Santa Cruz Track and the Punta Union Pass Ice Climbing

     Definitely a secluded area. Its 8-10 miles from the remote villagers. The village is thirty plus miles from a town. To get to a hospital from that town is another hour away.
     Not near to civilization but it is a popular track. This write up is not about the track. I didn't know it existed then. This is about the mountains nearest to Punta Union Pass (height 4,750 meters). On the way to the mountain glaciers when it's sunny it's blind your eyes sunny.
North of the valley basin, or up left is the fluted south face head wall to Rinrihirca (5810m). It's appears low angle snow. The buttresses are overhanging. the glaciers are 2-4WI in places.
     Options are big wall rock, or crevasse glaciation. The summit, face fluted. the central cliff bands have serac.  Cornice traversing ridges to the top.
    There is a long (2 miles?) approach also to the glacier (bring sneakers)
    There is a mile long, nice rock (5-3) ridge on the far west or left side. It goes directly to the central buttresses. down climbed it. the best way up.
    Directly east of Rinrihirca is Nv. Taulliraju (5830m) west face. It has had a few ascents.
    This mountain is a trekker's pride to photograph. It makes trekking Punta Union Pass phenomenal.
    The mountain has an abominable glaciated approach to the base. Possibly the best approach is down from the height of the Punta Union Pass?     The cliff lines are disconnected buttresses routes.
    There are many steep gullies that stripe the northern west face buttresses.
    These terminate just below it's summit on it's north west face.
    I saw a large avalanche go down the Lowe Route, from a summit cornice. would have been deadly.
    Above and beyond the pass is Nev. Pucaraju (5025m), and finally to the south is Paria (5600m). A long steep north face topped with snow ramps
    All mountains are technical mountaineering.