Artesonraju (6025 m) Andes, Peru

Artesonraju, also referred to simply as Arteson, is a distinctly pyramidal mountain peak located in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, a part of the Peruvian Andes, about 60 km north of the town of Huaraz. It is one of many prominent peaks located within the boundaries of Peru's Huascarán National Park. There are two main climbing routes. The first one runs along the north ridge from the Santa Cruz ravine (a terrific trek in itself), and the second crosses the southeast face starting in Parón lagoon.

This route demands good ice climbing technique, as there is a grade of about 50-55 degrees for well over 900 vertical meters, with some pitches at 60 degrees. A large number of accidents have happened on this route, maily on the descent. Access to the second route begins in the city of Caraz at an altitude of 2,256 m, and from there proceeds upward another 2,000 m along a 32-km dirt road to Lake Parón. A path along the lake's north shore brings climbers to the Base Camp at 4,250 m. The summit ridge of Artesonraju is well known for its fragility; special care must be taken as there is an unusually high chance of avalanches at the start of the climbing season here. For this reason many parties prefere to climb the southeast face, albeit this last route is more difficult. During August, the windiest month, the peak tends to form a "wind shield", so extreme caution must be taken, especially if temperatures are below zero. It has been suggested that Artesonraju is the mountain depicted in the live-action Paramount Pictures logo, its summit ringed with 24 or 22 stars.

/Wikipedia.org/

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