Magno, IFMGA certified mountain guide, takes you on this fantastic 20-day mountaineering expedition to the Cordillera Blanca: Urus, Tocllaraju and more!
20 Days
Jun - Sep
Join me in this fantastic trip to reach the top of 4 summits of the mythical Cordillera Blanca. Peru is home of these wonderful summits: Urus, Ishinca, Tocllaraju and Artesonraju.
I planned this trip especially for mountaineering lovers. Indeed, it's full of adventures! Each day is different, but the environment is always stunning.
We meet in Lima, and you will have time for a short tour of this beautiful city. Then, via Huaraz, we reach the Ishinca valley. In fact, the base camp here will be where we stay many days.
Before tackling the hardest summits we need to acclimatize. To this end, we go to Willcacocha lake and ascend Urus (5420m) and Ishinca (5530m).
Then we will reach the top of Tocllaraju (6025m). The last sections of the ascent are aerial and very impressive. The views over the northern section of Cordillera Blanca are truly beautiful. After this adventure I planned a short rest back in Huaraz. And then the final objective, Artesonraju (6025m). This mythical summit is perfect to end the trip.
Reach these fantastic summits in Cordillera Blanca with me! Please contact me for more information and let's start planning your trip. And if you want to go further south in the Andes, I also offer a trekking tour in Chile!
We meet at the airport and take a taxi to the hotel, in the Miraflores neighbourhood. It’s an ideal location to discover Lima. Dinner not included.
In the morning, transfer to the bus terminal. a 7-hour bus drive takes us to Huaraz, the capital of Ancash. Hotel in the city. Dinner not included.
We go to the Willcacocha lake (3725m) to acclimatize, in the Cordillera Negra. We appreciate the Cordillera Blanca facing us in all its splendour. We return to Huaraz in the afternoon. Dinner not included.
Transfer in private vehicle to Pashpa, meeting the mule carriers. From there, we follow a path until the Yanacocha lakes. We cross a magnificent quenoals forest (Polylepis sp.). Lunch by the lake. In the afternoon, descent to the camp, where we enjoy a magnificent sunset behind Huascaran, the highest tropical summit in the world.
We ascend slow and steady by a well-marked path until the end of the Ishinca valley. We set camp here.
Early departure for the first summit ascent, the Nevado Urus. It serves as a good acclimatization. Return to the base camp in the late morning.
Today, the second acclimatization summit: Nevado Ishinca. After reaching the top, we descend back to the base camp.
In the early afternoon we leave for the camp moraine. The path goes up in an unstable and slippery terrain. We set camp and rest.
Still at night, we start the trip to reach the Tocllaraju summit. It’s one of the main objectives of this program. Then, return to the camp moraine. Depending on your physical condition, we can descend down to the base camp.
Return to the base camp and/or extra day in case of bad weather.
In the early afternoon we return to Huaraz. Time for a well-deserved shower!
Rest day
Transfer by private vehicle to the Vaquería hamlet. We go first through the deep valley of Llanganuco, with its 2 superb lakes. Then the road goes up to the Portachuelo pass (4767m), where we discover a vast panorama over Huascarán, Huandoy, Pisco, Chopicalqui and even more summits. We go down to the valley and meet our mule carriers. The hike starts with a short descent, then a nice ascent in the long Huaripampa valley. Traversing hamlets and fields, we take the time to admire the Nevado Chacraraju (6001m). We set camp in Paria in the late afternoon.
After a calm departure the ascent becomes harder. We go by the small Morococha lakes before the Punta Unión pass (4760m). There are magnificent views over several giants of the Cordillera Blanca. Finally, descent on the west side.
Departure in the early afternoon to the camp moraine. We set camp and rest.
Still at night we depart to reach the Artesonraju summit. It’s another main objective of the tour. Return to the camp moraine. Depending on your physical shape, we can go down directly to the base camp.
We continue our descent until the Llamacorral camp. Today can also be an extra day in case of bad weather.
We leave the vast pastures to follow a river in a very narrow valley. The vegetation is dense and varied. We reach the Cashapampa village in the late morning. Our private vehicle will be waiting for us. Return to Huaraz.
Transfer by bus to Lima. Overnight at hotel. Dinner not included.
Day off in Lima. Lunch not included. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport.
More info
If you are more than 3 participants, a second guide will join us.
Please note that lunches and dinners in Huaraz and Lima are not included.
Meeting point
Mountain Leader
I'm Mountain guide AGMP (Peru) since 1982 and IFMGA (international) since 1988. Technical Director of AGMP (Association of Mountain Guides of Peru) since 1996, I train future mountain guides.
I started as a porter helping my father in an expedition he organized in 1976. During my first expedition, it did not know anything about mountain, I had to do my first rescue because a client got sick. It has been a hard work to evacuate him because the motorway still did not get to Quebrada Honda.
I've organized numerous rescues in the mountains and the Amazon jungle and participated in scientific missions on behalf of American glaciologists as Lonnie Thompson. Familiar of the Alps and the Himalayas, the mountain ranges of Peru have no secrets for me.
Mountains are nice worldwide and give you good memories, but if I had to keep one expedition, I would take one in the Cordillera Blanca, Huandoy (North Face) or Yerupajá maybe.
What I prefer in this job is keeping learning new knowledge, nice life standard, travel and know the world and of course knowing people and cultures. I also like helping in the training of new guides.
Languages
| French
Certificates
AGMP
Man
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