Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, llliniza, 1979. Swiss Dölf Zellweger, Fredy Kälin, Walter and Mario Zehnder, Hans Grätzer, Res Menzi, Austrian Horst Schwarz and Ecuadorians Hugo Alvarez and Nicolás Martínez climbed in Ecuador in December 1979. They ascended the two Illinizas and Cotopaxi by the normal routes. On December 19 Kälin and Menzi completed a new traverse on Chimborazo (6310 meters, 20,702 feet). They climbed the south side up the Glaciar Boussingault to a 19,000- foot shoulder between Chimborazo and Politécnica and continued up the east ridge to the summit. They descended the normal route to the west. Kälin explains that they were the third party to ascend the glacier. First Japanese and then a group led by the Ecuadorian Marcos Cruz climbed to the Politécnica summit but he and Menzi were the first to climb from there to the main summit.