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NEWS - nuestramontana.com
NEW ROUTE ON EAST PUSCANTURPA - HUAYHUASH
On 6th of July 2007 Slovenians Pavle Kozjek and Grega Kresal made the first ascent of the east face of Puscantrupa Este (5410m). The peak is located on extreme south-east corner of Huayhuash, far from usual approaches from the west. Their new line, Stonehenge (VII+/VI, 70/50 degree ice, 600m) ascends a wall that had not been attempted for over twenty years. In first 200 m the line follows ice below the steep rock face that they climbed in ten pitches ( 60 m rope). Kozjek and Kresal made the ascent in fourteen hours roundtrip in pure alpine style.
They drove eleven hours from Huaraz to reach Cajatambo, from where they started a long two-day trek to reach the south side of the peak, beneath which they established basecamp. Starting at 4 a .m. on July 6, they need some more than an hour to reach the base of the face. After passing easier ice section they began to climb steep wall made of lithic tuff, typical volcanic rock of Puscanturpa group. In general it was very good; however, some sections of the climb were a bit risky because of large unstable blocks. (the knowledge about ustable rock from Slovenian mountains was extremely useful)
After 200 meters of easy ice they started to climb rock on a sharp ridge From the first rocks on the ridge the line continues two steep pitches (V, VI) up the slabs to reach the obvious ledge. From there they followed the system of cracks and corners: fifth pitch (VII) in perfect, almost monolythic rock with few protection possibilities, and sixth pitch (VII+) that began with “the Scary Corner,” a loose 10-meter dihedral where a moving block jammed one of their Camalots.
They traversed right into another corner and after 2 and half pitches (VI,V) they reached the broken summit ridge from the N side. They reached summit around 14:00 and rappelled down the same line. The normal route (W ridge, 1986) was so broken that we were scared to descend it.
The only known previous attempt was in 1986 by Nixon and partner (source: Jeremy Frimer: Climbs and treks in the Cordillera Huayhuash of peru, 2005). Half a pitch above the col between Puscanturpa and needle Moomoo (in their third pitch), Kozjek and Kresal found piton with carabiner for rappel.
According to Jeremy Frimer’s guide to the area (a book that inspired Kozjek to attempt this unclimbed wall on Puscantrupa Este) - Stonehenge was only the second ascent to the top of this mountain.
Info: Pavle Kozjek
Sergio Ramírez
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