As the summer climbing season winds down in Peru, new-route news is trickling out of the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Huayhuash. In early summer, the Basque team of Mikel S. Urabain and Artiza Monasterio, who guides in Peru and has done several major new routes there, climbed a direct line up the West Face of Nevado Rondoy Sur (19,259 feet) in the Huayhuash. The 3,000-vertical-foot route, mostly snow and ice, is called Bagabiltza. 

In the rock canyon of Quebrada Rurec in the Cordillera Blanca, an Italian team of climbers, celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the famed Lecco Spiders, established a 15-pitch granite route that tops out at about 15,000 feet. Qui Io Vado Ancora went at 5.12a A1, with some long runouts on compact slabs and a striking crack system leading to the summit. The route took eight days to prepare and climb, and the Italians believe it could be free-climbed at 5.12d.

All photos courtesy of www.climbingperu.com.
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