Second Argentine Expedition to the Cordillera Huayhuash. This group was sponsored by the Federatión Argentina de Esquí y Andinismo. The first Argentine expedition to this region had, in 1958, been the first to reach Yerupajá’s south summit (21,378 feet) at the cost of severe frostbite. The group this year hoped to climb the difficult west face of Yerupajá, which rises in some 2750 feet from the Glaciar TAM to the ridge between the main and south summits, and to climb on to the main summit (21,759 feet), which had been reached only by Maxwell and Harrah in 1950. (A.A.C., 1951, 8:1, pp. 22-32.) At the same time they would reconnoiter the Rasac and Tsacra chains and study the breaks in the moraine dams of Lakes Solterahanca, Jahua and Rasac. The members were Jorge Peterek, José Luis Fonrouge and Carlos Comesaña of the Centro Andino Buenos Aires and Anselmo Weber, Antonio Bachmann and Manolo Puente Blanco of the Club Andino Bariloche. Supplies were carried from Chiquián to Base Camp on Jahuacocha. Since time was short and they had no porters, they decided to divide; Peterek and Weber headed for Yerupajá, Fonrouge and Comesaña were to reconnoiter, and the other two carry out the scientific work. The first try on Yerupajá was carried out on June 17 and 18, past Solterahancacocha up the Glaciar TAM to 18,375 feet, where they dug a snow cave that was to serve as High Camp. On the 18th they began the ascent of the west face, which was steep and laborious. They reached 19,350 feet but clouds and wind drove them back down to Base Camp. They returned to the cave on the 20th with light loads. On the 21st they began the assault with as light bivouac equipment as possible, too light as it turned out. It took them nine hours to climb the steep hard snow and ice to 19,700 feet, where they bivouacked belayed to ice-pitons on a shelf they dug out of the precipitous ice. Here a grave accident happened: the pressure kerosene stove exploded, not injuring the climbers but making it impossible for them to prepare liquids. On the 22nd in cloudless weather they continued the ascent, traversing upward toward the col between the peaks, hard work at this altitude. At dusk they halted at a terrace formed by chunks fallen from the cornice some 650 feet above them. They felt that the intense cold (c. 5° to 15° F.) would prevent the cornices from falling on them from above. Unable to melt snow, thirst became difficult to stand. The night was also torture because of inadequate equipment. On the 23rd they continued climbing, reaching the northern end of the col at about 21,150 feet, but climbing through the cornice was delicate. Once on the ridge, they could see the whole east face of Yerupajá down to Carhuacocha and the valleys that drain to the Atlantic. They continued along the ridge, now on the crest, now below the cornice on the extremely steep slope that falls to the Siulacocha. Thus they climbed until at 21,245 feet they were blocked by a verglas-coated rock wall. They were already higher than the south summit. To attempt this without rock pitons, to risk another bivouac on the face and to spend another day without liquids was too risky. They had to return, spending the night in the snow cave before descending on the 24th to Base Camp.

Meanwhile Fonrouge and Comesaña had made a number of ascents: Rasac Norte (5617 meters or 18,429 feet) on June 15 and 16 by the Quebrada Rasac and the west glacier; Tsacra Chico Norte (5513 meters or 18,088 feet) on June 18 and 19 from the end of the Quebrada Rasac and via the glacier; Tsacra Grande Norte 57l6 meters or 18,754 feet) on June 21 and 22 from a camp in the Quebrada Huacrish and up the west glacier; Ancocancha Sur (5560 meters or 18,242 feet) on June 23 and 24 from a camp at Puncos and then up the west ridge (also Bach- mann); Ancocancha Norte (5647 meters or 18,527 feet) from the previous camp and then up the steep west face and up steep ice. The first three climbs were first ascents; the last two were second ascents, having been climbed a few days before by the Germans, whose tracks were still visible. (Actually Ancocancha Norte or as the Italians called it, Ancocancha Central, was probably a third ascent, since the Italians had climbed it on July 9 on the heels of the Germans. — Editor.)

Manolo Puentes Blanco, Club Andino Bariloche