Normal Route: Southwest Rg-ice gully

Approach

From the base camp next to the lake of Chiar Khota (See description on "Cabeza De Condor. So you will start early, 2 or 3 AM and walk toward the Cabeza de Condor (CDC), north direction. Follow the paths. This approach is hell, since you have to walk a lot of debris from terminal moraines and slopes made out of moraine rubbish. Will you take a lot of unnecessary gear and you will see how funky is to balance on this, and you boots will wear out like chuck. Anyhow, you will go toward the CDC on paths more or less clearly defined, and as you advance you will approach a step section that hopefully will be cover on snow (a 60-70 degrees, face) because It sucks (excuseme). Keep in mind that there are several options that you will research as part of your attempt, just in case you need to escape or routes has changed. You can use other ice and snow gullies in this face or you can walk on the left side of the glacier, but none of those we managed since we found a muddy snow cover to climb on and I rather get off glaciers. After this you will have to traverse on a steep section on loose rock and perhaps snow via a small path to finally reach the glacier that will take you to the CDC.

Here you will see some rock platforms or ledges that are awesome for a high camp, but I would say that kind of rock fall prone, otherwise they would create a Club Med type camping place. The view, the mountains and the silence is a plus, although if you know your limits you rather sleep low and climb high. Is on you and your body. I do not know the actual height but I guess is about 5100-5200 m.

Then things get nice: get ready to go up on the glacier. As you go basically directly (but keep an eye on the glacier secrets: crevasses, holes and other obstacles) you will find two options. Take that ridge on the southwest and get ready to climb 5.4-5.6 rock on some steps, or get around to the right of the CDC and find a nice snow gully (60-70 degrees) to reach the ridge midway. You will have to negotiate one step of rock from here, and believe me, this is not a difficult climb but IT IS VERY EXPOSED. Be sure to have a system down with your partner to negotiate the ridge (I guess sis about 800m long from the gully) and maybe one snow picket that you will leave behind if you need to rap on some of the steps.

Descend: same thing. The gully can be done in two raps, since the left side when climbing, rigth when rappelling, has some cracks ( I am not sure that rock pro will help for the gully but I do recall some gear was in site for two raps). You can also walk down if your good and the snow is OK or you can use a bollard. Is on you and rope length you have, but the rimaye (or beschgroung) in the bottom of the gully is quite scaring.

The route is straight forward, and it will take about 10 hours from base camp to make it round trip.

Route Description

Then things get nice: get ready to go up on the glacier. As you go basically directly (but keep an eye on the glacier secrets: crevasses, holes and other obstacles) you will find two options. Take that ridge on the southwest and get ready to climb 5.4-5.6 rock on some steps, or get around to the right of the CDC and find a nice snow gully (60-70 degrees) to reach the ridge midway. You will have to negotiate one step of rock from here, and believe me, this is not a difficult climb but IT IS VERY EXPOSED. Be sure to have a system down with your partner to negotiate the ridge (I guess sis about 800m long from the gully) and maybe one snow picket that you will leave behind if you need to rap on some of the steps.

Descend: same thing. The gully can be done in two raps, since the left side when climbing, rigth when rappelling, has some cracks ( I am not sure that rock pro will help for the gully but I do recall some gear was in site for two raps). You can also walk down if your good and the snow is OK or you can use a bollard. Is on you and rope length you have, but the rimaye (or beschgroung) in the bottom of the gully is quite scaring.

The route is straight forward, and it will take about 10 hours from base

Essential Gear

Gear: depends on you. You need, as Jeff Lowe says, crampons, ONE mountaineering axe and skill. You need also one snow picket and I am not sure that rock pro will help for the gully but I do recall some gear was in site for two raps. Anyhow there are small pieces (up to 8 BD sttopers). For the bridge and gully, and a 9mm rope, I would say 60m since the rappelling, although one or two lengths, is kind of sketchy. Do not carry crap you do not need (i.e. your technical ice axes!). The route can be done easy, fast and with the best of the styles.

Miscellaneous Info

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Images

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