Gaining the NE Ridge
Our first day was spent gaining the NE Ridge of Ausangate from the labrynth of glacial terrain beneath the mountain.
Ascending the Lower Ridge
Once on the N.E. Ridge, we climbed moderate terrain along the gorgeous crest towards the main peak.
Looking Down the Lower NE Ridge
Looking down, the lower NE Ridge winds its way back to the glaciers in the shadows below.
Skirting the Serac
We skirted a hanging serac blocking the ridge by a long traverse to the left.
Climbing on the Narrow Ridge
We climbed numerous pitches along the crest of the NE Ridge.
Bivouac at Sunset
We spend a peaceful fifth night on a narrow bivi ledge near the crest of the ridge.
South Ridge and East Face
A telephoto image of the upper East Face and South Ridge (descending to the left) of Ausangate. We were forced leftwards onto the Upper East Face by cornices on the spine of the NE Ridge (the ridge on the right). We traversed into the face from the ridge between the vertical serac horseshoes appearing on the right side of the face among black, rocky sections in this photo. We then climbed up the East Face, past the huge hanging serac near the top by skirting it just to its right.
Don's Dinner at the Cave
Don manages to eat a well earned meal shielded beneath an ice cliff before tackling the steep final pitches on the East Face
Steep Ice Leads up the East Face
We climb numerous pitches of ice around the right side of the huge hanging serac on the East Face.
Regaining the Ridge
We re-gained the crest of the NE Ridge near the mountain's highest point.
Last Meters of the Ridge at Sunset
As the sun set on Day 7, Don and I climbed the last meters to the top.
Don on Ausangate's Summit
Don and I reached the summit and made our eighth bivouac there. The next day we descended along the South Ridge and down the Spanish Route that I had help pioneer in 1977 with my teammates from Huesca, Spain's Peña Guara Club.
Sunset Over the Cordillera Vilcanota
Sunset over the many unexplored peaks of the Cordillera Vilcanota in Southern Peru.