My thoughts are with the families of three American climbers whoose bodies were found this week in a 100-foot deep crevasse on Artesonraju peak in Peru's Cordillera Blanca range. One of the climbers, Brennan Larson, was a student here in Provo, UT. A report from my friend Chris Benway in Huaraz speculates that the three climbers may have been taking a rest, roped together, but not clipped in. They were on Artesonraju's "standard route", the southeast face, when one of the climbers fell and pulled the others. The sets of ice tools were found set on the route, about halfway up, and an empty tent was on the glacier.

On my climbing trip to the Cordillera Blanca last summer we were fortuante to connect with Chris Benway and his company La Cima Logistics. He and his wife also own the famous Cafe Andino in Huaraz. Chris does a phenomenal job of arranging services for climbers, including transportation, cooks, mules, porters and guides. He also gave us some very pointed counsel on routes and timing. Quite simply, I wouldn't consider climbing in the Blanca without at least talking with Chris. He will save you days, many dollars, and potentially, your life. You can call Chris in Huaraz at (43) 721203 or contact him by email at cafeandino@hotmail.com. Chris also works closely with Brad Johnson who has been guiding in the Blanca for over 20 years. Brad is the author of Classic Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca, far and away the best climbing guide for the area and one of the finest and most beautiful climbing guides ever published.