Peru Climbing School June 2024 Recap

Ready to take your climbing to the next level? Join us for the Peru Climbing School, where we immerse ourselves in the beautiful Cordillera Blanca to learn basic climbing and expedition skills while tackling two big peaks, Yanapaccha and Pisco.

Read below for a recap of our most recent climbing school in Peru:

Acclimation Hikes: Puca Ventana and Churup Lake

The trip started with two acclimation hikes to Puca Ventana and Churup Lake, two beautiful locations high above Huaraz. These initial treks are crucial for adjusting to the altitude and preparing our bodies for the high mountains, where base camp in the Cordillera Blanca sits around 14,000′.

Llanganuco Valley and Laguna 69

Next, they moved into the stunning Llanganuco Valley, continuing our acclimation with a hike to Laguna 69. The lake’s turquoise waters and breathtaking surroundings are characteristic of this region and the location is perfect to continue acclimatizing.

Yanapaccha Base Camp: Storm and Skills

The real adventure begins at Yanapaccha Base Camp. The team faced a 36-hour storm that covered the area with 20 cm of fresh snow. Once the weather improved, they had a skills day on the glacier, practicing with ice axes, crampons, and ropes, climbing up to 5,000 meters.

Technical Practice at Camp

The next day was dedicated to technical skills around the camp, including rappelling, belaying, and multi-pitch techniques. All skills practice on the Peru Climbing School takes place on the lower slopes of Yanapaccha, so that we’re familiar with the terrain when we go for the summit.

Summit Day on Yanapaccha

As the weather cleared, we enjoyed bluebird skies on summit day for Yanapaccha (17,913’/5,460m). This is a great first objective for our school, because it allows us to employ all the skills learned so far in the course in a manageable, low-risk environment while still getting to climb a properly tall peak and reach a summit.

Descent and Exploration

After descending to base camp, we moved on to Pisco. Some team members decided to exit the mountains and took the opportunity to rock climb and explore ancient ruins in Huaraz. The rest of the team stayed behind to move onto the next objective, Pisco.

Summit Push on Pisco

The second objective is Pisco (18,871’/5,752m). The team started climbing around midnight, reaching the summit around 9 a.m. The weather was perfect, with clear blue skies and no clouds in sight.

After summiting Pisco, the team descended and began the journey out of the mountains and back to Huaraz, where they enjoyed a farewell dinner complete with Pisco sours, a local special.

Are you a beginner/intermediate climber looking to go after bigger mountain objectives and immerse yourself in life on expedition? Get in touch with our team by clicking HERE and learn more about the Peru Climbing School.