South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Pucaranra, West Face Attempt

Publication Year: 1981.

Pucaranra, West Face Attempt. We were a month in the Quebrada Cojup, but for the first three weeks the weather was bad. We were Esther Martín, Chiqui González-Betes, Carlos Gallego and I. On August 17 Gallego and I opened a new route to the right of the ridge climbed in 1977 by Nicolas Jaeger. After a bivouac and when we had still 350 feet to go to the summit, we had to give up because of respiratory problems. The 2500-foot-high face was very difficult. Only three rope-lengths were less than 60° and some approached 75°.

Javier Donés Pastor, Club Alpino Maliciosa Spain