In July, Gregg Beisly, Max Jimenez Llusco—a member of Gregg’s leadership program—and I climbed a possible new variation on Pomerape (a.k.a. Pomerata, 6,282m) in the Cordillera Occidental. Starting from the village of Sajama (four hours’ drive southwest of La Paz) on the 19th, we walked up to the 5,350m col between Parinacota and Pomerape, intending to climb the southwest ridge. However, due to very unstable rock and considerable objective danger, we bailed to the right at around one-third height and climbed the south flank. We reached the summit in temperatures of –30° C, approximately nine hours after setting off. We were climbing on the Chilean side of the volcano and possibly created a new variant. We descended directly down the south face. After this climb I lost feeling in my toes for the rest of the trip. [The southwest ridge and south ridge, both rated PD in good conditions, are established routes. In 1993 a team of Chileans ascended the "previously unclimbed south face" above the col; they found this steep and icy, and eventually had to bivouac on the summit.]

Erik Monasterio, New Zealand