Our expedition consisted of Kunihiko Kondo, climbing leader, Masaru Hashimoto, Tetsuya Ishii, Masatoshi Yoshino, Shuzo Manabe, Yasuhide Hayashi, Terue Katayama, Ms. Yuriko Hashimoto and me as leader. We established Base Camp on the Llanganuco Lakes at 12,500 feet on June 3 and Camp I on June 5 at 17,750 feet on a rocky promontory at the edge of the glacier after climbing a long, steep, rocky slope. On June 15 we established Camp II at 18,700 feet. From Camp I we crossed a rocky slope and reached a flat section of the glacier slightly on the right side of the south face. We climbed the glacier to the base of the wall and attacked directly a mixed wall of 60° ice and rock. We placed Camp II in a snow cave at the base of the rock wall. The face above Camp II to the summit was overhanging and of poor rock with meager protection. On a typical day we gained some 130 feet. The nights were spent on artificial platforms (hammocks?) because of the lack of natural bivouac ledges. It was hard work to carry all food and equipment up from Camp II. After a third of the rock wall had been surmounted, the party rested before attacking the wall again with renewed determination. It was a straightforward but strenuous climb. The physical punishment finally ended on June 27 when after seven days and six nights on the wall Kondo, Yoshino and Hayashi stood on the top.

We moved Base Camp on July 8 to 14,450 feet below Chacraraju. From Base Camp in a meadow we climbed a rock slope to reach the glacier at 15,425 feet. Then we ascended the crevassed glacier to a point slightly to the right of the center of the south face of the east peak of Chacraraju. We set up Camp I on July 13 at 16,750 feet as far as possible away from the wall. From Camp I we crossed the flat part of the glacier to the edge of the ice wall and climbed 2000 feet up a 60’ ice gully directly to the rocks on the upper part of the east ridge, being careful of falling ice and snow avalanches. Camp II was established July 16 at 18,700 feet on the top of the ridge at the base of the rock wall leading to the summit. A knife-edge of ice had to be leveled for the camp. On July 19 Kondo and Yashino reached the summit. From Camp II the climbing started abruptly with a rock tower, which had to be surmounted with artificial aid. Then about four pitches in an ice-packed dihedral were followed by a final climb to the summit on rotten snow. The second team, Hayashi and Y. Hashimoto, reached the top on July 20 and the third team, M. Hashimoto, Manabe and Ishii, on July 21.

—IKUO KAKIMOTO, Japanese Alpine Club