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Ishinca Valley and Chopicalqui Climbs – Itinerary
Cordillera Blanca Climbing Tour
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Trip Dates:
• June 9 to June 29, 2008 (21 Days)
Land Cost:
• 7-10 Climbers: $2595.00/Passenger (does not include airfare)
• 4-6 Climbers: $2995.00/Passenger (does not include airfare)
• 2-3 Climbers: $4295.00/Passenger (does not include airfare)
Single Supplement:
• Land Cost Plus $100 for Private Room
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Day-by-day Itinerary
General
*Except where noted, American breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided to you every day, included in your land costs.
Day 1
Fly to Lima Peru: Airport to hotel. Stay overnight in Lima.
Day 2
Drive to Huaraz: Up by 7 A.M. After breakfast we drive to the bus station for the 7-hour bus ride from Lima to Huaraz. Arrive Huaraz around 5:30 P.M. and check into our hotel, then head for dinner. This is a long day of sitting but the views get more rewarding as the day goes by. American breakfast at the hotel and lunch on the bus is included. Dinner on your own. |
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Day 3
Hiking above Huaraz: This day is for acclimatizing (10,000 ft.), and seeing the sights around Huaraz. We will make a half day hike in the foothills above Huaraz to visit some pre-Inca ruins and learn about their history and the local culture of the Andean people. The afternoon will be spent at your leisure. American breakfast provided, lunch and dinner on your own.
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Day 4
Hiking above Huaraz: Another day to get acclimatized. Today we get an early start and hike up to Laguna Churup at 15,000 ft. This beautiful turquoise lake sits beneath the peaks with the same name. It will be a good day of walking and one that will help get our legs stronger. American breakfast included, Picnic lunch provided, dinner on your own. Overnight spent in Huaraz.
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Day 5
Trek to Ishinca base camp: We will get an early start and depart after breakfast. It is a short drive to the trailhead where we load our gear onto burros. The walk to base camp takes about 4 hours. We will have lunch along the trail. After setting up camp, we will have the rest of the day to acclimatize to the 14,400 feet altitude. American breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 6
Rest Day around base camp: The most important task is to drink plenty of fluids and get acclimatized. For the more ambitious climber, you can go on a little hike or organize your gear. All meals provided.
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Day 7
Glacier Practice on the Ishinca glacier: To get everyone familiar with the many skills necessary to be safe on a glacier, today we will hike up to the edge of the Ishinca glacier and practice. Topics to be covered will be proper crampon use, self-arrest, rope management as a team, proper anchor placements and crevasse rescue. We will leave our gear stashed for the next day’s ascent. All meals provided.
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Day 8
Climb Nevado Ishinca (18,150 ft.): Another early morning start (4 A.M.) and off by 5 A.M. We have about a 3-hour walk to get to the start of the glacier where the climb begins. This climb is mostly easy glacier travel with about 400 feet of 50-degree snow climbing to get to the summit (18,150 ft.) with see more glorious views of the Andes. Hopefully, you will begin to feel stronger with the altitude on this climb. All meals provided. |
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Day 9
Rest Day: Leisure morning. In the afternoon we will review crevasse rescue and setting up anchors. All meals provided.
Day 10
Climb Nevado Urus (17,783 ft.): Wake up at 4 A.M and eat breakfast. We need to be on the trail by 5 A.M. in order to climb Urus (17,783 ft.) and be back to camp by early afternoon for lunch. This is an easy snow climb with a little rock scrambling near the summit. We will also discuss Safe Snow Travel with and without Crampons and proper use of the Ice Axe. This day provides great views of all the surrounding peaks and a good test to see how everyone is acclimatizing. All meals provided.
Day 11
Rest Day: Free day to relax.
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Day 12
Nevado Tocllaraju High Camp: After breakfast and final packing, we will carry our gear up to the flat west ridge (17,000 ft.) where we will make our “high camp”. This will be a hard day of hiking up a very steep trail for about 3 to 4 hours. Today we will have the help of porters to carry all the necessary equipment to our high camp. The views from camp make it worth all the hard work. All meals provided.
Day 13
Climb Nevado Tocllaraju (19,800 ft.): Early morning rise and shine. Hopefully we will be on our way by 5:00 A.M. This climb involves moderate to steep (55 degrees) snow climbing, negotiating crevasses and rappelling, all at high altitude (19,800 ft.). If conditions are good and we can summit by late morning, it may be possible to descend all the way to base camp in time for dinner. All meals provided.
Day 14
Return to Huaraz: Up with the sun to pack the burros and depart by 9 A.M. and walk out of the valley to return to Huaraz. Lunch on the trail and Dinner is on your own.
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Click for larger view
Early morning climbing on Tocllaraju with Ranrapalca (20,360ft) in the background
© Brad Johnson
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Day 15
Rest Day in Huaraz: We will have one day in Huaraz to wash a few clothes, have some cold beers and eat Ceviche, maybe even go dancing at the Tambo Bar. This day also gives our staff a chance to reorganize gear and buy food for Chopicalqui. Overnight spent in Huaraz. American breakfast provided. Lunch and Dinner on your own.
Day 16
Drive to Llanganuco Valley: Today we will get a 6am start, have breakfast and depart Huaraz for the Llanganuco valley were we will walk a short distance to Chopicalqui base camp, 14,100ft. In the afternoon our porters will carry our boots, crampons, ice axes, harnesses, ropes and helmets to moraine camp to lighten the loads for the next day. We will spend the night in base camp. American breakfast provided, lunch and dinner at camp.
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Day 17
Climb to Chopicalqui high camp: Today will involve gaining almost 4,000ft of elevation from base camp all the way to high camp at 18,375ft. We will have the help of our porters who will climb ahead of us to dig out good tent platforms and get the tents set up, while we climb carrying most of our personal gear. Arriving at high camp by mid-afternoon we will spend the remaining hours hydrating well and eating dinner before turning in for an early nights sleep. All meals provided.
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Day 18
Climb Chopicalqui: A midnight start, an early light breakfast and getting all of our equipment and crampons on in the cold crisp night air. We should be on our way by 2:30a.m, following the beam of our headlamps. By sunrise we hope to be at almost 20,000ft and just a few hours below the summit. What a spectacular climb this will be with Huascaran rising behind us and all the highest summits catching the sun’s first rays in all directions. After summit photos we carefully descend to high camp, have a little bite to eat and drink and then begin the long descent back to base camp for another great meal. All meals provided. |
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Day 19
Return to Huaraz: A semi-leisure start, we take down camp and pack things up for the short 30- minute walk down to the road where our private vehicle will be waiting for us. Then back to Huaraz for a hot shower and farewell dinner. All meals provided.
Day 20
Home: Leaving Huaraz you will have a 7-hour bus ride back to Lima and then to the airport to check in for your flights home the same night. Breakfast and lunch provided on the bus, dinner on your own.
 Day 21
Arrive Home.
Special Note:
Peaks & Places Travel reserves the rights to change the itinerary, or call off a climb, if climbing conditions are unsafe and/or participants are unprepared and lack the necessary experience. All base camp and climbing tents, climbing rope, safety equipment, climbing and base camp food, transportation in country, hotels, cooks, burros and burro drivers are provided in the land cost. All restaurant meals are extra except where noted in the itinerary. Participants must provide his or her own personal climbing equipment and clothing, including but not limited to: boots, crampons, harnesses, carabiners, prussic, slings, helmets, sleeping bags and packs.
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