Yerupaja Chico
🏔️ Overview
Yerupaja Chico, also spelled Yerupajá Chico and historically known as El Toro, is a spectacular glaciated mountain in Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash, one of the most rugged sections of the Andes.
The mountain rises immediately north of the much larger Yerupajá, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash and the second-highest mountain in Peru. Despite the word Chico, meaning “small” in Spanish, Yerupaja Chico is itself a major 6,000-meter Andean summit.
Its exact elevation varies among sources. Traditional mountaineering literature, including the American Alpine Journal, gives an elevation of 6,121 meters (20,082 feet). Peakbagger, using data associated with Peruvian IGN mapping, lists 6,112 meters (20,052 feet). The difference is small but worth noting when comparing mountain databases.
Yerupaja Chico is particularly notable for its severe climbing terrain. Its steep limestone and ice-covered faces have attracted elite mountaineers since the 1950s. The mountain’s enormous east face was famously described in the American Alpine Journal as a kind of “Peruvian Eiger,” reflecting both its appearance and its technical difficulty.
⚡ Fast Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Continent | South America |
| Country | Peru |
| State/Province | Áncash and Huánuco |
| County/Region | Bolognesi Province / Lauricocha Province |
| Mountain Range | Cordillera Huayhuash |
| Parent Peak | Nevado Yerupajá |
| Elevation | 6,112 m (20,052 ft) on Peakbagger; traditionally 6,121 m (20,082 ft) |
| Prominence | 332 m (1,089 ft) |
| Isolation | 1.44 km (0.89 mi) |
| Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) | Nevado Yerupajá |
| Key Col | Col Toro, approximately 5,780 m (18,963 ft) |
| Alternative Name | El Toro |
| First Ascent | Toni Egger and Siegfried Jungmair, July 7, 1957 |
📍 Location
Yerupaja Chico stands in west-central Peru within the Andes Mountains and the compact Cordillera Huayhuash.
Peakbagger places the summit at approximately 10.2513° S, 76.903° W, near the boundary between the regions of Áncash and Huánuco. The surrounding Huayhuash landscape extends into Áncash, Huánuco, and Lima, although Yerupaja Chico itself is generally associated with the Áncash-Huánuco boundary area.
The summit lies just north of Yerupajá and south of Jirishanca. Together, these towering mountains create one of the most dramatic concentrations of steep glaciated peaks in the Peruvian Andes.
The wider mountain area forms part of the Cordillera Huayhuash Reserved Zone, a protected landscape established to conserve its high-mountain ecosystems, water resources, and exceptional scenery.
📏 Elevation & Prominence
One of the complications in documenting Yerupaja Chico is that published elevations do not agree.
Historic mountaineering sources generally give the summit as:
6,121 meters (20,082 feet)
That figure appears in American Alpine Journal accounts of both the first ascent era and later climbs.
Peakbagger currently lists:
6,112 meters (20,052 feet)
Peakbagger also gives the mountain a topographic prominence of 332 meters (1,089 feet) and an isolation of approximately 1.44 kilometers (0.89 miles).
Its parent peak is Nevado Yerupajá, which towers immediately to the south. Yerupajá is therefore also Yerupaja Chico’s nearest higher mountain.
The relatively modest prominence compared with its immense elevation reflects the fact that Yerupaja Chico belongs to a tightly packed group of exceptionally high summits rather than rising independently from a broad lowland base.
🪨 Geology
The Cordillera Huayhuash differs geologically from some of Peru’s better-known granite-dominated ranges.
Much of the range consists of folded and uplifted sedimentary rock, including extensive limestone formations. Tectonic compression associated with the development of the Andes raised these ancient sedimentary formations thousands of meters above sea level.
Yerupaja Chico’s climbing history provides especially vivid evidence of its limestone geology. Early climbers described steep limestone ridges on the mountain, while the enormous east face was characterized as a roughly triangular limestone wall.
Millions of years of tectonic uplift, erosion, freeze-thaw action, and repeated glaciation subsequently sculpted these rocks into extremely steep ridges and faces.
Modern glaciers and permanent snow have further shaped the landscape, carving cirques and valleys around Yerupaja Chico and neighboring mountains.
🌿 Flora & Fauna
Very little vegetation survives on the upper slopes of Yerupaja Chico itself. At elevations above 6,000 meters, snow, glacier ice, exposed rock, intense solar radiation, strong winds, and extremely low nighttime temperatures create conditions hostile to most life.
Lower elevations of the Cordillera Huayhuash support considerably richer ecosystems.
High-altitude puna grasslands cover many valleys and slopes surrounding the massif. Wetlands, alpine lakes, cushion plants, grasses, and other cold-adapted vegetation occupy protected areas between the major peaks.
Wildlife found within the wider Huayhuash landscape includes species such as:
- Andean condors
- Vicuñas
- Vizcachas
- Numerous high-altitude birds
- Trout in some mountain lakes and waterways
The Cordillera Huayhuash Reserved Zone was established in part to preserve these high-mountain ecosystems and the freshwater resources generated by the range.
