South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Alpamayo-Quitaraju Group

Publication Year: 1973.

Alpamayo-Quitaraju Group. Our expedition was composed of Jordi Colomer, Pere Xaus, Mariano Velasco, Manolo Martin and me. On June 21 we all climbed Loyacjirca (18,635 feet) by a probably new route, the northeast face. We then had to assist Kazuhiro Nishimura and Kanji Shimamura in extracting from a crevasse on the Kogan Glacier the body of their companion Yoshio Takano, who had been killed on the descent from the north summit of Alpamayo on June 22. Along the ridge between Quitaraju and Alpamayo, the first summit after leaving the former is, according to our altimeters, c. 5740 meters (18,832 feet) and the second 5710 meters (18,734 feet). (These appear in Plate 21 of A.A.J.,1970. —Editor.) On July 1 Velasco and Martin with the Peruvian Apolonio Yánac climbed P 5710 by its north ridge; on July 5 Velasco and Martin climbed P 5740 by its rather difficult though short northwest face. Both were first ascents. Martin, Velasco and Yánac ascended the north face of Quitaraju but only reached the western foresummit since the summit ridge was in bad condition. On July 4 Xaus, Colomer and I got to the northern summit of Alpamayo after a bivouac. The rock band was covered with ice and we were forced to keep close to the ridge crest.

Francisc Sabat, Club Excursionista de Gracia, Barcelona, Spain