Location: Cordillera Blanca.
Duration: 2 days / 1 nights.
Maximum altitude: 5460 m (summit).
Type of activity: Ice climbing.
Difficulty: Moderate (semi-technical intermediate).
Best season:April to November.
If you are looking for an ice climbing adventure that takes you to new heights, look no further than this impressive mountain in the Cordillera Blanca. With a strategic location among the most iconic peaks of the range, this mountain offers breathtaking panoramic views once you reach the summit.
For ice climbing enthusiasts, the east face of this mountain presents an exciting and demanding challenge that tests your ice climbing skills. By using a technical ice axe on an ice wall, you will feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins as you ascend the wall and conquer the summit.
Day 01: Huaraz – Km 42 – Base Camp (4900m).
We depart from the city of Huaraz towards the north, passing through the provinces of Carhuaz and Yungay. After two and a half hours of transportation, we arrive at the Huascarán National Park (PNH) control, where we pay the entrance fee. Then, we head towards the Llanganuco ravine, where we will make a brief stop at the Chinancocha lagoon to take photos and admire its beautiful turquoise color for about 15 minutes. Then we continue towards the Portachuelo pass until we reach Km 42, the starting point of our trek to the moraine field. The first few minutes go through a plain of rock surrounded by Andean vegetation, followed by a small ascent to reach the moraine zone of the trail. During the ascent, we will be accompanied by the imposing peaks of the surrounding mountains. After approximately 3 hours of trekking, we will arrive at our first camping day.
DAY 02: Base Camp – Summit (5460 m)- Huaraz
Today is the day we reach the summit. After about 30 minutes of walking, we reach the glacier where we gear up with everything we need for the ascent. Our guide meticulously checks each of the items we carry to ensure our safety. Once we are ready, we rope up and begin our ascent to the summit. We overcome crevasses and small climbing sections with an incline of up to 50 degrees. After 6 hours of effort, climbing more than 250 meters of wall with an inclination of 55, 60, 65 degrees, we finally reached the summit. From here, we can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the majestic Cordillera Blanca, home to the most emblematic mountains of Peru.
Once we reach the summit, we stop for a while to rest, hydrate, and capture unforgettable moments with our cameras. After enjoying the panoramic views from the summit, we begin our descent using the same route. We make the necessary rappels to descend safely and effectively. Finally, we arrived at our campsite. After a snack and rest, we pack up our tents and begin the descent towards the road, where our transportation awaits us back to Huaraz.
Informational briefing: one day before the expedition.
Transportation: private.
Mountain guide.
Mountaineering equipment: (helmets, harnesses, crampons, ice axes, ropes).
Cooking equipment.
Food (From the first lunch or picnic to the last lunch or picnic).
Camping equipment.
First aid kit.
Mountain cook.
Private round-trip transportation.
Unlimited drinking water.
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Entrance fees to Huascarán National Park.
Personal Equipment & Technical: (backpack,harness,boots, crampons, 2 ice axe, 3 locking carabiners, 1 Daisy Chain,1 ATC descender, 3 Cords for prusik, sunglasses,jacket, gloves, pants with High-quality for mountain).
Sleeping bag (-15º to 0ºC) & matt.
Medical and accident insurance.
Personal medicine.
First Breakfast & Last Dinner.
Personal expenses.
Essential items to pack!
- Beanie, gloves.
- Flashlight with spare batteries and bulb.
- Mountain goggles, sunscreen.
- mountaineering gloves,liner gloves,mittens
- Down jacket.
- Waterproof jacket or poncho.
- Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex or quick-drying preferred).
- trekking trousers or leggings, sweater
- Underwear, long thermal underwear
- Warm socks (comfortable and thick for mountain boots).
- Hiking shoes.
- Day backpack.
- Hiking poles.
- Water bottle.
- Extra snacks.
- Extra money.