Ausangate east face panorama

The normal route ascends this face, left of center, more or less to the lowest point on the ridge. In fact, it's not really a ridge, but the edge of a high undulating plateau.

As you can see, there is a bit of rock shining through higher up on the route. Only a few years earlier, this was all covered by the glacier and it was a steep snow climb, up to 60 degrees. It still was, but very soon it will be mixed.

1 June 2011.