Alpamayo Expedition

Huaraz is one of the most vibrant cities in the Peruvian Andes and a great place to start our expedition together. The first day is arrival day. You’ll be met at Comandante FAP Germán Arias Graziani Airport, commonly known as Anta Airport (ATA) by a member of the LHO team and taken to our accommodation in the central part of the city. Your LHO Team Leader will be waiting for you at the hotel to check you in. We usually do gear checks shortly after you arrive to make sure you have everything you need for our upcoming adventure.

Our hotel is located in a very walkable part of town filled with market streets, coffee shops, bars, and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Your LHO Team Leader will send you a few of our recommendations closer to your arrival date. Our first official event is a team dinner and briefing at a local restaurant. We usually host it at 7:30 pm, but your LHO Team Leader will let you know exactly where and when the meeting point will be when you arrive. Our team dinner is an opportunity to meet everyone for the first time, receive a detailed breakdown of what our adventure ahead is going to look like, and ask any questions you may have. The first round of drinks is on us!

Distance: 12.3 KM | Ascent: 1,125 M | Descent: 1,125 M | Max Altitude: 4,450 M

Our first day out on the trail is dedicated to an acclimatisation hike up to Churup lagoon at 4,450 meters with the aim to return to Huaraz to recover overnight. The reason we do this is to trigger our body into producing the red blood cells needed for that altitude but also to give ourselves the opportunity to recover in the lower altitude environment.

The day begins with a short ride to the trailhead on the eastern outskirts of the town surrounded by farmlands and the western slopes of the higher mountains ahead of us. The trail begins with a walk through the short grass vegetation area on a gradually ascending slope. Once we’re clear of all the farmland, the trail begins to ascend more directly towards a descending corridor known as a couloir. We’ll enter the couloir and begin the steeper climb towards the plateau above. We’ll top out at the plateau directly in front of the Churup lagoon just beneath the impressive 5400-meter summit of Nevado Churup. We’ll continue along the lagoon to a smaller one just a little bit higher up where we’ll have our picnic lunch and enjoy the views.

Weather permitting, there is absolutely no rush today so we can take our time to enjoy the views. Once we’re all set, we’ll retrace our steps back to the other side of the lagoon before descending the trail beneath the plateau and making our way across the farmlands to the trailhead. We’ll jump into our bus for the short ride back to our accommodation in Huaraz where hot showers and a team dinner await!

Distance: 10.2 KM | Ascent: 997 M | Descent: 997 M | Max Altitude: 4,600 M

Laguna 69, located at 4600m/15,092ft, lies just at the flank of the Pisco and Chacraraju Mountains. This is one of the most beautiful aqua-colored glacial lakes in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range and is considered one of the most impressive scenic day hikes in Huascarán National Park.

We’ll depart the hotel between 5:00 to 5:30 am. We will head to the city of Yungay, where we will take a detour to the entrance of Huascarán National Park, then ascend through a zigzagging road in the Llanganuco Valley. We will pass by the two lakes, Chinancocha and Orconcocha. After a brief stop for photos, we will proceed to Cebollapampa, the starting point of our hike to Laguna 69.

The hike to the lagoon is approximately 3 hours. Laguna 69 is situated at the foot of Chacraraju mountain (6,112 m.a.s.l.). During the trek, we will have a picnic lunch surrounded by stunning views. After enjoying the breathtaking view and taking pictures, we will return via the same trail to Cebollapampa (approximately 3 hours), where transportation will be waiting to take us back to Huaraz. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Today is a well-deserved rest day in Huaraz. After the challenging trek to Laguna 69, this day is dedicated to relaxation and exploration. In the morning, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and take some time to rest or explore the city at your own pace. Huaraz offers a charming blend of Andean culture and modern amenities, making it a delightful place to unwind.

At noon, we’ll gather for a team lunch in the town. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some local cuisine and share stories from our adventures so far. Your LHO Team Leader will provide recommendations for a variety of dishes that highlight the rich flavors of the region.

After lunch, you’ll have the afternoon free to explore the market streets of Huaraz. The bustling markets are filled with local crafts, textiles, and souvenirs, providing a perfect opportunity to pick up some unique items and immerse yourself in the local culture.

In the evening, we’ll regroup for a team dinner together. During dinner, we will receive a briefing for our first summit of the itinerary, which starts on the following day. This will be an excellent opportunity to prepare for the challenges ahead and ensure everyone is ready for the next phase of our adventure. Rest up and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Huaraz, as we get ready for the exciting summit that lies ahead.

Distance: 5 KM | Ascent: 1000 M | Max Altitude: 4800 M

Today, we will embark on our journey to Yanapaccha Moraine Camp. After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll depart and take a private car, driving 42 kilometers through the picturesque Llanganuco Valley. The drive will take approximately 3 hours, during which we’ll pass by the two beautiful lakes of the valley, Chinancocha and Orconcocha.