🧊 Glaciers
Yerupaja Chico remains a heavily glaciated mountain, with ice and snow playing a major role in both its appearance and its climbing hazards.
Glaciers descend from the high massif toward deep valleys and lakes on either side of the main Huayhuash crest. The eastern side of Yerupaja Chico rises dramatically above the Carhuacocha area.
Glaciers throughout the Peruvian Andes have undergone substantial retreat in recent decades. Changing ice conditions can alter mountaineering routes by exposing unstable rock, opening crevasses, weakening seracs, and changing the position of snow and ice slopes.
This makes historical route descriptions useful for understanding climbing history but not necessarily reliable guides to present-day conditions.
🥾 Hiking & Climbing Routes
Yerupaja Chico is not a hiking summit. Reaching its top requires serious high-altitude technical mountaineering on steep rock, snow, and ice.
First Ascent — Northeast Bastion and East Ridge
The first successful ascent was made by Austrian mountaineers Toni Egger and Siegfried Jungmair on July 7, 1957.
Their expedition approached from Carhuacocha and established a camp below the east face. The climbers first negotiated a long limestone ridge exposed to rockfall before reaching a hanging glacier.
Higher on the mountain they encountered difficult combinations of rock and ice and narrowly escaped a major ice avalanche.
Egger and Jungmair eventually reached the summit at approximately 10:30 a.m.
Rather than descend their ascent route, which remained threatened by avalanches and rockfall, they descended another line using extensive rappels before returning to base camp at Carhuacocha.
The ascent was an extraordinary achievement for its era and established Yerupaja Chico’s reputation as one of the most technically serious mountains in the Huayhuash.
East Face
The enormous east face became the target of another major expedition in 1983.
Swiss climber Stéphane Schaffter had examined the face during an earlier visit and envisioned a direct route through its approximately 3,500-foot-high limestone wall.
Schaffter returned with Lucien Abbet, Patrick Delale, Jean-Pierre Frossard, and Pierre-Antoine Hiroz.
The team spent days preparing the lower wall before progressing through difficult technical rock climbing and onto the icy upper mountain.
Abbet, Delale, Frossard, and Schaffter completed the new east-face route during the June 1983 expedition. The climb was later chronicled in the American Alpine Journal under the memorable title “A Peruvian Eiger—Yerupajá Chico’s East Face.”
Modern Climbing
Yerupaja Chico remains an objective for highly experienced alpine climbers rather than recreational mountaineers.
Potential hazards include:
- Avalanches
- Serac collapse
- Rockfall
- Crevasses
- Steep ice
- Corniced ridges
- Unstable snow
- Rapidly changing weather
- Severe altitude
- Difficult evacuation and rescue
Routes can change dramatically from one season to another as glaciers retreat and snow conditions fluctuate.
🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Yerupaja Chico should be treated as an expedition-level technical mountain. Historical route descriptions are valuable for research, but climbers should obtain recent local information about glaciers, seracs, snow conditions, access, and objective hazards before considering an ascent.
🌤️ Best Time to Visit
The principal trekking and mountaineering season in the Cordillera Huayhuash generally falls during Peru’s Andean dry season from May through September.
June, July, and August often provide the longest periods of comparatively dry and stable weather.
However, “dry season” does not mean safe or predictable conditions above 6,000 meters.
Yerupaja Chico can experience:
- Heavy snowfall
- Extreme nighttime cold
- Strong winds
- Whiteout conditions
- Ice avalanches
- Rapid temperature changes
Technical climbers must consider snowpack and glacier conditions in addition to ordinary weather forecasts.
For hikers interested primarily in viewing Yerupaja Chico rather than climbing it, the same dry-season months generally provide the best chance of clear mountain views.
🧭 Nearby Mountains & Attractions
Yerupaja Chico lies in an extraordinary landscape filled with high peaks, glaciers, lakes, and celebrated trekking routes.
Yerupajá
Immediately south is Yerupajá, the dominant summit of the Huayhuash. At approximately 6,634–6,635 meters, it is generally considered Peru’s second-highest mountain after Huascarán.
Jirishanca
North of Yerupaja Chico stands Jirishanca, another exceptionally steep and technically difficult Huayhuash summit.
Its narrow, dramatic profile has made it one of the most recognizable mountains in Peru.
Siula Grande
Siula Grande lies farther south in the range and became internationally famous through Joe Simpson’s mountaineering memoir Touching the Void.
Rasac
Rasac rises on the western side of the main Huayhuash group and exceeds 6,000 meters in elevation.
Laguna Carhuacocha
Carhuacocha is one of the signature lakes of the eastern Huayhuash. The lake provides magnificent views toward Yerupaja Chico, Yerupajá, Siula Grande, and neighboring glaciers.
