Tunsho Sur (5,420m), thought to be previously unclimbed, is one of the three summits of Tunsho (5,730m), located in the picturesque Reserva Paisajistica Nor Yauyos-Cochas, alongside other peaks such as the mythical Nevado Pariacaca (5,750m) and Nevado Antachaire (5,700m). Tunsho’s main summit and second-highest summit, Tunsho Central (5,565m), were first reached by a German expedition (AAJ 1968). In October 2011, Rolando Morales and I reached Tunsho Central’s summit by a new route, Chinita (MD+ 90°), on the southeast side. [Editor’s note: Due to problems with earlier maps, some reports incorrectly stated the 2011 ascent took place on Tunsho Sur. Tunsho Central is also sometimes referred to as Tunsho Oeste. The elevations given above are the best modern approximations and differ from those provided by the Germans. Additionally, the peak has been spelled “Tunshu.”]

In June, Guy Fonck and I decided to try Tunsho Sur, which had been previously attempted by its south face. We set out at 1 a.m. on June 7 from our base camp (ca 4,520m), and within a few hours we reached the glacier. We reached the south face around 6 a.m. Starting up very loose snow, we soon realized the ’schrund was over 5m wide. At a narrower spot, I made an anchor using ice screws and then leaped across the crevasse, landing on a hard ice ledge on the other side. The rest of the climb consisted of loose snow, and we reached the summit at 9:30 a.m. We took a GPS reading of 5,520m, which is close to the elevation indicated on the map. On the descent we used four rappels down the route, two of which were not very secure due to loose snow. But everything went to plan and by 3 p.m. we were back at base camp. Our new route Mel & Lies (200m, 70°) is named after our girlfriends.

Beto Pinto, Peru, with additional information from Sevi Bohórquez