New Zealanders Climb New Peru Alpine Routes

Daniel Joll of the New Zealand Alpine Team (NZAT) has reported about the team’s recent trip the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. They climbed a number of new routes on the mighty Taulliraju 5,830 metres and other noteworthy alpine lines. One of the hardest mountains in Andes is Taulliraju, its south face towers over the Santa Cruz Valley. All previous ascents well known for their difficulty and levels of commitment.

New Zealand’s involvement with Taulliraju began in 1989 when Lionel Clay and Pete Sykes climbed a “cunning variation” on the south face, coming within shouting distance of the summit. Thanks to dry conditions across the Andes, in the last two weeks, the New Zealand Alpine Team Expedition made four first ascents, including the first full traverse of Taulliraju, the first New Zealand and Australian ascents of Taulliraju and potentially the first female ascent of Taulliraju.

On June 26, R. Pearson, A. McDowell, R. Measures, S. Fortune made the first ascent the West Ridge at AI5 M4 5.8. In a landmark ascent by two young Kiwis, Rose Pearson (26) and Alastair McDowell (24), chased by a couple of their mentors, Steve Fortune and Reg Measures, climbed the full West Ridge of Taulliraju. In an undertaking which began over two years ago, we were ridiculed, chastised and vehemently discouraged from even considering the West Ridge. Lionel himself contacted us early on, stating: “It’s a bloody Peruvian Ridge so if it has not been yet climbed it goes without saying it will be for a very good reason.”

Nevertheless, the dogmatism of youth triumphed and on June 17, saw Rose, Jaz Morris, Reg and myself begin our first attempt on the West Ridge. From the Taulliraju-Rinrijirca Col, we made slow progress, as we scoped the best way up the route, eventually being turned around above a serious rock step on Day two, a third of the way up the route. Refusing to accept defeat, Rose riled-up incoming Alpine Team mentee Alastair McDowell and stole off with him for another attempt on the Ridge. Early on the 23rd, the pair started up the ridge, making quick time over the old ground. However progress above our previous high point proved slow and similarly arduous and with dwindling food, the team faced at least one hungry night on the mountain.

Unbeknownst to them, Reg and Steve decided to go for the second ascent a day after, so on the 24th, all eyes in base camp turned to the West Ridge to watch the action unfold. Hot on the heels of the young team, it still took Reg and Steve till the 26th to catch up with Rose and Al, a short distance from the summit. Together, the four of them surmounted the final difficulties, feeling a modicum of relief upon joining the top of the Italian Route and knowing they were finished with virgin ground. Summiting late on the 26th, the teams pooled resources to descend the SSE ridge, bivying once more in deteriorating weather, to finally fall into welcoming arms just below Punta Union Pass on the 27th – five days after Rose and Al set off from base camp with three night’s food.

On June 19, B. Dare, S. Skelton made the first ascent of the East Rib of Taulliraju 5.10b M5 AI5. Fuelled by a good forecast, a promising reconnaissance and the sight of others on the mountain, Ben and Steve Skelton decided to go for their premier objective – a new route on the east side. Beginning with a testing warm up, the pair climbed the initial pitches of the French Guides’ Route to bivy at the base of the south south east (SSE) ridge. The following morning saw them hit the ground running, rapping over a seriously overhanging serac to gain access to the base of the east face. With a third of the work done, all that remained was to climb the route and get back down.

Wandering across snow slopes, the pair accessed the East Rib and were straight into 12 pitches of sunny rock climbing, dancing around the occasional patch on snow until they made the northeast ridge, dropping over the far side to snuggle on the north face for the night. A traverse, some mixed pitches and some ice pitches rounded out the full mountain experience, seeing the pair summit around midday and make their way leisurely back down the ridge to their waiting tent. Determined to somehow stymie their efforts, the mountain threw in one stuck rope 20 metres off the ground the next day as they descended the Guides’ Route, but a few hours of retrieval work and a merry jaunt down the hill saw the, back at base camp well in time for dinner.

On June 27, D. Joll, S. Fortune, M. Scholes climbed the new ANZAC Variation M6 AI6 to the French Army Route. Having been in the Santa Cruz only a couple of days, the eager team of Dan, Steve and Matt set off to scope the peak in an attempt to see what challenges it held. Leaving base camp under the auspices of attempting an established route – perhaps either the French Guides’ route or the French Army route, it was with some surprise that we saw them later that same day ascending a line on the French Army buttress well left of the namesake line. Encountering serious ice and mixed difficulties, the team put up 10 pitches on the buttress before meeting the SSE ridge where they bivyed, before climbing the classic route to the summit the following day, marking the first New Zealand and Australian ascents of Taulliraju. Returning to their bivy, the team descended the Guides’ Route, putting in a valuable line for the other three teams to subsequently employ.

On June 21, S. Fortune, A. McDowell, R. Pearson climbed South Peak TD- M5 on Taulliraju. The veritable library of route guides and magazine features we had on Taulliraju at base camp failed to document any ascent of the prominent South Peak of Taulliraju. Enticed by the prospect of a day trip up this pyramidal peak, Steve Fortune, Rose and Al set off bright and early to ascend the skyline ridge. Whether previously ascended or not, the fresh rock-fall scars they scaled on the first couple of pitches likely heralded untrodden terrain. Another pitch, a step and a corkscrew around to the SE side for about seven pitches saw the trio top out on the South Peak with enough daylight for Rose and Al to scope the descent line down the SSE ridge for their ensuing West Ridge ascent. Finishing the raps down the now well trodden Guides’ Route in the dark, the team made it back just in time for a late supper and a rest day, before setting out on their historic ascent of the West Ridge.

This inaugural expedition of the Expedition Climbers Club and the culminating expedition of the New Zealand Alpine Team’s first rotation will be remembered for the superb mountaineering achievements on an international scale. Not only were four new routes climbed on Taulliraju, but three of these resulted in summits of the elusive peak, two of these were by entirely new routes, three new routes were climbed by Steve Fortune with a plethora of partners and all of the aforementioned climbing was carried out in less than two weeks in pure alpine style.

In addition to the fierce Taulliraju action which went on during our time in the Santa Cruz, Al and Lincoln summitted Alpamayo via the French Direct, as did Dan, Reg and Matt (in a blistering time of 1.5 hours) and Jaz and myself. As for us, we spent an extra day up at Alpamayo High Camp, climbing Quitaraju the next day via the North Ridge. Dan and Matt climbed what appeared to be a new line on Curicashajana (fondly named Pigeon Spire for its striking resemblance) on a rest day and Lincoln and Ben went to scope a new line on one of the Pucarashita, but backed off in the face of hideous serac threats to the approach. Visit their site here and Facebook page here.