PAYPER on the ANDES. Bolivia Illimani 2018.

The Italian-San Marino expedition has completed a true challenge!
 In July 2018, Massimo De Paoli and Davide Morini, both from Rimini, together with their fellow mountaineer from San Marino Riccardo Stacchini, experienced an incredible adventure on the Cordillera Real in Bolivia.
 
The “dream”.
The idea, that is "the pipe dream" of the climb, came to Massimo De Paoli already in August 2014 when he was struck by a photo of the crest of the Northern face of the Illimani seen in a newspaper article on internet which described the failed climbing attempt by an Italian expedition, due to unfortunate snow and ice conditions.
 
Although he thinks of himself as "an amateur mountaineer", De Paoli thought of that ridge for 4 years, involving and convincing his old friends to endure hard training for months on end in the Italian Alps in preparation for the South America endeavour.

The stages.
The 3 mountaineers arrived in La Paz on 18 July accompanied by Andrea De Paoli, Massimo’s son, appointed as the expedition’s photographer and video-maker. Miguel Martinez, their Peruvian mountain guide, was waiting for them here to accompany them
throughout the adventure.
 
Together they moved to the logistics "base" of Peñas, in the high-altitude mission of the Italian priest-mountaineer Father Antonio Zavattarelli, a friend of the many climbers who have passed through those parts over the years.
It was an important moment for acclimatisation, but also an opportunity to share and
support the work of this border missionary.
 
On 25th July, the attempt was made in a rigorous "alpine style", that is, carrying all the necessary items in the backpack without first preparing the camps. Two days later, however, the prohibitive conditions, also due to too much fresh snow along the glacier path, made it practically impossible to climb the north ridge.
 
The group therefore descended to the "Nido de Condores" camp at 5,450 metres to recuperate lost energy and the following day, that is on 28th July, tried the climb again along a different path, reaching the main Illimani South summit, at 6,440 metres.
 
Thus, the Italian-San Marino team came close to reaching their initial goal but nevertheless accomplished a great challenge!