Attempt on Pucahirca Central, Cordillera Blanca. Under the leadership of Bruno Berlendis, an expedition of the Bergamo section of the Italian Alpine Club made an unsuccessful attempt on Pucahirca Central (19,718 feet). On June 10 they established Base Camp at 15,400 feet on a moraine of the Taulliraju Glacier. Camp I was at 17,400 feet on a col between the west ridge of Taulliraju and an unclimbed peak above the Quebrada Santa Cruz. Camp II was at 18,375 feet and Camp III at 19,350 feet, but the attack on the mountain failed because they were unable to climb the last 50 feet of the west ridge up sheer, but rotten, ice. On June 29 Santino Calegari, Nino Poloni and Oddone Rossetti made the first ascent of a peak they called ''Nevado Bergamo” (19,128 feet) and on July 9 the same climbers and Andrea Farina reached for the first time an 18,996- foot summit, which they called "Juan XXIII” for the present Pope. They also climbed two peaks (17,192 and 17,487 feet) in the Taulliraju group. The other members of the expedition were Dr. Franco Chierego and Franco Rho.

Peruvian Expeditions. The following expeditions were carried out by Peruvian climbers during the course of the season. First ascents: Rajuntay South (17,553 feet) in the Cordillera de la Viuda on June 29 by Benjamin Morales Arnao and Alfredo del Arroyo; Alcoy (17,553 feet) also in the Cordillera de la Viuda on July 30 by Lorenzo Polanelli, Adriano Neri, Alfredo del Arroyo, Alberto Canaval Prentice and Alberto Ruibal; Chicón North (17,061 feet) in the Cordillera Urubamba on June 17 by Julio Morales Pajuelo, Juan Rivas, Guido Ortiz, Luis Calderon, Américo Cuno, Francisco Apaza and Asisclo Salcedo; Churup North (17,454 feet) in the Cordillera Blanca on August 4 by François Megard, Hugo Vargas and Arturo Soriano; Huaytapallana (17,061 feet) in the Cordillera Huayapallana on July 12 by Inocencio Mamani, Gottardo Aguero, Alejandro Calderón Cárdenas, Armando Ramos, Julio Contreras and José Luis Loredo. This group from the Communal University of the Center at Huancayo made studies on the variations of methylene blue at different altitudes. They were also accompanied by José Aguero, Vidal Palacios Quintana and Teófilo Hinostroza. The third ascent of Urcos (17,061 feet) in the Cordillera Central on September 14 was made by Helene Ferro and Arturo Soriano. They left from Anticona and made observations at Ticlio. The following fourth ascents were made: San Andrés (17,489 feet) in the Cordillera Central on May 8 by Olivier Dollfus, Alfredo del Arroyo, Arturo Soriano, Helene Ferro and Curt Fliess; Ishinka (18,373 feet) in the Cordillera Blanca on August 15 by François Megard, Eugenio Angeles and C. MacArthur. On August 16 Hugo Vargas, Arturo Soriano and Segundo Pérez made the sixth ascent of Carhuac or San Cristobal (16,420 feet) in the Cordillera Blanca. They measured the recession of the ice, which averaged 4 meters (13 feet 1½ inches) for five years or 80 cms. or 31½ inches per year. A similar average was found on the Nevado Yarupa in the Cordillera Raura, a source of the Marañón River.

César Morales Arnao, Club Andinista Cordillera Blanca