Build the perfect itinerary to suit your desires and abilities in the Cordillera Blanca. We can tailor this private program specifically for you and your team. Whether you're looking to push your limits and climb steep, technical lines with our expert IFMGA Guides or build skills to further your own climbing objectives, the Cordillera Blanca is a perfect range.
As the highest tropical mountain range in the world, the Cordillera Blanca offers a wild contrast between the high mountain glaciers and the lush forests of the lowlands. The terrain varies just as much as well, offering mellow glacier climbs such as Pisco Oestse and Nevado Ishinca as well as steep, technical climbs like Artesonraju, Alpamayo and more.
Peaks
We have experience on a variety of peaks and routes in the Cordillera Blanca and would be happy to set up climbing programs on most peaks in the range, including:
- Yanapaccha
- Urus Este
- Ishinca
- Tocllaraju
- Artesonraju
- Alpamayo
- Chopicalqui
- Pisco Oueste
- Huascaran Sur and Norte
- Nevado Copa
- Many more
Requisite Experience
Climbing in the Cordillera Blanca is an engaging high-altitude experience. Most routes are fairly demanding simply based on the high-altitude nature of the climbing and many are very taxing due to technical terrain and gear that must be carried. Excellent fitness and solid technical skill with ice axe, crampons, steep snow, alpine ice and basic rock climbing/scrambling is required.
Some of the routes on the itinerary you choose for this program may be committing, meaning that once you start the technical climbing, it's not easy to simply turn around. You guide will ultimately decide if certain climbs are appropriate for your skill and fitness levels. If you are not doing well with the altitude, are feeling fatigued or are not climbing safely, your guide may turn you around.
If you're unsure if this trip is right for you, email us and we'll make sure you have the requisite physical fitness and technical skill level for this program. If this is your first time climbing with us, we'll review your climbing resume to ensure you'll have a great climb in Peru.
Included in Price
IFMGA Mountain GuidesCamp Cook
Mule transport of gear to basecamps
Porters from base camps to High Camps
In-Country Transport
Hotels in Country for set dates (additional hotel stays are up to you)
On-Mountain Food
Group gear (tents, ropes, pickets, ice screws, etc.)
Dates
Available Dates
Prices
To Be DeterminedItinerary
Peru Yanapaccha and Ishinca Valleys 2022 Date Day Location Activity June 14 -1 USA Leave USA, PM June-15 0 USA Depart USA afternoon Jun-16 1 Lima US-Lima*, H Lima Jun-17 2 Cherup Acclimatization peak/hike Churup, H Huaraz Jun-18 3 Lago Zorro Acclimatization peak/hike, H Huaraz Jun-19 4 Yana Yanapaccha arrive (Yana Day 1) Jun-20 5 Yana Yanapaccha training/ice (Yana Day 2) Jun-21 6 Yana Yana summit climb (West Ridge or Right of Standard ) (Yana Day 3) Jun-22 7 Yana Yana to Huaraz, H Huaraz (Yana Day 4) Jun-23 8 Huaraz Rest day in Huaraz, H Huaraz Hotel Huaraz Jun-24 9 Ishinca Ishinca arrive (Ishinca Day 1) Jun-25 0 Ishinca Urus Este summit climb (Ishinca Day 2) Jun-26 11 Ishinca Ishinca high camp (Ishinca Day 3) Jun-27 12 Ishinca Ishinca summit climb, return to BC (Ishinca Day 4) Jun-28 13 Ishinca Toc high camp (Ishinca Day 5) Jun-29 14 Ishinca Toc summit climb (Ishinca Day 6) Jun-30 15 Ishinca Ishinca Valley Flex Day (Ishinca Day 7), H Huaraz Weather Day, may be in Huaraz Jul-1 16 Return to Huaraz Jul-2 17 Van back to Lima Huaraz to Lima, afternoon arrival in Lima, evening flights Lima to US Jul-3 18 Arrive homeEquipment
