Cerro El Mocho - East pillar

5. Bizcochuelo

5.1 Jingus variation

400m 7a+

Gian Carlo Grassi, Roberto Pe and Mauro Rossi (Italy), 6-7/12/1986.

Description. Follows a crack system up the east pillar all the way to the top. 13 pitches in all. The first ascentionists describe very good quality rock.

History. One of four new routes that Grassi and Rossi climbed during a month long visit. Pe climbed with them in three of those new routes, all but the suicidal line on Adela Sur, but opened a forth one with Karo and partners, see Grey Yellow Arrow route on El Mocho. In the mid 1980s, at a time when most climbers only had eyes for Torre and Fitz, their search for unclimbed lines in smaller peaks was a clear step forward. Unfortunate that they could not find a better name. Bizcochuelo is a bland kind of cake, may be the one they refer to was a Hashcochuelo? Glad that Francois Marsigny did not decide to name his route on Torre south face Creme Brule!! although with the serac above it would have been fitting...

A year later, in October of 1987 Italians Monica Malgarotto, Alberto Rampini and Maurizio Venzo climb a minor variation at the start and thinking that they were climbing a new route named it "Via di Sinistra" (250m 6b).

In early 2019, Ondrej Huserka and Jozef Kristoffy (SK) did the first free ascent. The 6th and 7th pitches have one piton each. The 10 pitch (7a) has 3 pitons. The hardest pitch is the 13th and it has "very bad protection" and hard slab climbing.  On the 14 pitch (6c) there are some pitons in the corner to the left but the free variation climbs to the right.

Approach. Niponino.

Bibliography. Rivista della Montagna 84 p. 12-13; Rivista della Montagna 86 p. 56-61. Alp magazine 23 p. 18-21; Mountain magazine 119 p. 12; AAJ 1987 p. 215; Annales GHM 1987 p. 36; CAI-Rivista Mensile 1987/4 p. 36-44; Desnivel magazine 30 p. 29. Via di Sinistra: Mountain magazine 125 p. 13; AAJ 1989 p. 176; Lo Scarpone 1988/5 p. 6-7; Rivista della Montagna 96 p. 13; Desnivel magazine 36 p. 17.