South America, Bolivia, Cordillera Real, Pico Gotico, West Face, New Route

Publication Year: 1999.

Pico Gotico, West Face, New Route. On August 26-27, Erik and Grigota Monasterio established the highest pure rock route done in Bolivia. From a high camp at 5250 meters, one hour west-southwest of Laguna Glaciar (5038m) on the moraine directly below the west face of Pico Gotico (Pico Gotico is marked Pt. 5750 on the DAV Illampu map), they fixed the first three pitches, including the crux third pitch (F6c/A2), a sustained 50-meter, four-centimeter crack with featureless walls on either side and a series of overhangs which were aided. The next day they jugged the fixed lines, then climbed another seven pitches to summit two hours after the agreed turn-around time and rappelled back down in the dark. They reached the bottom of the route at 8 p.m. They encountered difficult end-of-season conditions, cloudy, cold and windy with temperatures never much above freezing. It began snowing half an hour after they completed the route.

Yossi Brain, United Kingdom