It also played an important role in the history of climbing Yerupaja Chico, serving as the base-camp area for the 1957 Austrian expedition.
Laguna Jahuacocha
Jahuacocha, also written Juhuacocha, lies on the western side of the mountain range.
Its shores provide impressive views toward Rondoy, Jirishanca, Yerupaja Chico, and Yerupajá.
Huayhuash Circuit
The famous Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit passes through the valleys surrounding these mountains.
Trekkers do not climb Yerupaja Chico, but several portions of the circuit provide excellent views of the summit.
Explore the wider range in our complete guide to the Cordillera Huayhuash.
💡 Fun Facts
- Yerupaja Chico has also been called El Toro, or “The Bull.”
- Although chico means “small” in Spanish, the mountain still rises above 6,100 meters.
- Yerupaja Chico’s parent peak and nearest higher neighbor are both Yerupajá.
- The two summits stand less than two kilometers apart.
- Toni Egger and Siegfried Jungmair completed the mountain’s first ascent in 1957.
- The same Austrian expedition conducted pioneering climbs throughout the Cordillera Huayhuash.
- Only five days after reaching Yerupaja Chico, Egger and Jungmair also completed the first ascent of Jirishanca.
- The enormous east face rises above the Carhuacocha side of the mountain.
- An American Alpine Journal article famously described the east face as a “Peruvian Eiger.”
- Yerupaja Chico’s historic elevation of 6,121 meters differs slightly from Peakbagger’s current listing of 6,112 meters.
- Despite being lower than nearby Yerupajá, Yerupaja Chico has historically presented extremely serious technical climbing challenges.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How high is Yerupaja Chico?
Published elevations differ. Traditional mountaineering references give 6,121 meters (20,082 feet), while Peakbagger currently lists 6,112 meters (20,052 feet).
Where is Yerupaja Chico?
Yerupaja Chico is located in Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash, near the boundary between the Áncash and Huánuco regions.
Is Yerupaja Chico part of the Andes?
Yes. The Cordillera Huayhuash is a subrange of the Peruvian Andes.
What does Yerupaja Chico mean?
The name distinguishes the mountain from the much larger neighboring Yerupajá. In Spanish, chico means “small” or “smaller.”
The mountain has also historically been called El Toro, meaning “The Bull.”
Who first climbed Yerupaja Chico?
Austrian mountaineers Toni Egger and Siegfried Jungmair made the first successful ascent, reaching the summit on July 7, 1957.
Is Yerupaja Chico difficult to climb?
Yes. Yerupaja Chico is an extremely serious technical mountaineering objective involving steep rock, snow, ice, glaciers, avalanche exposure, and other high-altitude hazards.
It should not be confused with the trekking routes that pass through the surrounding Cordillera Huayhuash.
Can hikers see Yerupaja Chico?
Yes. Hikers on the Cordillera Huayhuash trekking circuit can obtain excellent views of the mountain from several locations, particularly around Carhuacocha and the northern and western portions of the circuit.
Is Yerupaja Chico taller than Jirishanca?
The answer can depend on which elevation datasets are compared, because published elevations for both mountains vary.
Using traditional elevations, Yerupaja Chico is commonly listed at about 6,121 meters and Jirishanca at approximately 6,094–6,126 meters depending on the source. They are therefore extremely close in elevation.
Is Yerupaja Chico the same mountain as Yerupajá?
No. Yerupaja Chico is a separate summit immediately north of the much higher Yerupajá.
Yerupajá rises to approximately 6,634–6,635 meters and is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash.
🔗 Related Articles
- Cordillera Huayhuash
- Yerupajá
- Jirishanca
- Siula Grande
- Rasac
- Mountains in Peru
- The Andes
- Map of the Andes Mountain Range
📚 Sources
- Peakbagger — Yerupaja Chico — Peakbagger lists an elevation of 6,112 meters, prominence of 332 meters, isolation of 1.44 kilometers, and Nevado Yerupajá as the parent peak.
- American Alpine Journal — Jirishhanca and Yerupajá Chico, Cordillera Huayhuash — Contemporary account of the 1957 Austrian expedition and first ascent of Yerupaja Chico.
- American Alpine Journal — A Peruvian Eiger: Yerupajá Chico’s East Face — Detailed account of the 1983 east-face route and traditional 6,121-meter elevation.
- SERNANP — Zona Reservada Cordillera Huayhuash — Official Peruvian government information on the Cordillera Huayhuash Reserved Zone, its geography, watersheds, and protected mountain environment.
- SERNANP — Priority Investigations: Cordillera Huayhuash — Information on conservation objectives and the protected area’s 67,589.76-hectare extent.
- Wikipedia — Yerupaja Chico — Cross-reference for the traditional elevation, alternate name, coordinates, and climbing history.
- Andes — Yerupaja and Yerupaja Chico — Mountaineering reference for Yerupaja Chico and the wider Huayhuash climbing area.
