New Ski Descent Made in Peru's Cordillera Blanca Range
On May 28th, 2026, a new ski line was unlocked in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca Andes range. British ski mountaineer and alpinist Fay Manners and Italian ski mountaineer Marco Malcangi successfully skied through the col on the southwest ridge between the 6,162m peak Ranrapalca and Ocshapalca.
When Manners and Malcangi arrived in Huaraz, local guide Cesar Vicuña told them that the line hadn’t been climbed in decades. Glacial barriers had complicated the attempts of other mountaineers to climb it previously. The ski line from the summit itself looked fairly straightforward, according to a social media post from Manners, but the glacier below is a far more complex piece of terrain that makes accessing the upper terrain difficult.
After completing the descent successfully, they dubbed the route Acceso Momentáneo, which roughly translates to Temporary Access. According to records from the American Alpine Journal, Manners and Malcangi are not only the first to ski the line, but made the first known climbing repetition of it since it was first climbed by four Swiss climbers in 1980.
Ranrapalca has several standard climbing routes, including one on the east ridge that’s rated D, difficile, by the IFAS grading system. The peak was first climbed in June of 1939 by four German mountaineers. In contrast, the line skied by Manners and Malcangi travels over far more exposed, steep, glaciated terrain than the east ridge route.
In the days since their descent of Acceso Momentáneo, Manners and Malcangi also skied Artesonraju in the Corillera Blanca range. Artesonraju is recognizable to many as the mountain in the Paramount Pictures logo.
The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.
Related: Matthias Giraud Lands First Ski BASE Jump of Aiguille du Plan North Face
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