Marek Radovský & Juraj Švingál climb new routes in Peru

The expedition was planned in quite a different way as to how it ended. In any case, this doesn’t mean that it turned out badly. We set off towards the valley of Tuctubamba with two donkeys and their guide, Lučo, with our 120kg of luggage. A view onto the unbelievably dry Taulliraju South welcomed us and it was then that we knew that our original plans were not feasible. We tried looking at both cols above the valley in order to find a suitable target for climbing, and so we transformed into tourists for a while.

Nevado Tauar, 4950m
May, 30th 2024
We left early on the 30th of May for the tower, which we had been looking at constantly from our Indian tepee. We started climbing and I led first four pitches which were not harder than V+, nevertheless there was only one or two pieces of pro per pitch.

After I climbed up to the fourth belay, Ďuri started to lead, the wall became steeper and climbing harder. The next four pitches provided some very hard climbing. Ďuri onsighted them all. He placed 3 bolts by drilling them from a climbing position. Just below the summit we changed leads and I led the last pitch right before the sunset. After placing the rappel anchor, we descended in a hurry. We will spare you of the details of the very uncomfortable descent in the dark at 4400m, but the result of our day out was a beautiful 9-pitch route, 340m high and graded 7a+, called Guardian of Tuctubamba Valley.

Laguna Suyrococha Wall 4700m
We discovered a wall during our exploration trek whose rock and interesting shapes just begged us to climb it. Here we established two routes, with a 20 minute approach for Laguna Suyrococha.
Gringoswas climbed on the 2nd of June. The route starts at 4500m and follows a pleasant, logical line for 170m past difficulties up to 6b. We put 2 protections in the first and third pitch and there is a bolt at each anchor. Gracias Bandidas was climbed a day later and is located even closer to the Laguna. The route provides 5 pitches of pleasant climbing up to 5c on interesting rock. There is a bolt at each anchor and another extra protection in the 5th pitch. Considering that there was nothing left for us to do in the Tuctubamba valley of, we went back to the Huaraz and turned our attention to Ocshapalca.

Ocshapalca 5888m
We saw a photo of Ocshapalca from Vallunaraju and the south face looked very good, so we decided to spend our last three days climbing in the Valley of Llaca. We managed the arduous ascent through the valley with all stuff for a bivouac in just 4 hours. We quickly chose a line and started to climb early in the morning on 9 June. Seemingly never-ending ice climbing gave way here and there to some mixed pitches, one more beautiful than the other. We couldn’t wait for the upper section, where we thought it would be possible to climb quite easily through a snow-icy section to the ridge, which we eventually reached during the dark.

Completely exhausted we rappelled back down to the start of the route, then made our way through the never-ending labyrinth of the shattered glacier, down to our tent. Fortunately, the fog lifted and we found our tracks from earlier that morning which guided us home. We returned to our tent 16 hours after having set off. The route ends at approximately 5800m, the same as other routes, and it had not been marked in the guidebook. Later in Huaraza we received confirmation that the top section shares the exit of another route; this is completely different now compared to the first ascent, since conditions have changed tremendously in recent years. We called our addition Orgasmo Multiple (M7 WI5 90°, 600m, 12 pitches). It may well be the most difficult route in the face at the moment.

by Marek Radovský.

This first ascent wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors and supporters. SHS James Slovakia, MARVA, town Handlová, ABC Food machinery, HK Prometeus Handlová, AKU trekking and outdoor footwear, Ferrino, Julbo, Zenit SK, Inspirea Fizan