South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Huandoy Norte, Northeast Face

Publication Year: 1975.

Huandoy Norte, Northeast Face. Our party consisted of Michel Parmentier, Hubert Moreno, Alain Node Langlois, Evelyne Lyons, Laurence Arnaud, Michel’s sister Poupy Parmentier and me. We established Base Camp on July 15 at the foot of the east glacier of Huandoy at 15,700 feet. The first week was spent acclimatizing and installing Camps I (17,000 feet) and II (18,000 feet), the latter at the foot of the difficulties. A steep ice and snow couloir, 1200 feet high and 45° at the beginning to 70° just below the col led to the col between the east and north (main) peaks of Huandoy. We were at the base of the northeast face of Huandoy Norte, 1800 feet high and 50° for the most part with some 60° places. We fixed 1800 feet of rope in the couloir during two days, using mainly aluminum pickets in the snow and rock pitons on the side of the couloir. We placed Camp III at 19,200 feet, hoping to finish the climb in two days. However at night strong winds tore down our tents. We decided on a one-day climb and set out at four A.M. on July 28, leaving Alain in camp, sick from the altitude. Good snow and ice conditions allowed safe progress. We had to leave Hubert 300 feet below the summit, tired from the bad night at Camp III. Michel Parmentier and I finished the last rock cliff of this new route and reached the summit at one P.M. We were back in Base Camp that same night. We later climbed Pisco with the girls on August 1 after we had cleaned the face of our equipment.

Gilles de Naurois, Club Alpin Français