Itinerary:
1st day.- Arrival to Lima.
Pick up at the airport “Jorge Chavez” in Lima and transportation to the reserved hotel in Lima.
2nd day.- Departure from Lima to Huaraz (by bus).
We will travel by bus from Lima to Huaraz, the capital of the district of Ancash (3100m). The transport provided by the company “Cruz del Sur” includes a “bus cama”, an overnight trip with reclined seats.
Departure time from Lima is at 09:30am and we will arrive in Huaraz at 5:30pm. Pick up at the bus terminal and transfer to the hotel in Huaraz is included.
The staff of "Enrique Expedition Tours" and the Mountain Guide will be informed about your arrival and will be waiting for you.
3rd day.- Acclimation trek to Lake Churup (4450m).
We will leave the city of Huaraz by private bus to Pitec (3850m). First we will pass the colorful villages of Llupa (3650m) outside of Huaraz, where we will have a panoramic view of the southern part of the Cordillera Blanca. Arriving in Pitec we start the hike to the Lake Churup at 4450m. First we enter the valley of Churup, after some hours of walking we will reach the Lake Churup, where we will stay for one hour before we return to our hotel in Huaraz.
(Elevation change: +650m; Duration: 4-5 hours).
The organization of personal material and logistical information for the ascent to Mountain Copa we will do after the trekking in the evening.
4th day.- Huaraz – Marcara – Vicos – Base Camp (4600m).
We will leave Huaraz by private bus towards the north part of the Callejón (Alley) of Huaylas until we will reach the village of Marcara, where we expect the donkey driver, who will load the donkeys with our luggage and camping staff. From there the trek starts to the base camp of Ishinca (4400m), what will take us about four to five hours.
(Elevation Change: +800m; Duration: approx. 5 hours).
5th day.- Base Camp (4600m) - Camp 1 (5200m) - Mount Copa.
We will leave very early the base camp and climb up a moraine above Lake Lejiacocha towards the direction of camp 1 (5200m). To reach the camp 1, we will have to pass a rocky zone of 400m to arrive to Camp 1.
In this part our carriers will carry our staff, because it is impossible to go there with donkeys and if there is snow, we will use our crampons and ice axes. In this area we will orientate us more towards the left side and it is also convenient to pass it very early to avoid falling stones – for our protection we will be using helmets. The slope is about 50-55°.
If it is a dry year there will be snow starting at the middle of the corridor, where you enter the glacier. From this point to Camp 1 we will climb up an interminable slope of 40-45°. We will transport our personal equipment and have to avoid some cracks to reach Camp 1 at 5200m. Here we can enjoy a wonderful view of the big glacier plateau.
(Elevation Change: +600m; Duration: approx. 5-6 hours).
6th day.- Camp 1 (4600m) – Copa Summit (6188m) – Base Camp (4600m).
This day we will leave the campsite very early to attack Copa summit (6188m). We will have to take into account that the route varies every year. When we will arrive to the summit we will observe the big ice plateau of this mountain. It is recommended to be at the summit around 12 or 1am in the night. After conquering the top we will descend to Camp 1 and then go further to the base camp.
It is important to know that the route to the summit of Mount Copa is very dangerous, because there are covered cracks.
(Elevation Change: +1588 m; Duration: approx. 10 hours).
7th day.- Base Camp (4600m) – Vicos – Huaraz – Hotel.
After a good breakfast our donkey driver will pack the donkeys with our camping and personal equipment to walk back downhill from the base camp to the center of the village Vicos. There we will be expected by a bus of the Company "Enrique Expedition Tours", that will bring us to Huaraz – Hotel.
(Elevation Change: -800 m; Duration: approx. 4 hours).
8th day.- Day of rest in Huaraz.
The organization of personal material and logistical information for the ascent to Mountain Huascarán we will do after the trekking in the evening.
9th day.- Huaraz (3090m) – Musho – Huascaran base camp (4800m).
We will leave Huaraz towards Mancos (2530 m). From there we will head up for about 20 kilometers the plane road til the village of Musho which is located in the NE part of Huaraz
In Musho the donkey driver and his donkeys will be waiting for us to transport our trekking gear. From there we will trek up for about 4 hours to the Huascaran base camp (4800m).
(Elevation Change: +1600 m; length: approx. 4-5 hours approx.).
10th day.- Huascaran base camp (4800m) – Camp1 (5500m).
Starting at the base camp in the moraine we will reach the edge of the glacier. From there we will climb higher to get to a safer place, towards the base of a large barrier Seracs. There we will put up our camp 1 in the glacier.
(Elevation Change: +700m; length: approx. 6-7 hours).
11th day.- Camp 1 (5500m) – Camp 2 (6000m).
This day we will continue climbing up directly towards the shield, which is observed - as we move forward - like a triangular hill of about 450m. Once we will be at this place we will pass it. After passing this obstacle, we will ice climb some sections. We will reach by cross climbing the neck, under which in a protected area of avalanches we will build up the Camp 2 of Huascaran (6000m).
(Elevation Change: +500m; length: approx. 6-7 hours).
12th day.- Camp 2 (6000m) – Summit of Huascaran South (6768m) – Camp 1.
We will leave the Camp 2 at about 3:00 am and climb up corridors (65 – 70°), which take us to the top of the neck (6010m). From this point we will be going up long hills, avoiding large cracks until we reach the summit of Huascaran South (6768m).
- It is possible to descend til Camp 1, depending on the fitness.
(Elevation Change: +1968m; length: approx. 9-10 hours).
13th day.- Extra day in the case of bad weather.
This extra day could be used rest in case the clients are feeling tired or if there was bad weather during the day of the summit climb.
14th day.- Camp 1(5500m) – Base Camp (4800m).
This day we will return from Camp 1 to Base Camp. Our donkey drivers will carry our mountain equipment down. After arriving at the Base Camp we could use the afternoon to dry our personal climbing gear and camping equipment.
(Elevation Change: - 700m; length: approx. 5-6 hours).
15th day.- Base Camp (4800m) – Musho – Huaraz (3900m) – Hostel.
After packing our camping equipment we will load the donkeys to walk back downhill to Musho, where we are expected by a bus of the Company "Enrique Expedition Tours", that will bring us directly to the city of Huaraz and our hotel.
(Elevation Change: -1600 m; duration: approx. 5-6 hours prox.).
16th day.- Departure from Huaraz to Lima (Bus).
Transportation from the hotel to the bus terminal "Cruz del Sur" and depature from Huaraz.
The departure time will be determined by your schedule, in the morning or night.
Morning departure: 11:00 am.
Night departure: 10:30 pm.
Pick up at the bus terminal in Lima and transfer to the hotel booked by us.
17th day.- Transfer from the hotel to the airport - Return to the country of origin.
*** End of the Expedition of the ascend in the Cordillera Blanca Peru *** |