Yerupajá

Yerupajá
East Face, Yerupajá, May 2006
Elevation	6,635 m (21,768 ft)
Prominence	2,028 m (6,654 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Location
Yerupajá Ancash Region, Peru
Range	Cordillera Huayhuash
Coordinates	10°16′S 76°54′W / 10.267°S 76.9°W / -10.267; -76.9Coordinates: 10°16′S 76°54′W / 10.267°S 76.9°W / -10.267; -76.9
Climbing
First ascent	1950
Easiest route	glacier/snow/ice climb

Yerupajá or Nevado Yerupajá is a mountain of the Cordillera Huayhuash in west central Peru, part of the Andes. At 6,635 m/21,768 ft (other sources: 6,617 m/21,709 ft) it is the second-highest in Peru and the highest in the Cordillera Huayhuash. The summit is the highest point in the Amazon River watershed, and was first reached in 1950 by Jim Maxwell and Dave Harrah, and its northern peak (Yerupajá Norte) in 1968 by the Wellingtonian Roger Bates and Graeme Dingle.

The mountain's local name is El Carnicero, which means The Butcher. This name refers to the knife-edge-sharpness of its summit ridge, and possibly to the climbers who have died trying to climb it. Many visitors consider Yerupajá to be the most spectacular peak in South America.

There have been only a few successful ascents of the peak because it is one of the hardest Andean high peaks to climb. The most popular route is the southwest face. The approach is normally made from Huaraz southwards via Chiquián and Jahuacocha.

Notable ascents

• 1950 Southern flank of West Face FA of peak by David Harrah and James Maxwell.^[1]
• 1966 Direct West Face 2nd ascent of peak, FA of route over 13 days by Leif Patterson and Jorge Peterek.^[2]
• 1968 Northeast Face FA of route by Chris Jones and Paul Dix (summit, July 30), supported by Dean Caldwell and Roger Hart (all USA).^[3]
• 1969 East Face by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.

External links

• Yerupajá on Summitpost
• Complete guide to the Huayhuash Andean Circuit (in spanish)

References

1. ^ Graber, Michael (December 1995), "Yerupaja - The West Face Direct", Climbing Magazine (93): 30, ISSN 0045-7159 
2. ^ Graber, Michael (December 1995), "Yerupaja - The West Face Direct", Climbing Magazine (93): 30, ISSN 0045-7159 
3. ^ Jones, Chris; H. Adams Carter (editor) (1969). "Yerupaja - The Amazon Face". American Alpine Journal 1969 (Philadelphia, PA, USA: American Alpine Club) 16 (43): 271–274.