Dr Adele Pennington (with Di Gilbert, Sarah Nuttall, Sue Savege, Catrin Thomas and Claire Waddingham). July-August 2000

Until a few years ago, the MEF had received few applications from expeditions planning to visit the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz of Bolivia: now it is one of the most popular areas on the continent. From a base camp at 4500m, this all female party explored the Immaculado Region, achieving 16 new routes and 5 first ascents of peaks c.4900-5500m. At the end of the expedition, an attempt on the Khoya Khoyu route on Illimani N Summit, c.6300m, was defeated by crevasses, 'concrete' ice and an amphitheatre of overhanging seracs, but honour was restored by a successful ascent of the normal route on Pequena Alpamayo, in the Cordillera Condoriri. This expedition was awarded the MEF Alison Chadwick Memorial Grant for 2000