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Cordillera Blanca of Peru

2012 Expedition Report

with ascents/attempts of:

Vallunaraju (18,895′) & Huascaran (22, 205′)

Michael Tobin and Buster Jesik

 w/ Eli Helmuth of ClimbingLife Guides
and support by the Vargas family.

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Huascaran north and south summits (L-R) with the obvious saddle between (the garganta) defining these two highest points in Peru.  Our route followed the shadowed left-hand skyline of the closer and higher south summit where we reached approx. 19.5k before turning back.
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Buster at the entrance of the glacier on Vallunaraju- nearby where locals have mined ice for millenia to use in refrigeration and for special refreshments.		img_3831_1

Vallunaraju as viewed from our hotel in Huaraz.
 
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Buster and Eli on the summit of Vallunaraju with the northern Cordillera Blanca and nearby Ocshapalca on the right side of the frame.

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A close-up of the 6,395m massif of Huantsan, one of the largest in the range and close-by to Huaraz.

 

cordillera blanca peru climbing expeditionBuster exploring the granite slabs above the Vallunaraju high camp.

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A selection of fresh vegatables at the locals market in Huaraz.

 

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The summit crevasse on Vallunaraju looking directly down 600m to the glacier on its north aspect.

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Hot chili peppers for sale at the farmer’s market.

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Tasty dinner at our high camp on Vallunaraju.

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Downclimbing a steeper section of the ridge to the summit of Vallunaraju.

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A view from Vallunaraju of the dramatic west face of Ocshapalca.

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Calm and clear skies at sunset bode well for our climb of Vallunaraju the next day. a

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Buster and Mike enjoying a splitter day in the Cordillera Blanca with the Negra Range and the Pacific Ocean behind.

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Mike with a jerkey snack on the summit of Vallunaraju.

…
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Buster enjoying some pristine bouldering at 12k in the foothills above Huaraz.
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Street scenes in Huaraz.  peru high altitude mountaineering peru high altitude mountaineering

Adobe bricks drying under a tropical sun and a farmer plowing potato fields with oxen and a steel blade nearby the pueblo of Musho where our Huascaran approach started.

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A crevasse on the way up Vallunaraju that offered views down to Huaraz through the ridge.  The trail to high camp on Vallunaraju is steep and direct from the road directly up to the toe of the glacier.

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Classic adobe and thatch roof construction nearby Huaraz.  Buster pebbling on an acclimatization hike above town.

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The view from high camp of the Shield feature (El Escudo) and the south summit of Huascaran, our intended destination.  We climbed approximately half-way up this face before descending back to camp. of this

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(L) More quality bouldering nearby Huaraz.  (R) Adobe and eucalyptus house construction in the Andes.

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(L) The north summit of Huascaran as viewed from our high camp   (R) Our porters Joel and Houston travelling up the Huascaran Glacier to high camp.
 

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(L) Burros bringing up our well stocked basecamp.  (R) Basecamp on Huascaran.

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(L) The team setting up high camp on the Huascaran Glacier. (R) Eli on an ice pitch in the middle of the Garganta on Huascaran.

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A view from nearby the summit of Vallunaraju of the Huantsan massif to the southeast.

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Buster, Mike, and Eli at our high point on Huascaran.

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Sunset over the Cordillera Negra and the nearby Pacific Ocean as viewed from Huascaran high camp. 


Eli Helmuth of ClimbingLife Guides is returning to the Cordillera Blanca of Peru in September of 2014 for twelve and seventeen day climbing trips with climbers looking to expand their abilities in high altitude climbing.
Peru requires that all guides are IFMGA licensed and Eli is one of the few Spanish speaking and 21 years experience specializing in climbing trips in the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina (including Patagonia).

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Please call with questions or to book your next backcountry skiing, mountaineering, or rock climbing trip:

970-744-4898. or contact us at: guide@climbinglife.com
 

ClimbingLife Guides is an authorized permittee of Rocky Mountain National Park, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Denali National Park, and the Boulder Mountain Open Space.

 

www.guide.climbinglife.com



© ClimbingLife Guides, 2014.  All Rights Reserved.

© ClimbingLife Guides, 2012  All Rights Reserved.