MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

The idea was to find the most difficult route to climb to the top with the least possible gear. There are great possibilities to develop this sport in Peru.

The major points would be the La Libertad highlands and the south of Cajamarca where there are as many rocky places as in France, which is the country with the greatest number of enthusiasts. These places are located at heights were there is enough oxygen. Also, rocks here are much firmer.

Enrique Prochaska, distinguished member of the Lima Mountain Climbing League has been the most passionate and constant worshipper of this sport since 1977. It takes a lot of nerve to climb hills that have only been trod by goats.

Enrique has had more than one fall and he knows that short falls are more dangerous than long ones because the rope does not have time to stretch. You generally end up bumping against the rocks. On the other hand, 30 to 40 meter falls, like in extreme games, such as bungee jumping are no problem. One always has to be alert because it is not only a matter of fitness and strength; it is also a mental state. Nobody is free from accidents especially if you are competing. That is why climbers prefer to explore and discover new routes in the field. This is quite different from climbing a wall with a lot of people around you drinking beer and cheering every time you make it to the top or fall. The best artificial climbing palaestra is located in Lunahuaná. There are five outdoor zones preferred by climbers: Camacho (in back of the Los Inkas Golf Club, in Lima), Vichuya (in the Lurín Valley), Quebrada de Canchacalla (Km 46 Carretera Central), La Tiza Beach (south of Lima), and Cumbemayo in the province of Cajamarca.

The difficulty is measured using the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) created by Californians, which divides the ascent into various levels, starting at 5. Cliffs classified as 5.7 and 5.8 can be climbed without much preparation. You only have to have good balance and good physical fitness. Then the classification is correlative. Letters from A to D are added after 5.10 depending on technical difficulties. According to this system, the maximum degree of difficulty (5.14D) is found in a cliff in Germany. The most complicated ascent is in Canchacalla, considered as a 5.12D difficulty.

Besides technical difficulties, there are also risk degrees. A PG route is for everybody while an R (restricted) one means that if you fall, you can break a bone. An X is mortal and an XX is one where you and your partner can get killed.

In Peru, there are 200 snow-covered cordilleras with 36 snow-capped peaks more than 6,000 meters above sea level and 1000 peaks that exceed 5,000 m.a.s.l. Seen from a plane, the cordillera resembles crumpled up paper.

Both Peruvian and foreign climbers prefer the Cordillera Blanca, which is located 400 kilometers to the northeast of Lima. The cordillera covers an extension of 180 kilometers and displays beautiful and impressive mountain peaks including the Huascarán, the tallest snow-capped peak that rises 6,768 m.a.s.l. The Cordillera Blanca is the highest tropical mountain range in the world and has mild weather. One of the advantages is that due to their proximity, the mountains are quite accessible from the valley. The mountains are the dwelling grounds of deer and condors. Beautiful forests and lagoons perfectly complement the place. Among other impressive peaks, the snow-capped Alpamayo, qualified in a German contest as the most beautiful in the world, stands 5,947 meters above sea level.

The Huascarán was climbed for the first time by a German expedition in 1932. Each year, around 200 groups made up of 2 to 10 climbers come from abroad between the rain-free months of May to September. The first Peruvians to reach the summit on August 4, 1953, were Apolonio, Guido, and Pedro Yanac, Macario Angeles, and Fortunato and Felipe Mautino.

César Morales Arnao and many of his relatives are among the veteran climbers. They quickly learned what foreigners taught them and passed it on to Peruvian mountain climbers. One of them, Americo Tordoya, is considered a legend among climbers. He started very young and quickly made it to the top. He climbed the main peaks in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. It was in this last country that in 1983 an avalanche in the Juncal peak (6,110 m.a.s.l.) put an end to his life. His young age and his extraordinary ability made his disappearance harder to accept.

31-year-old Renzo Uccelli is also a legendary figure. He has climbed the North face of the Huascarán (6,655 m.a.s.l.), the Alpamayo, the Chopicalqui and dozens of other peaks in Peru. He has even reached the Antarctic where he climbed Mount Parry (2,540 m.a.s.l.). In Ecuador he did the same in the Chimborazo, in Switzerland, the Mont Blanc and in Italy the Servino. He is the most promising figure of Peruvian mountain climbing.

We cannot fail to mention the Asociación de Guías de Montañas del Perú (Association of Mountain Climbing Guides of Peru) directed by Selio Villón, where you can drop by to get information or to rent equipment.

Perpetual snow-capped peaks over 6,000 m.a.s.l. captivate sportsmen from different parts of the world who yearn to go climbing, trekking and snow skiing.

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Douglas Chapman

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