West Flank

Approach to Base Camp · duration 2h

From the village of Olleros, you can take a 4×4 to the water basin. From there, a 5.1 km walk will takes you to Base Camp (4660m), where a small stream provides water. There is no path or markings towards base camp. The mule drivers know the way.

Approach High Camp (5080m) · Duration 1h30

From Base Camp, climb to the rocky slabs. Follow the cairns that head west to find a path along the left side of the rocky tower. Behind this tower lies High Camp, with views of the south and west flanks. From here, you have direct access to the glacier. In total 2,3 km

Ascent · Duration 10h

The first section is over easy glacier terrain. Just before the south face, turn left to traverse beneath the hanging glaciers of the west flank.
From 5200m, navigating between the glaciers becomes more difficult.
150m further on, there are shorter, steeper sections to negotiate Serac with larger crevasses. At 5560m, there is a traverse to reach below the summit ridge.
The last 120m forms a direct line to the summit.

Descent · Duration 5h

Same way down. On descent, the snow conditions deteriorated, with few safety options and the danger of collapsing snow bridges.

6 snow stakes,
2×60 m ropes,
6 ice screws,
Prussik slings

The snow quality requires snow stakes – dead man. There are few opportunities to use ice screws.

From an old picture hanging near the entrance of an outdoor shop in Huaraz, we found a description of 2 routes on Shaqsha main summit (west flank) and 2 routes towards the South Summit. The glaciers are getting smaller and the routes are getting steeper so the quotation on the old paper is no longer correct.