Peru

 

Mountaineering School

Urus (18,881’)

Ishinca (18,138’)

Extension available for Chopicalqui (20,939’)

 

 

Overview

Difficulty Rating: Ishinca, F; Urus, PD; Chopicalqui, PD+
Experience Level: Beginner
Duration: 16 days (23 w/ Chopicalqui extension)
Climbers: 8
Guides: 4
Land Cost: $3200 ($4400 w/ Chopicalqui extension)

 

 

 

 

 

Expedition Goals

We call this program “Mountaineering U.” It is an intense, hands-on introduction to the principles of mountaineering, with the goal of turning out safe, capable, self-sufficient expedition team-members. Our 16-day mountaineering syllabus covers expedition planning, high altitude physiology, glacier travel, snow and ice climbing, crevasse rescue, snow science, and avalanche awareness. But Mountaineering U. is much more than just bookwork; you’ll have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice with an ascent of Urus, a perfect acclimatization peak and a great introduction to climbing in the Peruvian Andes. Next we tackle Ishinca, a fairly straightforward climb with just the right amount of challenge.

The 7-day extension reinforces the lessons of the basic course, covers selected topics more in-depth, and allows team members the opportunity to climb a truly memorable expedition peak: Nevado Chopicalqui, a more technically demanding and strenuous climb, and the easternmost peak of the Huascaran Massif. At the conclusion of this program you will have a solid foundation of skill and safety, and be well on your way toward a lifetime of mountaineering adventures.

 

Prerequisites

Participation in this climbing expedition requires hiking and camping experience, preferably with some during winter, as well as experience carrying a 30-40 pound pack over steep terrain. You must have a basic working knowledge of the techniques for staying warm and dry in extremely cold conditions, and a great motivation to learn. For reasons of personal and team safety and success, it is imperative you arrive for this climb in excellent physical condition.

 

Itinerary

Day 1 — Arrive in Peru; transfer from airport; hotel check-in.  Arrive in Lima (sea level), where an Expedition-Logistics guide will be waiting to greet you. After a gear inventory and hotel check-in, take some time to relax or explore the city. This evening, get to know your guides and teammates at the welcome dinner and expedition briefing.

Day 2 — Early wake-up; transfer to Huaraz.  This morning we load our gear into vans for the eight-hour drive north to Huaraz (10,000’), where we spend the next two days acclimatizing. We drive past lush fields of sugarcane, giving way to dry hills, and eventually dense grasslands. At Conococha Pass (13,387’), we turn north and descend into the Rio Santa Valley, and the city of Huaraz. Huaraz sits in the heart of the Callejon de Huaylas, the Canyon of the Mountains; it is the capital of the province of Ancash as well as Peru’s premiere mountaineering center. Subjects covered this day include: Expedition Planning; Clothing & Equipment; Alpine Camping Technique.

Day 3 — Casual wake-up; acclimatization in Huaraz; administration & logistics.  Today we begin our active acclimatization with some easy walking and sightseeing in town; those feeling especially spry can take a day trip to the site of Yungay, a city buried by an earthquake in 1970. Another option is the trek from Huaraz to the town of Monterrey for a soak in the hot springs. Huaraz itself is not an attractive city, having been destroyed many times by catastrophic earthquakes. What was once a traditional colonial town with red-roofed adobe houses has become a haphazard city of concrete buildings, but one look at the rugged grandeur of the surrounding mountains and it’s easy to understand why climbers come here from around the world. Huaraz commands breathtaking views down the Callejon de Huaylas, with some of the finest views in the entire Cordillera Blanca including Huascaran and Huandoy. In the afternoon we visit the local marketplace to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables for the expedition. Subjects covered this day include: Expedition Leadership; Expedition Safety.

Day 4 — Early wake-up; Laguna Churup; return to Huaraz.  We continue with our active acclimatization with an easy trek to the village of Pitec, and then up to Laguna Churup (14,764’), a picturesque glacier fed lake at the foot of Nevado Churup (18,017’). We return to town in the late afternoon to organize our gear into mule-loads in preparation for tomorrow’s approach into the Ishinca Valley. Subjects covered this day include: Land Navigation; Mountain Travel.

Day 5 — Early wake-up; transfer to Collon; trek to Ishinca basecamp.  This morning we drive to the town of Collon (10,827’), where we register and pay a small access fee, as well as hire burros to haul our gear for the moderate 5-6 hour approach. We arrive at Ishinca basecamp (14,200’) in the afternoon and spend the remainder of the day in class on the glacier. Subjects covered this day include: Ropes & Knots; Climbing Equipment.

Day 6 — Casual wake-up; mountaineering instruction; return to basecamp.  From our basecamp at the lake we take a short trek to our “classroom” on the glacier for instruction and hands-on application. Subjects covered: Protection & Anchor Systems for Alpine Climbing.

Day 7 — Casual wake-up; mountaineering instruction; return to basecamp.  Today we return to the glacier for further instruction and hands-on application. Subjects covered this day include: Alpine Climbing Technique & Belaying.

Day 8 — Casual wake-up; mountaineering instruction; return to basecamp.  Today we return to the glacier for further instruction and hands-on application. Subjects covered this day include: Glacier Travel; Crevasse Rescue.

Day 9 — Casual wake-up; mountaineering instruction; return to basecamp.  Today we return to the glacier for further instruction, practice and review. We return to basecamp in the late afternoon to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s summit day. Subjects covered this day include: High Altitude Physiology; First Aid & Self-rescue.

Day 10 — Alpine wake-up; Urus summit; return to basecamp.  Leaving basecamp by headlamp, our route, the straightforward Southeast Ridge, is mostly over snow with few technical difficulties. Urus has a three-pronged summit comprised of Urus Este (17,782’), Urus Central (18,028’) and Urus Oeste (17,881’). Climbers usually only ascend Urus Este as it is the shortest, most direct route from the Ishinca Valley. After summiting we return to basecamp. Subjects covered this day include: Mountain Geology & Glaciology.

Day 11 — Early wake-up; climb to Ishinca high camp. This morning we move to Ishinca high camp, near a small lake at 16,080'. After an early dinner we prepare for tomorrow’s climb. Subjects covered this day include: Snow Science & Avalanche Hazard Evaluation; Avalanche Rescue.

Day 12 — Alpine wake-up; Ishinca summit; return to high camp.  This morning we travel over the glacier and navigate around large crevasses on our way to the top. Higher up we encounter steeper slopes, eventually negotiating a belayed pitch on the upper headwall, and then the summit. Afterward descend to high camp for the night.

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