Wara Warani (or Warawarani: Aymara  “the one with a star”) is a seldom climbed but striking peak that is accessed from the altiplano town of Peñas. 2 weeks ago Davide Vitale, Juvenal Condori Vallejo, Artem Bylinskii and Rodrigo Villaroel climbed a new route on the south west face, descending one of the east face couloirs before circling the peak by ascending NW to a col and then descending SW via a glacier back to their camp at Laguna Wara Warani. They found conditions to be mostly crust over soft snow, worsening as the day went on, and highly questionable rock. They have graded the route D+ 65° 5.6 M4 R 600m and called it Alaxpacha Warawara Thaki, meaning roughly “attain the sky, by the route of stars”.

Red line is that taken by Bylinskii and Vitale with the green being variations by Condori and Villaroel. Photo: Artem Bylinskii.

Descent route via east face

Davide Vitale on lead. Photo: Artem Bylinskii.

On the descent. Photo: Artem Bylinskii.