South Face (26 July `77)

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South Face (26 July `77)

Page Type: Route

Location: Ancash, Peru, South America

Route Type: Mountaineering

Time Required: Most of a day

Difficulty: D, 500m

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Page By: klettermaxl

Created/Edited: Feb 18, 2006 / Feb 18, 2006

Object ID: 173720

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Table of Contents

Overview

This route is a good test piece for harder stuff, because it is not too long and has the easiest descent, which you can get, the snow path down the normal route. Because the crux is short, it is quiet hard. (I wrote the date of first accent, because there are two routes on south face, which are done in july`77. This one is the left one, the right should be easier, but there is a aweful serac zone on the summitridge, which is mostly not possible to climb.

Approach

the route is in the middle of the picture and takes the right trending exit runnel

on the way below the south face, the mountain in the background is Yanapaccha

Up to the moraine camp it is the same way, like for the normal route (southwest- ridge). Enter the glacier above and look for a good way through the crevasses to traverse right under the south face. The route is the first big gully after the big rock section in the lower left part of the south face, which narrows near the serac barrier at the top.

Route Description

You may have two bergschrunds, but the runnel is wide enough at the beginning to find a way up. Take the 55° snow under your feet and look for the best conditions. We found deep snow and packed snow very close to each other. In the upper part, the slope steepens to 60°. The exit runnel is visible from bottom of the face and during the whole climb. Make a belay left under the crux, which are the first meters to climb into the runnel. It is not easy to build a good belay. We had deep snow at this place. The following is a more or less vertical short pitch with some meters on hard ice (screws possible). When it gets back to 70° and later 60° you will have snow. And a little more up, you reach the sun and the normal route to Pisco. If you are lazy, walk down, otherwise you will find one of the most impressive skyline views in this mountain range, from summit of pisco.
For descent follow the southwest- ridge (normal route). Read the southwest- ridge page or several guidebooks and trip reports.

for me the most beautyful mountain in the range

Essential Gear

We had 4 snow pickets and some ice screws and only one twin rope (goddamn we survived! :-). If you don’t have to share with friends, take better two of them. Like all the south faces here in the southern hemisphere you will have deep temperatures, so you need warm boots!

Images