My wife, Jeanne, and I established a base camp by the moraines below the southern aspects of Atoroma and Yaypuri in the central Quimsa Cruz in early May. After a day spent in reconnaissance, we climbed both peaks on May 5.

On Atoroma (5,580m, 16°54'28.66"S, 67°24'58.54"W), we climbed the southwest flank of the northwest ridge (snow and ice to 55°) to reach the crest above its rocky section, and then followed the ridge to the summit (AD). This was possibly a new variation to the previously climbed northwest ridge.

After descending the northwest ridge in its entirety to the Atoroma-Yaypuri col, we continued descending in a westerly direction, traversing under the steep rock walls of Yaypuri’s southeastern flanks. We then climbed a possible new route on the 300m south face of Yaypuri (5,610m). A 40° snow slope led to the bergschrund, above which an ever-steepening slope of perfect névé (up to 65°) took us to an easing before the summit block. A short scramble on mixed terrain brought us to the top (AD+). This route is probably only viable early in the Bolivian climbing season, aiming for a short window from when the snow first becomes consolidated to when the bergschrund becomes extremely difficult to cross, if not impassable.

On the descent we followed our footsteps down the summit block, then easily descended the west ridge to a small col, where a short, steep snow slope bridged a bergschrund and deposited us on the relatively flat glacier. [In 1994, Dakin Cook and Thomas Miyagawa climbed a route on the southwest face of Yaypuri, but the exact line is unknown.]

These were both spectacular climbs in a relatively small valley, unadulterated and devoid of any mining activity (a rarity in present-day Quimsa Cruz), and easily accessed with public transportation. Unlike the rotten rock farther south, much of the rock in this region was solid granite, and later in the season would probably offer many wonderful rock routes. [Editor's note: The couple made repeats of other routes in the Quimsa Cruz, details of which are available in this PDF.]

– Aaron Zimmerman, USA