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Alpamayo & Quitaraju

Alpamayo in the early morning

Alpamayo & Quitaraju Expedition

Advanced 15 Days Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Known as the gem of the Cordillera Blanca, Alpamayo (19,512’/5,947m) requires climbers to possess an array of alpine skills to reach the summit. It is truly a mountaineer’s mountain.
June 29th – July 13th, 2024
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Drone footage of the summit of Alpamayo

Climb the Most Beautiful Mountain on the Planet.

Alpamayo is the ideal mountain to put your advanced alpine skills to the test, combining the challenges of climbing at altitude with steep ice and snow climbing. Many fledgling high-altitude climbers consider this peak a culmination of their early climbing careers. It has often been named by climbers, magazines, and trekkers as “the most beautiful mountain in the world.”

FITNESS

Climbers must be in excellent physical shape to join this expedition. Regular, challenging exercise for many months in advance of departure is the only way to gain the necessary level of fitness that is needed on big peaks. Climbing in the Cordillera Blanca is a large physical undertaking, and climbers who are joining our teams should have at least a general understanding of what it takes to train for an expedition like this. For a personalized training schedule, please reach out to our in-house trainer: lynette@alpenglowexpeditions.com.

TECHNICAL

Climbers must have experience climbing Grade III multi-pitch rock and/or ice routes, and following Grade IV ice climbs.

ALTITUDE

Climbers must have experience climbing above 15,000′.
A climber alpine climbing up an Alpamayo fluted spine before the summit

Alpamayo & Quitaraju Expedition Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival

Arriving in Lima between 6pm and 12am, clients will be transported to their hotel for a good night’s sleep before departing for Huaraz the next day.

Day 2
Drive to Huaraz

Welcome to Huaraz, the climbing capital of South America! After an 8-hour bus ride from Lima, we will arrive at the small, beautiful Olaza Hotel where we will rest and regroup.

Day 3
Acclimate and Organize

Organize and acclimatize! We’ll spend this day going over gear and logistics for our expedition, making sure that everyone is ready to spend the next several days at altitude. Additionally, we’ll do our first acclimatization hike to a nearby high-altitude lake.

Day 4
Drive and Hike

From Huaraz, we drive 3 hours through the farming communities nestled between the spines of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca to the trailhead in the village of Cashapampa. From there, we’ll organize our burros and hike to Llama Corral (11,500’/3,505m) to camp for the night.

Day 5
Establish Base Camp

We will continue to trek past the Santa Cruz lakes until reaching the hanging valley beneath Alpamayo. At 13,500 ft./ 4,115m, we’ll set up our basecamp just at the edge of the treeline.

Day 6
Loads to Moraine Camp

From Base Camp, we will make a run up to Moraine Camp (16,000’/4,877’) to stash equipment for our ascent. Upon our return to Base Camp, we’ll fresh, clean food provided by our local logistics operators.

Day 7
Rest Day

Rest Day in Base Camp. Today we will review advanced rope skills and prepare our gear for the climb.

Day 8
Move to Moraine Camp

Move to Moraine Camp.

Day 9
Move to Col Camp

Today, we move onto the glacier and climb to Col Camp (18,000’/5486m). This is often one of the more challenging days of the expedition, as we will be crossing the broken glacier and climbing up to three two-tool snow and neve pitches with full packs. Col Camp boasts some of the best views of any high camp in the world.

 

Day 10
Summit Alpamayo

If the team is feeling strong and well-acclimatized, we will attempt the summit of Alpamayo (19,512’/5,947m). The summit route has a 1-2 hr approach before crossing the bergschrund onto the SW Face. From there we will either attempt the French Direct Route or the Ferrari Route on 55-70 degree snow and ice, before a final knife-edge ridge traverse takes us to the top. We return to high camp by rappelling off the summit.

Day 11
Rest Day

Rest Day in Col Camp.

Day 12
Summit Quitaraju

If the team is feeling up to it, we will attempt to summit Quitaraju (19, 820’/6,041m) from Col Camp. While not as steep as Alpamayo, the route up the North Face of Quitaraju is considerably longer. After crossing the glacier, 12+ pitches of snow and neve stand between us and the summit.

Day 13
Descend to Base Camp

Descent from Col Camp to Base Camp.

Day 14
Return to Huaraz

From sunrise in Base Camp, we will ride horses out of the Santa Cruz valley back to Cashapampa. From there, we take a van back to Huaraz for hot showers and celebrations.

Day 15
Head back to Lima

Depart for Lima and catch our flights (after 8pm) back home.

Alpamayo & Quitaraju Trip Packet

Our Alpamayo Guides

Meet some of the guides you might be climbing Alpamayo & Quitaraju with.

Alpamayo & Quitaraju Expedition Questions

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about climbing Alpamayo and Quitaraju.
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