Once we arrive at kilometer 42, we’ll get off the car and start our trek to the moraine camp. The ascent will take us up to 4800 meters. Along the way, we can appreciate the stunning views of the Cordillera Blanca mountains. We’ll stop for a picnic lunch on the trail, enjoying the surrounding natural beauty.

Upon reaching Yanapaccha Moraine Camp, we’ll set up for the night. Dinner will be prepared for us at the camp, providing a hearty meal to recharge. During dinner, we’ll have a briefing to discuss the plans and preparations for the upcoming days.

Get ready for an incredible adventure as we immerse ourselves in the breathtaking beauty of the Andes.

Distance: 5 KM | Ascent: 600 M | Descent: 600 M | Max Altitude: 5400 M

Yanapaccha Mountain is one of the prominent peaks in the Cordillera Blanca, offering climbers a challenging ascent and rewarding them with stunning panoramic views from the summit. Today, we aim to experience this majestic peak.

We will start our climb early in the morning, crossing the rocky path for about 30 minutes. After that, we will climb up the slope, with the last part featuring three pitches of snow climbing up to the summit at 55 degrees. This is a great warm-up for the flutes of Alpamayo. Upon reaching the summit, we will enjoy the magnificent mountain views.

After taking in the stunning vistas, we will begin our descent back to the Moraine Camp. Lunch will be served at the camp, giving us a chance to rest and refuel. In the afternoon, we will trek back to the trailhead, where our private car will be waiting to take us back to Huaraz where hot showers and our team dinner await!

Today is a rest day in Huaraz. It’s best to take it slow today and enjoy a late breakfast at the hotel. At noon, we’ll have a team lunch in town, where we can also stock up on snacks or any missing equipment we may need for the upcoming days. In the evening, we’ll gather for a team dinner and a briefing for our attempt on climbing Alpamayo. Use this day to relax and prepare for the exciting challenge ahead.

Distance: 10.2 KM | Ascent: 997 M | Descent: 125 M | Max Altitude: 3,800 M

Today we’ll be departing for the trail to Alpamayo, which means we’ll need to pack our duffle bags and check out from our hotel. After breakfast, we’ll hop on our bus for a three-hour journey to Cashapma. This is where we’ll meet our extended porter team for the first time. These people are heroes. They’ll be carrying our duffle bags, tents, food, and cooking equipment throughout our time in these mountains.

After a brief introduction, the team will collect the duffle bags and begin heading up the trail. We’ll follow them at a steady pace, keeping in mind that they are already acclimatized and we aren’t. The aim of the day is to reach our Llamacoral through the Santa Cruz Ravine. This is a perfect opportunity for your LHO Team Leader to assist you in finding a sustainable trekking pace that won’t work against you over the long term and that will also enable you to efficiently acclimatize.

There will be a time to push hard on this expedition but these early trekking days are certainly not that time. The trail follows a deep ascending valley heading west towards the deeper Andes mountains with the summit of Santa Cruz immediately to our left side. Lunch will be a picnic at the midway point of our camp. The vegetation on the trail is primarily dry and short grass, which is typical at these altitudes and follows a stream that cuts through the middle of this valley.

Arriving at the camp is always a fun experience, especially the first time. It’s normal to feel a little bit overwhelmed with everything. Your LHO Team Leader will be on hand to help you get into the swing of things. We always recommend unpacking for the night as soon as we arrive. That means preparing our sleeping bags as we want them for later in the evening. Your LHO Team Leader will also show you how to use our toilets and direct you to the mess tent where the team gathers for meals.

At dinner, we’ll discuss the day in detail and particularly what we can all do more efficiently in order to maximize our opportunities for the success of the expedition. We’ll also share a detailed briefing for the coming day.

Distance: 14.1 KM | Ascent: 724 M | Descent: 148 M | Max Altitude: 4,300 M

After breakfast, we’ll depart our camp deeper into the Santa Cruz Ravine towards the Icchicocha and Jatuncocha lagoons. Just as arriving at the camp for the first time can feel a little overwhelming, the first morning can feel equally special because things tend to go from sleepy and quiet to hustle and bustle in almost no time. The key to staying on top of things here is to follow a sequence.

It’s always best to pack up all our belongings before coming to breakfast. This allows the porters to pack up the tents while we eat and you won’t need to interrupt your meal to close a bag or collect something. It’s also important to consider that the end of our meal is the start of the trek. That means trying to finish your morning routine before we start wrapping up breakfast.

This may all seem strange when reading it but with your LHO Team Leader around to help out, it will all become second nature in no time. After breakfast, we’ll head out following the deep valley as it continues in a westbound direction. The trail is similar to the previous day initially. As we ascend higher into altitude, we’ll notice that the sharp walls of the valley start to widen. This is the first indicator that we are arriving at the lagoons, our picnic spot for the day. After lunch and a brief rest, we’ll continue down the valley until we reach a three-way junction. Our route is to the left as we ascend towards a huge basin flanked by Alpamayo ahead of us and Arhuaycocha lagoon beside us. This is the location of Alpamayo base camp. Once we arrive, we’ll check in and relax before dinner.

