Chinchey, Pucaranra, Peak in Cayesh Group, San Juan. Our expedi
Chinchey, Pucaranra, Peak in Cayesh Group, San Juan. O ur expedi tion consisted of R ichard Dietz, D avid Neff, Ben Pfeiffer, John Spezia, G ordon Thom as and me as leader. On June 16 we located Base Camp on a small grassy pam pa at 14,000 feet at the head of the Q uebrada Tulparaju. On June 26 we established Cam p II on the saddle between Chinchey and Pucaranra. On June 27 we picked a route through the lower crevasses, then almost directly up the center of the west face of Chinchey to the notch between the north and south summits. The crevasse which turned back climbers several years ago was well covered and all six of us reached the sum m it at 2:30. W e left a four-foot-deep trench in the deep snow of the upper 50° face. On July 3 Neff, Spezia and Pfeiffer returned from Cam p I to the saddle, where they climbed to 18,500 feet on the north side of P ucaranra’s east ridge, which connects it to Chinchey. A snow cave was constructed on the 50° slope. The next m orning at 5:30 they climbed through a difficult rock band and then up the east ridge, keeping on the north slope. Snow conditions were good. Reaching the east summit, they climbed the ridge to the m ain peak, ar riving at three P.M . M ost of the descent was in the dark with headlamps. They got back to the snow cave at three A.M . We believe this to be the
first ascent of this ridge. On July 9 we moved Base Camp to a pam pa near the junction of Q uebradas Tulparaju and Cayesh. We carried five days’ provisions up the Q uebrada Cayesh to a small mossy area under a w aterfall on the main cliff band. We followed an old Indian trail, switchbacking twice, to cam p at a small ruins area. On July 10 we kept on the Indian trail to surm ount the cliff bands and followed the trail up the west edge of the glacier to the base of M aparaju. We went onto the glacier and climbed by an obvious route the farthest south peak (c. 17,000 feet) in the Cayesh group. On July 11 Neff, Spezia and Pfeiffer traversed around the shoulder of San Juan, through m ajor crevasse problems, traversing below the southeast face to arrive at a saddle at the base of the south ridge. They spent an uncom fortable night in a snow hole. On the 12th they climbed the south ridge of San Juan, encountering no great difficulties except for one high-angle lead with an 80° ice chimney, which they stemmed for 15 feet. This was a new route. G
ary
L. C l a r k , W ashington State University A lpine Club
first ascent of this ridge. On July 9 we moved Base Camp to a pam pa near the junction of Q uebradas Tulparaju and Cayesh. We carried five days’ provisions up the Q uebrada Cayesh to a small mossy area under a w aterfall on the main cliff band. We followed an old Indian trail, switchbacking twice, to cam p at a small ruins area. On July 10 we kept on the Indian trail to surm ount the cliff bands and followed the trail up the west edge of the glacier to the base of M aparaju. We went onto the glacier and climbed by an obvious route the farthest south peak (c. 17,000 feet) in the Cayesh group. On July 11 Neff, Spezia and Pfeiffer traversed around the shoulder of San Juan, through m ajor crevasse problems, traversing below the southeast face to arrive at a saddle at the base of the south ridge. They spent an uncom fortable night in a snow hole. On the 12th they climbed the south ridge of San Juan, encountering no great difficulties except for one high-angle lead with an 80° ice chimney, which they stemmed for 15 feet. This was a new route. G
ary
L. C l a r k , W ashington State University A lpine Club
