Quitaraju SW Face

Working from a photograph, this team planned to climb a new route on Quitaraju, 6,040m, in the Cordillera Blanca. However, on arrival in the area they discovered that what they had thought to be the SW Face was actually the South Face, and had already been climbed. However, as their intended line remained untouched, they continued as intended. The climbing turned out to be much harder than anticipated, but of exceptional quality and very sustained at Scottish V.5 with pitches of 6 and a crux of 7. Apart from high winds, causing a lot of powder snow to pour down the face, the weather was reasonably settled. They have called their route Central Buttress of Quitaraju South Face.