Climbing Course & Summits — 12 or 13 Days

A 1½ hour drive to the Llaca Valley (4470m), then a steep 3 to 4 hour climb carrying all our gear up a ridge to Morena Camp (5000m), with magnificent views of Ocshapalca, Huaraz and the Cordillera Negra. An afternoon introduction to equipment and knots.

Three days of tailored instruction on the Vallunaraju glacier from Morena Camp — crampon and ice-axe work, anchors, belaying, crevasse rescue and ice climbing, matched to your level and goals.

An early start on steady, not-steep good snow to the 5686m summit (the last 60m steeper and exposed), putting the new techniques into practice, with Huascarán in view throughout. We descend and return to Huaraz.

We drive down the Callejón de Huaylas to Yungay and up into the Huascarán National Park past the Llanganuco lakes to Cebollapampa (3850m, 2½ hours). Our gear is loaded onto donkeys and we climb a good path for 2½ hours to Pisco Base Camp (4650m), where a refugio sells hot food.

A short but challenging day climbing to Morena Camp (4900m) over loose ground and large moraine rocks. Donkeys cannot follow, so you carry your personal climbing gear; porters carry tents, food and ropes. A steep climb over the moraine wall and a tricky descent precede mixed path and scrambling.

Summit day on Pisco — about 5 hours up for sunrise on mostly non-steep glacier (a 60° 30m slope guards the summit), with vast views of Huascarán, Chopicalqui and Chacraraju, then descent to Base Camp.

An easy 1½ hour descent to the flat campsite at Cebollapampa, where we rest for the afternoon.

A half-hour drive up to the “Curva” (4580m) below the Portachuelo pass, then 3 to 3½ hours carrying packs over grass and moraine to Yanapaccha Morena Camp (5000m).

A very early start over moraine to the glacier, a steep 45° ice climb onto it, a crevasse field and a steep 65° final 200m to the 5460m summit. We descend with 3 to 4 rappels to Morena Camp, then walk out to the road and drive to Huaraz.