Climbing Expedition Alpamayo

Day 1:. Ecuadorian Alpine Institutee
> organizes everything for expedition to Alpamayo.

Day 2: Santa Cruz Trek.
Depart early in the morning from our hotel. We drive in a private bus to the small town of Cashapampa, where we meet our local porter with donkeys tol carry most of our gear, and begin the Santa Cruz trek, while we hike up with day packs. The trek through the first part of the valley can be very hot, so it is important to walk unhurriedly and carry plenty of water. We spend the night a Llamacorral, next to the River, our fantastic camp scenery.

Day 3: Alpamayo base camp.
We leave from our Llamacorral camp and start the trek to Alpamayo base camp (about 14,200 feet. 4329mt..) This is a spectacular camp with incredible views of the surrounding peaks. We can expect to reach Alpamayo base camp by mid afternoon.

Day 4: Resting day at the Alpamayo base camp.
This is a day to prepare ourselves for climbing. We check our gear and decide what we are taking for the climb. We make all this in the morning. The afternoon is for resting and eating.

Day 5: Moraine camp.
From our base camp we move to Moraine camp, we take a moraine ridge, cross rock slabs across the edge of the glacier, 3 or 4 hours to arrive to Moraine camp, Resting afternoon.

Day 6: This day we move up to the Col high camp located at 17,000 feet.(5183mt)
The route above the Moraine camp continues over ice, we go to the Col between Alpamayo and near to Quitaraju peaks, after this section we gain the Col. There is a short descent to reach a high camp. This is a fantastic point at the foot of the south east face from Alpamayo Mountain. After final arrangements we go early to bed to get prepared for our early wake-up and a long, difficult summit day.

Day 7: Climbing day: Or resting at the high Col Camp.
The group should be well acclimatized by now. One part of the group will climb today Alpamayo the others well rest in the Col camp.

Day 8: Summit.
We start early, the route from the col crosses the snow bowl and we will climb up with our goal of arriving at the summit. To cross below the South West face we need two hours approximately, we are on the main face and the Ferrari rout, this is what you’ve come for! This face is a quite technical rout. With more than 1,000 feet of technical ground to cover, we move as fast and efficiently as possible, once we begin the belayed climb up the Ferrari route. There are 8 pitches of steep ice, mostly 50º, we use two tools for ice and snow climbing, a couple of pitches steeper up to reach the summit. It should take us 7 or 8 hours approximately. We have incredible views from this part of the World. Celebrate the summit, couple of pictures and begin our descent down the route. Return to high camp.

Day 9: We descend to base camp:
If we have success in the first summit day we may have descended the day before, otherwise we will descend today to the base camp.

Day 10: Back to Huaraz.
From the base camp we hike out to Cashapampa, where we catch our ride back. In the afternoon we drive to Huaraz.

Day 11: Time to relax after climbing, eat, drink and hopefully celebration dinner, salsa dancing before back home.

Day12: Return to Lima. Catch your flights home late in the night.