Technical Gear
❏ Climbing Helmet
❏ Headlamp - with fresh batteries
❏ Climbing harness (alpine or rock harness)
❏ Two Locking carabiners - Petzl Attache, etc
❏ Climbing boots - LaSportiva trango, Scarpa Charmoz or similar
❏ Gaiters - OR mini gaiters to keep snow out of boots
❏ Crampons (Steel crampons that are compatible with your boots)
❏ Ice Axe (55 to 65cm Axe)
❏ Trekking Poles - adjustable preferred
Layers
❏ Sun Hat
❏ Sun Glasses
❏ Warm Hat
❏ 2x Buffs or face masks (These are for warmth and wind protection and are
required for Covid-19 face coverings)
❏ Long sleeve base layer top
❏ 1 to 2 fleece weight upper layers (I'm using a Patgonia R1 and Nano Air)
❏ Puffy - Mid Weight Down/synthetic, Patagonia Fitzroy or similar
❏ Waterproof Shell Jacket with Hood - Gore-Tex (or similar) - basic, lightweight shell, NOT
insulated
❏ Gloves-TWO pair
❏ one pair light/mid weight for warm temps
❏ one mid/heavy weight for cold
❏ Socks - TWO pair. Both mid-weight wool/synthetic
❏ Underwear - wool/synthetic
❏ Sports Bra - wool/synthetic
❏ Goggles (bring to gear check, we may choose to leave at the car depending on Weather
Forecast)
❏ Long johns (bring to gear check, we may choose to leave at the car depending on Weather
Forecast)
Camping & Backpacking Gear
❏ Sleeping Bag (20F) - down preferred due to weight and pack-ability.
❏ Sleeping Pad - Inflatables are comfortable, but make sure it is insulated for sleeping on
snow! Therm-a-rest NeoAir X-Therm or X-Lite are expensive, but excellent.
❏ Compression Stuff sack for sleeping bag
❏ Backpack - 50L (or the smallest bag that fits all of your gear and your share of the group
gear). Black Diamond Speed 50 or similar work well for this.
Other Essentials
❏ Sun Screen (SPF 30 minimum)
❏ Lip Balm (with SPF)
Food and water
❏ Two freeze dried dinner meals (or meals that can be made with just hot water):
I recommend Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai, and Mountain House Pasta Primavera, but
everyone has strong opinions on freeze dried meals. If you know you don’t like or do
well with Freeze Dried, please let me know and I will forward some
“just-add-water” options.
❏ Two Breakfasts:
Grits with cheese, oatmeal, cold cereal with powdered milk, bagel and cream cheese,
PB and J sandwich, mountain house freeze dried.
Bring whatever sounds appealing for a midnight breakfast.
❏ Instant Coffee (if you’re a coffee drinker, now is a bad time to kick the habit!)
❏ Decaffeinated tea for evening hot drink
❏ Cup of 1⁄2 liter Nalgene Bottle (for hot drinks). I prefer the 1⁄2 liter Nalgene so that I can
use it for water on the climb as well.
❏ Bowl
To keep things light and compact, I use the freeze dried dinner bag for my breakfast
bowl, but some people don’t like the remaining flavors. If that’s the case, bring a light
bowl (lightweight tupperware works great)
❏ Spoon - choose a long handled spoon if you’re eating freeze dried food out of the bag.
Normal spoons make it hard to reach the food and it gets messy.
❏ Snack Food - 3 days worth of snacks. I usually break this down as:
❏ Water - bring two liters capacity. I prefer using a 1⁄2 Liter Nalgene for hot drinks and a
soft/collapsible 2L Hyrdrapack Bottle) Please bring at least one hard sided water
bottle.
❏ Hand Sanitizer (Bring extra due to increased use for Covid-19)
❏ Toilet Paper
Optional
❏ First Aid/blister Kit
❏ Chemical hand warmers
❏ Hydration System (Camelback, etc). Please bring an additional hard sided water bottle if
you choose to bring a hydration system.