In late July, Alex Úbeda and I opened a route on the northeast face of Nevado Cashán Oeste (5,686m, -9.560183, -77.370175). After climbing the classic Ferrari Route on the southwest face of Alpamayo, we returned to Huaraz and then headed for the Rajucolta Valley and Cashán Oeste on July 25.

We had hoped to start climbing that same day, but we made a mistake during the approach, and it took us more than six hours to reach base camp in the moraine. We briefly scanned the wall in the last light of day, unsure of what line to attempt. There was rockfall right where we’d planned to descend, which worried us a lot. We ate a light dinner and went to bed somewhat unmotivated.

On the 26th, we left for the face early and with low expectations. However, we quickly spotted obvious dihedrals to follow. Alex exclaimed, “Manolo, we’ve got a highway to the top! Let’s go!” 

With motivation sky-high, I climbed a 60-meter pitch to reach the dihedral system. The third pitch was the first difficult part of our route, a sustained and technical 7a corner. After this, we traversed 60 meters left over easy terrain. Another 60-meter dihedral pitch that started with an overhang brought us to a ledge just as the shade reached us. We fixed ropes down the first five pitches and descended to our tent. 

The next morning, we jumared the 240 meters we’d already climbed and Alex led the sixth pitch, which trended to the left; we had to simul-climb the last five meters.  

The spectacular crux pitch of the route is the seventh. It begins with a few moves in a dihedral that lead to a slabby leftward traverse, with a blind crack that’s impossible to protect. I placed two bolts to access another overhanging dihedral, which led to a slabby crack. Alex free climbed the pitch (perhaps 7a+), despite carrying a pack. 

Another 60-meter pitch brought us to a ledge, then two more pitches of UIAA IV and III led to the top of the rocky shoulder that crowns the wall, without continuing to the southwest foresummit or Cashán Oeste’s main summit. We were unable to locate the existing rappel route—only a cut cord—so we rappelled directly from the rocky shoulder, placing two bolts at the top and then a single bolt at each anchor in 60-meter intervals.

We named our route Carlos Suarez (500m, 7a+) in memory of a recently deceased Madrid climber whose climbs inspired us. [The new route starts left of Andean Kingdom, climbed in 2019 by the Pou brothers and Manu Ponce, then crosses that route and finishes to the right of it.]   

—Manuel Lopez Sanchez, Spain