Los Picos 6500, seven summits climbed in Andes by Franco Nicolini and Franchini brothers

Los Picos 6500 continues at a breakneck pace. The expedition comprised of Franco Nicolini, Tomas Franchini and his brother Silvestro Franchini currently attempting to climb the 16 highest peaks over 6500 meters in the South American Andes in just 60 days has bagged another four summits. After having climbed Aconcagua, Tupungato and Mercedario, the Italian alpinists have now ascended Cerro Bonete (6759 m), Incahuasi (6621 m), Nevado Pissis (6795 m) and Walther Penck (6658 m).

Silvestro Franchini sent this short update to planetmountain.com directly from the mountains: "After Mercedario we travelled to the Puna region and, somewhat strangely for mountaineers, we discovered a desert and found out what it really means to drive off-road with a jeep. Driving a 4x4 here means travelling through sections of desert and Pampa where roads simply don’t exist. A big shout to our new traveling companion Marco Calamaro and his Toyota!

With our fast and light approach we’re currently well ahead of schedule and in just 8 days we climbed Bonete, Incahuasi, Pissis and, the day before yesterday, Walther Penck. We’re possibly the first to climb Volcan Bonete in a single day.

We’re about to set off the mountains again, but today we’re enjoying a rest day at Fiambala before trying to become the first to enchain the two summits of Nevado Tres Cruces and to climb Ojos del Saldado and El muerto.

Since we’re ahed of schedule we’ve been in touch with Campo Base Travel, our travel agency in order to shift our return flight. Conditions in Peru in April are very bad due to heavy rainfall. So we’ll plan to finish our project by flying to Peru in June or September when conditions on the mountains are better. But at the moment we’re just taking things once step at a time, we’ve got to remain focused for the weeks in store… bye to all!"

1. Aconcagua 6965 m
2. Volcan Tupungato 6570 m
3. Mercedario 6701 m
4. Cerro Bonete 6759 m
5. Nevado Pissis 6795 m
6. Incahuasi 6621 m
7. Ojos del Salado 6893 m
8. Volcán Nacimientos - Walther Penck 6658 m
9. El Muerto 6505 m
10. Tres Cruces Sur 6748 m
11. Tres Cruces Central 6629 m
12. Llullaillaco 6739 m
13. Nevado Sajama 6542 m
14. Huascaran Sur 6746 m
15. Huascaran Norte 6768 m
16. Yerupaja 6617 m

Links: FB Franco Nicolini, FB Tomas Franchini, FB Silvestro Franchini, FB Michele Leonardi