Alpamayo & Huascarán Expedition — 23 Days

An hour’s drive from Huaraz to Pitec (3750m), then an easy walk up the Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca to camp at Olivos (4250m) below Andavite. In the afternoon we hike up to Laguna Tullpacocha (4350m) and return.

We continue acclimatising with a morning hike to Cullichacocha (4500m), then move camp into the Cayesh Valley (4400m) at the base of Maparaju.

A steep three-hour climb up the valley side on rock and scree reaches the glacier. The ascent is mixed, with moderate slopes and steeper 45–50° sections, and spectacular summit views of Cayesh and Huantsan before we descend to camp in the Cayesh Valley.

We hike back down the valley to Pitec where our van is waiting, and return to Huaraz.

A 2½ hour drive to Cashapampa (2900m), then up through the Santa Cruz Valley — a hot, steep gorge for the first two hours before the valley opens to puna grassland and camp at Llamacorral (3750m).

An easier walk up the Quebrada Santa Cruz past Ichiccocha and Jatuncocha, then a steep zig-zag into the Quebrada Arhuaycocha to Alpamayo Base Camp (4300m).

A rest day while porters stock High Camp. Optional short walk to Laguna Arhuaycocha below Rinrijirca.

Three hours on steep moraine rock to the ice, then a 45° gully to an ice cliff (some years 150–200m of 70° ice) to reach High Camp (5450m) between Alpamayo and Quitaraju.

An early start to the bergschrund below the southwest face, then 7–8 technical pitches of snow and ice (55–85°) to the summit. Descent by 7–8 rappels to sleep at High Camp.

A 150–200m rappel descends the ice cliff, then steep rock for the last 1½ hours to Base Camp and a celebration dinner.

A long, easy walk down the Quebrada Santa Cruz to Cashapampa; our van returns us to Huaraz for a rest day before Huascarán.

A 1½ hour drive down the Callejón de Huaylas to Musho (3150m). We load donkeys and hike gradually through farmland and eucalyptus, then more steeply on zig-zags through ichu grass to Base Camp (4350m).

From here we carry all our equipment. We climb through rock slabs and moraine boulders, steeply at times, for three hours to the ice, then a steadier two hours on ice to High Camp 1 (5260m).

The most dangerous part of the climb, with serac and crevasse hazard. We leave early while the ice is hard. Near the Garganta between Huascarán Sur and Norte there are usually two large crevasses and about 45 minutes of steep 55–65° ice to High Camp 2 (6000m).

A 1am start, negotiating large crevasses, then climbing the glacier on good snow with steeper 50–65° traverses and exposed sections before a long final hike to the 6768m summit. We return to High Camp 2 with some rappels.

We descend by the ascent route to Base Camp, where a celebration dinner awaits.

A three-hour walk down to Musho, then drive back to Huaraz.