Artesonraju is perhaps the most famous mountain in the world.
What? You’ve never heard of it! Well maybe not, but you’ve definitely seen it. The 19,768 foot mountain’s north side inspired the current incarnation of the Paramount Pictures logo. And at the start of movies all over the world, climbers drool over the fantastic lines that exist on the seemingly imaginary mountain.
And while Artesonraju looks similar to Alpamayo, it is different in two very important ways. First, it is nowhere near as well-known as its neighbor. This keeps the crowding down. And second, the standard route on Alpamayo has a considerable amount of objective danger. Artesonraju doesn’t have anywhere near the number of cornices threatening it’s flanks as Alpamayo.
The Southeast Face of Artesonraju is as classic as they come. The route works directly up a massive slope with a gradient that ranges between 45 and 55 degrees for most of the way, but is capped by two pitches of 60-70 degree terrain. Most climbers will pitch the route out, climbing nine to twelve rope-lengths straight to the mountain’s summit. Once on top, one still needs to make a dizzying descent down the terrain he or she just climbed. This is generally done with a combination of rappels and downclimbing.
Following a short photo essay from a series of trips to the mountain.
To learn more about Artesonraju, check out our webpage on the mountain, here.
–Jason D. Martin