascended a new route up the south side of Cerro del Nacimiento, a peak located outside Catamarca in Argentina’s northern Andes. The pair reached the highest summit of the massif, the northwest peak (6,460m), which has likely seen fewer than 10 total ascents.

Pico Número 3, southeast face. On November 15, Sebastián Aguiar and Fabrizio Oieni ascended the previously unclimbed southeast face of Pico Número 3 (a.k.a. Teniente Francisco Ibáñez, 5,550m), which is located in the beautiful Ansilta Range, near Mercedario, Argentina. They called the climb Tracción a Sangre (1,600m, PD II 60º).

Cerro Pachaco, Pijchu. In the San Juan Province of Argentina is an impressive limestone peak with many steep walls on its eastern aspect: Cerro Pachaco (ca 3,200m). In October, Willi Luhmann and Gabriel Fava established a new route to the peak’s east summit. Their route, Pijchu (1,100m, 6b+), starts on an older, shorter route, Canal de la Guasa, and has 12 new pitches out of the total 18. It’s gear-protected, utilizing a large dihedral and crack system, and was climbed ground-up. There are now five routes on Cerro Pachaco including the new one. The others are the first ascent (UIAA IV/V), by Oscar Kummel, Erick Altrichter, and Germán Leuzzi in April 1958 to the west summit; Canal de la Y (800m, UIAA IV), by Fritz Altrichter, Oscar Kummel, José Miní, and Domingo Vega in March 1959; the Central Spur (UIAA V, very little information is known, it likely takes a line similar to the first ascent, but finishing on the higher east summit); and Canal de la Guasa (200m, 6a, not to summit), by Roberto Piriz and Aníbal Maturano in July 2012.

Marcelo Scanu, Argentina



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