Alpamayo and Huascaran guided expedition in Peru

Arrival in Lima. Time to explore the city on your own. Overnight in hotel.

Travel 8 hours by bus to Huaraz (3100 m). The trip is 400 km, across the amazing Pacific coastal dessert. Then we’ll pass through the Cordillera Negra (Black Range) at Conococha Pass (4020 m) into the Santa Cruz valley and Huaraz (3100m.)  You can also fly from Lima to Huaraz, via LCPERU. It’s a50 minutes flight.

Huaraz. Trekking to Laguna Wilcacocha (3725 m). We’ll visit the Cordillera Negra for acclimatization. You’ll enjoy a spectacular view of the Cordillera Blanca and its peaks: Huandoy, Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Hualcan, Copa, Vallunaraju, Ocshapalca, Ranrapalca, Palcaraju, Churup, and many more. Overnight at hotel.

Huaraz. Transfer to Yuracoral (3850 m). Cebollapampa. We’ll hike to Lake 69 (4450 m), a beautiful blue lake, surrounded by glaciers, with  great views of the Cordillera Blanca. The round trip will take us about 6 hours. We’ll return in the afternoon to Yuracoral Camp (3850 m).

Cebollapampa/ Yuracoral. Transfer to Portachuelo Pass (4650 m). We’ll arrive in the village of Vaqueria (3750)Huaripampa Camp (3550 m), where our pack animals are. Short hike to Huaripampa Camp (3550 m). Overnight camp.

We’ll continue to Huaripampa valley, past Paria (3800 m). Short hike in the area around Tuctupampa Camp (4150 m). From there we can see Punta Union Pass. Overnight Camp.

Paria. Trekking to Punta Union Pass (4750 m). We can see from there all of the Santa Cruz Valley and the trail that we will follow. We’ll stop for photos and then descend to Taullipampa camp (4250 m) to continue to Alpamayo Base Camp (4300 m). From this point we can already see Alpamayo, the goal of our expedition. Overnight camp.

Alpamayo Base Camp. Today we’ll prepare the expedition equipment for Alpamayo. From here, a local team (cook, porters, and local guides) will help us carry everything. We’ll follow the trail across the steep moraine at the tongue of the glacier to Moraine Camp (4900 m).

Moraine Camp. Today we’ll ascend to Alpamayo High Camp (5300 m). It’s on a steep glacier at the base of Alpamayo and Quitaraju. Due to the glacier constant changes, the situation in this area is different every year. From High Camp the summit looks so close! We’ll have an early dinner because we must get up very early tomorrow.

Summit day! From High Camp, today we’ll ascend to Alpamayo Summit (5947 m). We’ll possibly follow the French route: a 60 to 80 degree wall of ice which narrows toward the top. Above the wall, you need to conquer a few meters to the highest point of the narrow ridge. At the summit, you will enjoy a spectacular view of the Cordillera Blanca! You’ll see the peak of Quitaraju (6036 m) and to the southwest the summit of Huascaran (6768 m.) Brief rest and photos at the summit. Return quickly to High Camp via a rappel, down the same route we came up. The climb to the summit and return to base camp can be done before noon, if the weather is good. The ascent will take us 5 to 6 hours. The descent, about 2 to 3 hours. If the group is tired, we can stay one more night in High Camp. But if everyone is fine, which is usual, we’ll descend to Alpamayo Base Camp.

Rest day in Alpamayo Base Camp (4300 m). This is an extra day, scheduled in case of bad weather or to return to Base Camp, if we stayed the previous night in High Camp.

Base Camp. Today we begin our hike very early. We’ll  descend through the Santa Cruz valley to Cashapampa (about 6 hours.) Our minibus will take us back to Huaraz.  Overnight Hotel.

Rest day in Huaraz. You’ll have the option of climbing at the walls of Chancas, 40 minutes from Huaraz. It’s a classic location for rock climbers, with 8 routes of different difficulties. It’s a perfect site to spend a peaceful day in nature. You can visit later the local hot springs and relax your  muscles.

Huaraz. Today we’ll start our trek to Huascaran Base Camp (4250 m). Transfer from Huaraz through the Callejón de Huaylas to the village of Musho (3000 m). We’ll load our luggage onto donkeys for a 4 to 5 hour hike to Huascarán Base Camp (4250 m). From there, we’ll have a fantastic view of the Cordillera Negra.

From Huascaran Base Camp, today we’ll ascend  to High Camp I (5350 m). The southern and northern summits of Huascaran seem close enough to touch from this spot. Lodging in tents on the glacier. At night, temperature falls to as low as -13°C.

Very early, we’ll start to ascend to High Camp II (Garganta, 6000 m). We’ll climb over the steep section of the glacier, with avalanches in the chutes and crevasses. There’s also an area of icefall with 50° faces requiring ice climbing. Every year conditions change in this area because of the retreat of the glacier. We’ll continue up to Camp II in La Garganta (The Throat), between the North Summit (6655 m) and the South Summit (6768 m.) Night in tents on the glacier.

Summit day! We’ll start our ascent to the South Summit very early this morning. The trail goes through many avalanche and crevasses zones until we arrive at the flat summit ridge of the Huascaran. From the top, we’ll have an unforgettable view of all of the Cordillera Blanca. We’ll enjoy the summit and take photos and then we’ll begin our descent back to High Camp II. If weather allows and everyone feels fine, we can descend to Base Camp, or we can either stay in High Camp II, rest one hour and start to go down to Base Camp. Dinner and lodging in Base Camp. The ascent takes about 6 to 7 hours and the descent to High Camp II, 3 to 4 hours. The descent from High Camp II to Base Camp also  takes 3 to 4 hours.

This is an extra day, in case we face bad weather or to sleep in High Camp II. (Garganta, 6000 m).

Today is our last expedition day. After the luggage is loaded in the mules and donkeys, we’ll descend to Musho, a walk of 3 to 4 hours. Then, our private transport will take us to Huaraz, our final destination. We’ll have a complimentary dinner at Juventino Albino Caldua’s place, where we’ll taste a special dish called Pachamanca. Lodging in the hotel.

Transfer to the Anta airport for a  50 minute flight to Lima, or transfer to the bus terminal for an 8 hour drive to Lima. Transfer to the hotel.

Stay in Lima. Transfer to the airport. Overnight flight.

Arrival in your country of origin.