Siula Grande West Face
The West Face of Siula Grande is one of the most celebrated and formidable alpine routes in South America. Rising 1,000 metres above the glacier of Laguna Sarapococha, the line tackles 80-degree water-ice flutings, fragile powder mushrooms, and vertical mixed headwalls.
Ascent line, technical cruxes & camp topography profile for Siula Grande West Face
Mountain Safety & Conditions Disclaimer: High-altitude climbing, glacial travel, and technical ascents entail severe objective risks including avalanches, serac collapses, rapid weather collapse, and altitude illness. Historical route descriptions and summit claims on Mountanity reflect documented archival sources and must not be used as live operational safety assessments. Local regulations, permits, and physical glacial topography change continuously.
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Tactical & Camp Notes
Approaching from Laguna Sarapococha Base Camp, climbers cross the lateral moraine to navigate the broken glacier below the western wall. The route strikes directly up the central couloir through bullet-hard water ice (70-80 degrees) before negotiating intricate mixed rock steps on friable quartzite. High on the face, climbers must surmount vertical fluted powder snow mushrooms to gain the razor-sharp North Ridge. The descent traverses the corniced north crest toward the col, where treacherous crevasses and unstable seracs guard the return to the glacier basin.
Interactive Elevation Profile
Vertical profile, technical cruxes, and camp staging progression for Siula Grande West Face on Siula Grande.
Lakeside base camp beside the turquoise waters of Laguna Sarapococha.
Camp-by-Camp Topography
Key staging altitudes, technical cruxes, and terrain transitions for Siula Grande West Face.
Laguna Sarapococha Base Camp
Lakeside base camp beside the turquoise waters of Laguna Sarapococha.
Glacier High Bivouac
Snow ledge bivouac situated immediately below the gaping bergschrund of the West Face.
Mid-Face Snow Cave Bivouac
Hollowed-out snow cave scooped beneath an overhanging ice mushroom midway up the wall.
Siula Grande Summit
Sharp corniced summit crest commanding panoramic vistas across the entire Huayhuash range.
Topographic Location & Terrain Map
Cartographic datum, massif coordinates, and terrain context for Siula Grande West Face on Siula Grande.
Interactive Topographic Terrain Map
Click below to load live cartographic contours, glacier approaches, and geographic markers for Siula Grande (10°17′41″ S, 76°53′26″ W).
Key Statistics & Topographic Figures
- Face Verticality
- 1,000 metres (3,300 vertical ft)
- Steepest Pitch
- 80° water ice and vertical rotten powder snow
- First Ascent
- June 8, 1985 (Joe Simpson & Simon Yates)
- Ascent Style
- Lightweight alpine style without fixed ropes or camps
Archival Primary Source Quotations
“The face was vertical, white, and endless; every swing of the axe was an act of faith.”
Defined Alpine Terminology & Concepts
- Water-Ice Fluting
- Dense, brittle glacial ice formed in vertical channels that requires precision placement of reverse-curve ice picks.
Frequently Asked Questions: Siula Grande West Face
What is the Siula Grande West Face route?
It is the 1,000-metre technical ice and mixed wall first climbed in June 1985 by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates in pure alpine style.
What technical grade is the West Face of Siula Grande?
The route is graded ED/ED2 with sustained 80-degree water-ice flutings, fragile powder mushrooms, and vertical mixed rock steps.
Why is this route famous in mountaineering literature?
The descent along this route and the North Ridge led to Joe Simpson breaking his leg, the cutting of the rope, and his three-day survival crawl chronicled in Touching the Void.
Mountain Ascended
Siula Grande
Siula Grande is a majestic 6,344-metre mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash of the Peruvian Andes, renowned for its sheer western precipice, knife-edge corniced ridges, and one of mountaineering's greatest survival sagas. First climbed in July 1936 by Austrian alpinists Erwin Schneider and Arnold Awerzger via the North Ridge, the peak earned worldwide fame from Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' harrowing 1985 first ascent of the West Face, chronicled in Touching the Void.
Documented Expeditions on this Route (1)
Verified historical summits, siege campaigns, and pioneer attempts recorded on Siula Grande West Face.
1985 Simpson-Yates Siula Grande West Face & Touching the Void Expedition
In June 1985, British alpinists Joe Simpson and Simon Yates completed the historic first ascent of the unclimbed 1,000-metre West Face of Siula Grande (6,344 m) in lightweight alpine style. The descent turned into mountaineering's most legendary survival drama when Simpson broke his leg, Yates was forced to cut the rope above a crevasse, and Simpson crawled for three days to safety.
Archival Chronicles & Stories on this Route (1)
In-depth longform historical narratives, harrowing survival accounts, and firsthand alpine journals on Siula Grande West Face.
Touching the Void: Simpson & Yates on Siula Grande's West Face
In June 1985, British alpinists Joe Simpson and Simon Yates conquered the unclimbed 1,000-metre West Face of Siula Grande (6,344 m), triggering mountaineering's greatest survival drama.
Documented Sources & Archival Citations
- Touching the Void(Joe Simpson / Jonathan Cape)
Supporting claim: Firsthand technical description and route narrative of the West Face first ascent
Accessed/Documented: 1988 - Alpine Journal: Siula Grande West Face(Simon Yates / Alpine Club)
Supporting claim: Official expedition report detailing pitch difficulties, gear, and descent chronology
Accessed/Documented: 1986