Huascaran Itinerary

Huascaran - 6,768m / 22,200ft

Southwest Slope - Garganta Route

Cordillera Blanca, Peru

June 15 - July 2, 2006

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Please note that this itinerary is a guideline only. Although every effort will be made to adhere to it, unforeseen circumstances may force changes to be made at the last moment. Please be prepared to be flexible when necessary.

Trip Itinerary

Elev

Day 1 9:30pm departure from Miami.

Day 2 Arrive in Lima at ~4:00am. A private bus will pick us up at the airport for the 8-hour drive to Huaraz. This is a killer travel day. Drink plenty of water and stretch, read and relax. We have done many Peru trips through the years and this schedule has proven to give us maximum time in the mountains. We should get to Hostal Colonia early in the afternoon on Friday. We will spend the rest of the day recovering from the transport.

10,300'

Day 3 Breakfast at the hostel. Sort gear. Provision in Huaraz and day hike Churup. The view of Churup from the roof of the Hostal Colonia is outstanding.

hike to ~12,500'
sleep at 10,300'

Day 4 Finish provisioning and transport to near Pisco basecamp. The walk to Pisco basecamp (~ 3-4 hours) can be steep and difficult in the warm mid-day sun so a reasonably early start is advisable. The small trees and forests provide some cool shade until the altitude provides a coolness of its own. The path meanders from the valley floor, crossing several rivers, before ascending the hillside. The sparse trees give way to an open valley at the head of which we will find our camp for the night. The head of the valley is dominated by a large moraine, which bounds the right flank of the Huandoy glacier.

14,400'

Day 5 Climb to Camp 1 (4,850m). The path will take us straight up the steep moraine. Once on the crest, we shall walk along the top facing towards Huandoy before descending steeply down the other side and on to the boulder covered glacier below. There are many footpaths marked by cairns that lead across the glacier to the far side - the trick will be to choose the quickest and easiest. Camp 1 is located amongst boulders beside a small mountain lake at the tip of the Pisco glacier. Time: 3 to 4 hours.

15,908'

Day 6 Summit day, Pisco Oeste (5,752m). We will gain the glacier just beyond the lake and follow it without difficulty to the Huandoy-Pisco Col (5,350m). From here, the route climbs broad slopes towards the summit. Although never steep (up to 35°), we will need to be careful in picking our route through crevasses and over snow bridges before approaching the final summit section. Here we may encounter the steepest snow slope, a short pitch of 40°, before pulling on to the summit. Our ascent will be rewarded by magnificent views, especially of Chacaraju and Huascaran.
Time: 8 hours round trip.

18,866'

Day 7 Descend to Pisco Base Camp and by road to Yungay. We will retrace our steps back to base camp and down into the Llanganuco Valley. We will then be met by our transport and be driven out of the National Park to a lodge in Yungay.

12,000'

Day 8 Drive to Musho and climb to Huascaran Base Camp (4,400). It will take about an hour to drive to Musho from where we will take the trail to base camp. The main trail is followed easily to a eucalyptus plantation before continuing up the left bank of the valley. Moraines, mountain streams and rock slabs, smoothed by the passage of glaciers, will all be crossed on the way to our camp. Time: 4½ hours.

14,400'

Day 9 Carry to Camp 1 (5,550m). In order to establish ourselves on the mountain, with sufficient food to last for the duration of the ascent, we will carry light loads to camp 1. This will also be an essential day to improve and extend our acclimatisation for higher altitudes. A short rock scramble behind base camp leads onto an expanse of open rock slabs. These slabs provide a fascinating walk, which leads across the front of the mountain to a place where access to the glacier can be gained more easily. The glacier itself is not steep, or too difficult, but its crevasses and snow bridges provide plenty of entertainment as a good route is traced amongst them. The route then arrives at a camp situated safely below the seracs of the Garganta Icefall. Time: 8 hours round trip.

Carry to 18,200

Sleep at 14,400

Day 10 Rest day at Base Camp with a glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills refresher in the afternoon. We will spend most of the day relaxing and checking our climbing gear. Everything and everybody should be ready to go the following day.

14,400'

Day 11 Climb from Base Camp to Camp 1 (5,550m). Because this side of the mountain faces west, we should be treated to spectacular sunsets and have the advantage of warm afternoon sun. The colors, as the sun fades, will provide some marvellous opportunities to photograph the Garganta and both the North and South Peaks of Huascaran. Time: 6 to 7 hours.

18,200'

Day 12 Climb from Camp 1 to Camp 2 (5,950m). This involves climbing the Garganta Icefall to the Col between Huascaran's North and South summits. This will be the crux of the climb. The snow and ice on this part of the climb varies greatly from year to year. Whether the snow is at 45°, or there are short sections of ice at 85°, the ascent of the Garganta represents a fabulous day of climbing in awe inspiring surroundings. Having climbed safely through the icefall we will eventually arrive on the Garganta Col itself. From here, we will have a clear view of the remaining route to the summit. Time: 7 hours.

19,500'

Day 13 Summit day on Huascaran (6,768m). The climb of the Garganta is behind us and now 35° to 40° snow slopes make their way to the summit. Leaving our camp on the Col very early, we will cross towards the slopes below the South Summit. We will then climb a short easy angled snow couloir before traversing right, across the face, towards a small group of seracs. From here, we will join the final slope and climb south-east straight up to the summit. Time: 8 hours to the summit, 4 hours return to camp 2.

22,200'

Day 14 Extra day for summit attempt.

22,200'

Day 15 Descend from camp 2 to base camp.

14,400'

Day 16 Return to Huaraz. From base camp, we will descend to Musho to be met by the transport. Our vehicles will be a welcome sight because they will take us back to Huaraz and the comforts
of the Hostal Colonia.

10,300'

Day 17 Transport to Lima.10:00pm departure from Lima

sea level

Day 18 Arrive home