Introduction

The Artesonraju must be one of the most beautiful mountains on Earth and speccially of the Cordillera de los Andes. This magnificent ice pyramid is located in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, between the valleys of Llanganuco in the North and Santa Cruz in the South. From the North, its spectacular shape reminds of the characteristic "Paramount Peak" of Paramount Pictures.

Lately, this mountain has become increasingly popular among climbers, specially along its two main routes. The first one corresponds to the North Ridge, accessed by the Quebrada de Llanganuco, and the second corresponds to the Southeast Face, the later being accesed from the Laguna de Parón, located at the end of the Quebrada de Santa Cruz. The Southeast Face is well known as a spectacular ice climb, with an altitude gain of 1200m and a maintained slope 45-55º.

It is important to remember that the summit ridge of the Artesonraju is of high exposure, because of the fragility of its cornices. Moreover, this a high avalanche risk during the beginning of the climbing season.