Alpamayo

Alpamayo
Allpamayu / Shuyturaju
Two groups of climbers on Alpamayo SW face
Highest point
Elevation	5,947 m (19,511 ft)
Coordinates	08°52.75′S 77°39.22′W / 8.87917°S 77.65367°W / -8.87917; -77.65367Coordinates: 08°52.75′S 77°39.22′W / 8.87917°S 77.65367°W / -8.87917; -77.65367
Naming
Translation	Earth River (Quechua)
Geography
Alpamayo Peru
Location	Ancash, Peru
Parent range	Cordillera Blanca
Climbing
First ascent	June 20, 1957, by Günter Hauser, Berhard Huhn and Horst Wiedmann.
Easiest route	Difficult snow/ice climb on SW face

Alpamayo (possibly from Quechua allpa earth, mayu river, "earth river") or Shuyturaju (Ancash Quechua huytu, shuytu oblong, slim and long, Quechua rahu snow, ice, mountain with snow, "slim and long snow-covered mountain") is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca of the Peruvian Andes. It is named after Alpamayo Creek, which originates northwest of it.

It is a steep (sixty degrees), almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Pukarahu massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca. Although smaller than many of its neighboring peaks, it is distinguished by its unusual formation and overwhelming beauty. It actually has two sharp summits, North and South, separated by a narrow corniced ridge.

In July 1966, the German magazine "Alpinismus", published a photo of Alpamayo taken by American photographer Leigh Ortenburger accompanied by an article on a survey among mountaineering experts, who chose Alpamayo as "The Most Beautiful Mountain in the World".

Most popular routes start from the village of Caraz, on the north of the Cordillera Blanca. A French-Belgian expedition including George and Claude Kogan claimed to have made the first ascent in 1951. After studying the photos in George Kogan's book The Ascent of Alpamayo, the German team of G. Hauser, F. Knauss, B. Huhn & H. Wiedmann came to the conclusion that the 1951 team did not reach the actual summit, thereby making their ascent via the north ridge in 1957 the first.

The most common climbing route, known as the Ferrari route, is situated on the southwest face of the mountain. It was opened in 1975 by a group of Italian alpinists led by Casimiro Ferrari. It is considered a difficult climb, demanding good crampon and ice-climbing technique. There are incomparable views of steep ice faces, penitentes, gigantic white walls and ridges like those of Huandoy Norte, Artesonraju and Huascaran Norte, similar to the finest of the Himalayan scenery. There are also at least six other alternative climbing routes, the second most popular being the Vasque-French route.