Pisco and Chopicalqui Climbing Adventure Trip Grade 5
Introduction to High Altitude Climbing

Trip Dates: • June 14 to June 29, 2008 (16 Days) Land Cost: • $1995.00  (Based on 7-9 Participants) • $2225.00  (Based on 4-6 Participants) • $3050.00  (Based on 2-3 Participants) *** Save $50 by signing up before January 10, 2008!*** Single Supplement: • Land Cost Plus $100 for Private Room

“The Pisco & Chopicalqui trip was one of the best trips of my life!!”
--Dylan Grogan, 2005 Pisco and Chopicalqui Trip (See more testimonials)

Trip Rating
Easy to Moderately Difficult Climbing up to 20,850 ft. This trip is physically demanding and involves up to 12 hours of climbing on some days. Previous climbing experience on both snow and ice is recommended as well as being comfortable using crampons and ice axes on 50-degree slopes. Knowledge of belaying and rappelling is required and you should be in good health and physical condition.

Trip Description

Located in the heart of the Cordillera Blanca Mountains on either side of the Llanganuco valley are two beautiful glaciated peaks. Pisco (18,873ft) named after the famous Peruvian liquor, is one of the most popular peaks in the range to climb, not only because it is a relatively easy peak to approach and climb, but because it is surrounded by all the highest and most difficult peaks in the range. Views from the summit of Pisco on a clear day are nothing short of spectacular!

Located across the valley to the south of Pisco is Chopicalqui, also know as the east peak of Huascaran. Chopicalqui (20,850ft) has one of the most spectacular summit ridges and summits in all of the Blanca. It is a moderately difficult peak to climb, requiring a high camp to be set up at approximately 18,375ft, before the final summit climb early the next morning.

For the novice or experienced climber alike, both of these mountains are not to be missed. Climbing Pisco first allows people not only to get acclimatized and get your legs strong but allows time to practice all of your glacier travel, rope handling and crevasse rescue skills before moving on to the bigger Chopicalqui. The combination of climbing both of these mountains in the same week makes for both an exciting and demanding challenge.

This guided adventure will spend some time practicing the following mountaineering skills:

• Safe Snow Travel with and without Crampons
• Ice Axe and Crampon Technique
• Moving Efficiently as a Roped Team on a Glacier
• Glacier Travel and Route Finding
• Snow and Ice Anchors, Crevasse Rescue
• Cold Weather Camping, and Developing a Safe Climbing Plan for each climb

Safety is our number one priority, especially when climbing at altitude. Drawing from more than 20 years of experience we realize how important it is for people to acclimatize properly. We have specifically designed the itinerary to allow normally adequate acclimatization days throughout the trip. Our number two goal is to provide individualized attention to each participant, therefore we try to keep the group sizes small, one guide to 2-3 clients, ensuring that each individuals needs are thoroughly addressed.

Located in grassy meadows, our base camp is run by an experienced cook who prepares three excellent meals a day, all served in a comfortable dinning tent, allowing you the climbers to have more rest and recovery time before and after each climb.

This is a perfect opportunity to broaden your alpine climbing experience and learn how your body does climbing at high altitude.

Trip Guides
Brad Johnson
Koky Casteñeda
Cesar Ramos