Expedition Recap: Alpamayo 2026

In early July 2026, at 11:30 am, Alpenglow guides Christian, Nacho, and Micher, along with five clients, summited Alpamayo. The mountain, considered one of the most stunning alpine objectives in the world, rises to 19,511 feet in western Peru’s Cordillera Blanca range.

The team stood above the beautiful Santa Cruz Valley, where, just days before, inclement weather continually delayed their trip. Walking through the valley, they arrived at basecamp where they set up tents alongside other climbers. Above all this, and 1,300 feet below them now, Moraine Camp was somewhere beneath the clouds. They had hiked there twice for acclimation and to half-carry gear, and left from there six hours earlier for the summit. Stepping off the summit, some of them undoubtedly thought of the cook in his tent, where they had been initially surprised by how good the food could be on an expedition.

“Everyone was really strong, organized, and independent on the climb,” said Christian.

The Technical Climbing

The technical portion of Alpamayo begins at around 18,200 feet, where the ice averages as steep as 60 degrees for the 1,300 feet to the summit. “There were only a few pitches of steeper climbing where we had to take our packs off and haul them through,” said Christian, in a testament to the fitness and capability of the group.

Preparing for Alpamayo

Climbers who attempt Alpamayo with Alpenglow have prior experience on other high altitude peaks with less technical challenge. Many have climbed Aconcagua, 22,841 feet, the highest mountain in South America, and volcanoes in Ecuador. Because the climb requires endurance under load, climbers also train for Alpamayo by running and lifting weights. Alpenglow provides a 12-week mountaineering training program for people preparing for Alpamayo.

Climbing Alpamayo at the Right Time

This expedition was in the middle of Alpamayo’s climbing season, typically from June through July. These months in Peru are often dryer and the snow and ice allows easier travel on the mountain, so it is the best time to climb Alpamayo.

The Alpenglow team was slowed down by weather at first, but climbing Alpamayo is already a slow process. Acclimatizing for Alpamayo takes days of slow movement up the mountain and sleeping and resting at high elevation, or day hikes to move gear up, but returning to a lower camp for the night.

Alpenglow guides go through extensive multi-year trainings, and take time every year to practice their skills on and off the job.

“It was my first time climbing and guiding Alpamayo,” said Christian, who has guided other high altitude peaks around the world, “I don’t know for Nacho and Micher, for sure lots of times.”

Because of the amount of logistics, preparation, and technical knowledge needed to climb the mountain, guided expeditions on Alpamayo have about a 30% better success rate than unguided, only 20% of which summit.

As the Alpenglow team looked out from the summit, they saw no one beneath the clouds. They were the only ones to summit that day.

Ready to Climb Alpamayo?

Curious if you’re ready to climb Alpamayo? Connect with our team. You can schedule a call with Griffin Mims, our International Client Manager, by clicking HERE. You can also email us at info@alpenglowexpeditions.com, or call our office any time at 877-873-5376.