The three most significant summits in the well-known Kuchu Mocoya valley of the Northern Araca are Saturno (ca 5,340m), Gran Muralla (ca 5,100m), and Cuernos del Diablo (5,270m). I planned to make first solo ascents of significant routes on each o...
In May, Camilo Lopez and I visited the northern Taruca Umana Valley, and on the 21st completed a route on the southeast face of Cerro Taruca Umana, climbing new ground in the upper section.Before leaving La Paz we met resident Denys Sanjines, a cl...
On August 30, Gregg Beisly (NZ), Robert Rauch (German/Bolivian), and I climbed an 800m ice line on an unnamed 5,400m peak above Totoral Pampa, near the south face of Mururata (5,864m). We left La Paz mid- morning on the 29th and, other than passin...
On April 21–22, a group of UIAGM guides and aspirants, led by Sergio Condori (head of the Bolivia Guides Association), opened a new route on the south face of Mururata. Departing at 1 a.m. from Lake Arkhata, they arrived at the foot of the face at...
On October 18, Gregg Beisly, Robert Rauch, and I headed to the southwest face of Serkhe Khollu with the intention of climbing steep ice right of Tiers of Pachamama (AAJ 2012). We found somewhat less ice than expected, and so decided instead to fol...
On August 13, Alex von Ungern (Swiss) and I established a route we believe was previously unclimbed on Wila Manquilizani, a summit between the Cumbre (the ca 4,650m pass on the main road over to the Yungas) and Chacaltaya. The route is best approa...
At 4 a.m. on August 10, Gregg Beisly and I set off to add another route to Pico Italia’s east face, of which we made the first ascent in 2012 (AAJ 2013). We were keen to find an easier line leading directly to the summit. After wading two hours th...
On July 12, Argentinians Gabriel Fava and Carlitos Molina put up a new route on Pico del Norte, the rarely climbed northern outlier of Illampu (6,368m) at the north end of the Cordillera Real. Leaving the mining town of Ancohuma (a.k.a. Ancoma), t...
Many worthwhile rock climbs are found on the granite cliffs above Zongo Lake. Located at ca 4,800m, these can form part of an acclimatization program or provide relaxing days before or after a climb of Huayna Potosi?. There are around 30 older, tr...
The mountains immediately west of Torssuqatoq Sound were not explored until 1975, when a large and productive British expedition from St. Andrews University, led by Phil Gribbin, invaded the area. Its achievements should not be underestimated: Mem...
In May, Vladimir Belousov from Russia and Marina Kopteva, the accomplished big-wall climber from the Ukraine, made the first ascent of the east face of Kyajo Ri, a coveted objective that had seen off many parties since the peak was officially open...
Vyacheslav (Slava) Ivanov and I were really surprised to find such a beautiful mountain with an unclimbed face so close to Lukla. What a stroke of luck! However, at that time we knew nothing of its history. We planned a quick, three- to four-d...
Bijora Hiunchuli is a subsidiary summit on the northwest ridge of Kasi Dalpha (6,386m). The small snowy top is clearly visible from Jumla airport, and access is relatively simple. In 2009 Sonia Baillif and I explored the approach to base camp in t...
Janak (7,041m) was first attempted in 1998 by a British-Nepalese party that reached the upper Broken Glacier, climbed peaks to the south, and noted a potential line up a spur on the right side of the southwest face, leading to the southeast ridge ...
After having climbed Strate Himal on April 28 with Jean-René Talopp, (see report above), I set out for a solo climb. Leaving base camp (4,021m) on the 30th, I walked up the lateral moraine of the Chaudhabise Glacier and then east to reach the bott...
Formerly known as the Gabelhorn, Ghandarbha Chuli (a.k.a Gandharva Chuli) lies on the ridge connecting Annapurna III (7,553m) to Macchapuchhare (6,993m), nearer to the latter. Before 2013 there had been no official attempt. The peak could only be ...
Gaurishankar's twin summits were mistakenly considered by early explorers to be the highest in the world. For both Hindus and Buddhists, the peak has deep religious significance. To Hindus, Gauri, the name ascribed to the 7,010m south and lower to...
It is 4 a.m., –20°C, and I am awoken from my stuttered sleeping pattern at base camp (4,605m) with the call for morning tent tea. It is November 16, day 15 of our expedition to climb Chhubohe (pronounced Chub Chay) and other unclimbed peaks in the...
In November, Dave Chapman, Neil Warren, and I visited the remote Chandi Himal along the Nepal-Tibet border. Reaching base camp took five flights (ending at Simikot) and six days of trekking. The journey was certainly an adventure, not least dealin...
I was searching for an area in Nepal that is off the beaten track, not well known by regular tourists, yet still offers unclimbed peaks and faces. After two friends showed me photos of Rolwaling's mountains, I knew this was the place. Santiago Pad...