Mercedario

Ascent history

It was first ascended on January 18, 1934, by Adam Karpiński and Wiktor Ostrowski, members of a Polish andinist expedition led by Konstanty Jodko-Narkiewicz. The Polish party erected a cairn on the summit.

In 1968, after several attempts by some of the strongest Argentine climbers, a Japanese group led by Saburo Yoshida accomplished the first ascent of the south side. In 1971 an Austrian expedition climbed the north side, led by Fritz Moravec and Othmar Kucera. In 1972, Italians Sergio Job Gino and Antonio Beorchia Nigris climbed the Mercedario through the normal route and discovered some Inca ruins just below the summit. In January 1975 an Italian expedition led by Antonio Mastellaro climbed the east side of the peak. In 1983 a small expedition from Gorizia was able to traverse the south-west ridge, which is considered the most difficult route on the mountain, and one of the last mountaineering issues in the Andes. On January 27 Mauro Collini, Sergio Figel, Mario Tavagnutti and Rudi Vittori reached the top.