South America, Southern Peru, Huayna Ausangate, Kiru II and Payachata, Colque Cruz Group, 1985

Publication Year: 1987.

Huayna Ausangate, Kiru II and Payachata, Colque Cruz Group, 1985. Our expedition consisting of Bruno Anselmi, Italo Bazzani, Graziano Lampa, Livio Lanari, Dr. Giulio Zagaglia and me as leader climbed on the northern side of the Colque Cruz group. We left Mallma on July 30, 1985 with pack animals, passed through Yanacancha and established Base Camp the next day at 4900 meters on the north side of the Colque Cruz group on a plateau locally called Oquecocha. On August 2 we were forced back off Kiru by bad weather. On August 3 Bazzani and Lanari made a new route on Huayna Ausangate or Vizcachani as it is known locally (5720 meters, 18,767 feet), climbing on extremely steep ice via the north face. They had started from a camp at 5200 meters in the valley known locally as Muyuc-Ccocha. On August 5 the whole expedition made the first ascent of Kiru II (5500 meters, 18,209 feet) by its north face. [Kiru II lay south of Base Camp and east of Huayna Ausangate, apparently just north of the main chain.] We carried a camp to 5000 meters in a valley locally known as Jarihuanaco east of Base Camp and north of Colque Cruz I. On August 10 we all climbed Payachata, locally called Cadarache (5420 meters, 17,782 feet) by the west slope. We were the first Italians to make the ascent.

Mario Cotichelli, Club Alpino Italiano