Cerro Las Peinetas (2,018m, 39°30'2"S, 71°30'45"W) and Volcán Quinquilil (2,052m; 39°30'16"S, 71°35'30"W) are volcanic massifs located 15km south of the town of Curarrehue in the Región de la Araucanía. Though summer rock climbing is limited due to dense vegetation and somewhat loose rock, it is becoming known for its winter climbing and skiing opportunities.

Cerro Las Peinetas (a.k.a. Millallifén or Pocolpén) rises approximately 450m above the vegetation line. Its central tower was first climbed by Pablo López, Claudio Retamal, and Fernando Zemelman (all Chile) in the austral summer of 2002 by its north-northeast face (5 pitches, 5.7). Juan Señoret (Chile) made the first winter ascent of this tower in 2015 by climbing the general line of the López-Retamal-Zemelman (70° M3). Señoret also made the first ascent of another summertime rock route on the same face: Japi Verde (5 pitches, 5.8). He says, “The route is the most classic on the tower [and] a little more difficult than the normal route.” During the winter of 2020, on July 28, the brothers Cristobal and Juan Señoret climbed a new route up the south face of Cerro Las Peinetas (450m, AI5 M5). Their route ascended steep ice and snow features on the left side of the face to the rime-encrusted summit ridge, which they traversed east to the top.

The first ascent of Volcán Quinquilil (a.k.a. Colmillo del Diablo) was made by Emilio Frey in 1897 (aspect unknown). Today, the peak is typically approached from the south via Puesco Alto and can be climbed in winter conditions via three pitches of moderate mixed, ice, and snow terrain on the southwest aspect in addition to a few other winter routes opened by Juan Señoret and partners on various aspects. Previously unreported, Señoret and Gabriel Navarrete made the first ascent of the peak’s striking 400m-southeast face in 2014, which they called Psycolmillo. (The Ecuadorian, Navarrete, died climbing in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca in 2017.) On September 17, 2019, Juan Señoret and Christophe Henry (France) climbed the normal route on the southwest side and then made the first ski descent of the general line of Psycolmillo. Señoret says, “It was a quite technical descent, with sections to 70° degrees and five short rappels.” Víctor Astete and Uber Quirilao (both Chile) climbed the Navarrete-Señoret route in August 2020 with some possible variations, reporting the average angle was 60–70° with some steeper steps.

—    Erik Rieger, Associate Editor, from information by Juan Señoret and Víctor Astete, Chile, and www.andeshandbook.org