Steep slope on Cerro Toco half way up

As we progressed on Cerro Toco in the Northern Andes the slope got steeper. Heavy snowfall last South American Summer has created icy conditions in some of the San Pedro de Atacama peaks above 5,000 meters with falling temperatures this Winter. This is the opposite side of Cerro Toco than the Normal route that seemed to be very icy last July.