Distance: 3.8 KM | Ascent: 1,205 M | Descent: 41 M | Max Altitude: 5,000 M

Weather contingency days may require us to remain in place either here or on subsequent days within this itinerary. The sequence we follow is based on the best-case scenario. Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide will give you a more accurate description of the following days based on up-to-date forecasts closer to the time. After breakfast, we’ll depart from the base camp in the direction of the Col del Alpamayo. The Col is a plateau between the base camp and the summit at 5200 meters of altitude. It is where the most classic pictures of Alpamayo are taken from.

The trail to the plateau is steep and sustained starting with direct inclines followed by a series of switchbacks until we reach the snow line. Depending on the snow conditions, it may be necessary to wear the crampons at the midway point along the trail to the plateau. Giant summits of the Andes, including Quitaraju, Pucahirca, and Alpamayo, will dominate the skyline from this point onwards. Once on the glacier, it will become necessary to rope up because of the crevasse danger. The trail passes through a small depression in the glacier along the ridge just before we finally top out at the Alpamayo high camp where the impressive face of this epic Andes summit finally reveals itself to us.

The aim is to try and reach high camp for lunch. Once we arrive, we’ll check in to our camp, have a meal, and then try to get some rest. Our summit window will depend on conditions, but it is highly possible that we could aim to climb to the top early the next day so it is important to get as much rest as possible. Dinner will be at the camp where we’ll receive our detailed briefing for the following day.

Distance: 4.5 KM | Ascent: 365 M | Descent: 1521 M | Max Altitude: 5,947 M

As with all high-altitude technical summits, we’ll be departing in the very early hours of the morning. The specific time we choose to depart depends on weather forecasts and the pace of the group. Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide will let you know during the briefing on the previous evening. We’ll have a light breakfast before heading out. It is important to put sugary snacks into accessible pockets. It’s important to have efficient energy at hand for when you need it. The rope parties would have also been assigned on the previous night, so your rope party guide will be giving you detailed information about the specifics of your rope party on the previous night and in the morning.

The route begins with a traverse along the glacier below the southwest face of the mountain. We will gradually ascend towards the Bertrund, staying conscious and alert for the crevasse danger that is usually faced on these easier slopes. Once we ascend past the Bertrund, we’ll begin the direct ascent to the summit along one of the many flutes that form along Alpamayo’s face. Depending on the rope party, it may be desirable to either pitch or use the fixed ropes on the more challenging sections. Skill, surefootedness, and mental strength are essential to overcoming the 400-meter direct line to the top.

Once at the end of the flute, the trail follows the brief summit ridge to the point on our left. Although we would love to spend all day here, it is important to keep in mind that even if the weather is good, the longer we are exposed to the elements and the high altitude, the weaker we are going to feel. We need our energy to descend safely back to high camp. Once we’ve taken our pictures, we’ll carefully retrace our steps along the ridge and begin abseiling down the face and back to the flat glacier beneath.

We’ll regroup on the flat glacier, arrange our ropes, and begin the easy walk back to high camp, where we’ll have lunch and rest a little before continuing down towards base camp, our home for the night. Dinner will be served at base camp where we’ll debrief about the summit and hear a briefing for the following days still ahead of us.

Extra days are built into the program for adverse weather conditions, extra acclimatization, or training on the way up. Unused contingency days at the end cannot be used as extra nights in Lima.

Distance: 12 KM | Descent: 1300 M | Max Altitude: 4800 M

After breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to Alpamayo and begin our descent back along the moraine to the valley junction and then onwards towards the lagoon at the entrance to the sharp valley floor. Although the summit is behind us, it is important to keep energy levels up and morale high because it isn’t over until the hot shower at the hotel. Until then, stay alert and stay motivated. We’ll once again be stopping at the lagoon for lunch.

The descending trail is gradual with hardly any ascents to speak of, so we can really take our time during the break to appreciate our achievement and just enjoy where we are. After lunch, we’ll continue past the lagoons and follow the ravine all the way down the Santa Cruz valley to Cashapampa. We traditionally share a tip with the local team at this point. Your LHO Team Leader will give you more information about how we usually go about this and will handle the collection and distribution.

Upon reaching Cashapampa, our private transfer will be waiting to drive us back to Huaraz. Once we arrive back in Huaraz, you can look forward to a well-deserved hot shower at the hotel followed by our team farewell dinner.

The last day together is dedicated to airport transfers and farewells. Breakfast is included on the day. Please make sure that you’ve provided us with the correct departure details in your pre-trip Team Details Form. Your shuttle to the airport is arranged based on the information provided. If there is a mistake or if your itinerary has changed, please reach out to your LHO Team Leader as early as possible for arrangements to be made. We’ll be arranging your shuttle 3 hours prior to departure so please make sure to be near the hotel at the time so as not to be late. For those of us departing late, your LHO Team Leader will be available to provide recommendations on where to go and what to do.