Chopicaliqui, West Face; Yerupaja Sur, West Face; Yerupaja Grande ...

Chopicaliqui, West Face; Yerupaja Sur, West Face; Yerupaja Grande, Ascent and Tragedy. It was reported that Germans M ario Witte and Falk Liebstein climbed two difficult routes in the Andes. First the team summited Chopicaliqui (6345 m). It took Liebstein/W itte five days to reach the summit in alpine style from the highest point o f the Langabuco Valley. They followed a diffi­ cult line on the west face and descended the south face. Except for two short rock sections the entire route was a demanding ice climb in variable and extreme conditions. The team also climbed the west face o f Yerupaja Sur (6515 m) in alpine style. There is no moderate trade route on this peak. The route took the party three days negotiating icefields up to 85 degrees. Their success, however, was overshadowed by the deaths o f two Austrian climbers on neighboring Yerupaja Grande (6634 m). Stephan Hradil and Nikolaus Wallner, both mountaineers with 8000-meter peak experience, where killed by an avalanche while descending from the summit. (Klettern 96)