Climb Great Peaks of Peru With Alpine Ascents
The guides were outstanding! Truly caring and VERY patient. Alpine Ascents runs a top notch program, and the guides and assistant guides were an integral part of it. —Peru Climber
I enjoyed my expedition very much. Great itinerary with lots of mountains to climb. All skills review sessions were good, thorough, guides were patient and explained things clearly. Good progression of mountains. —Peaks of Peru Climber
A climber’s natural intoxicant, the Andes of Peru are the highest, most glaciated tropical mountains in the world. The famed Cordillera Blanca (white range) contains stunning climbs proudly cherished by the mountaineering community. Peru has long been a climber’s magnet, as the challenges are vast, demanding and ever-changing. This program is highly recommended for those who want to improve their climbing level and look for a stepping stone to Himalayan expeditions by giving climbers the opportunity to climb over 20,000 feet. The climbs in Peru are currently led by one of our finest guides, Jose Luis Peralvo. Jose Luis has personally honed the itinerary for intermediate yet challenging ascents. While many companies have discontinued their Peru programs (As Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru, has not been climbable recently) we find the environment even more enticing giving the choice climbing in the region.
Our main objectives are Pisco Oeste (18,872 ft.) and Ishinca (18,138 ft.) as well as Urus Este (17,782 ft). Following these climbs, we will try the mammoth Chopicalqui (20,847 ft.) As one of Peru’s tallest peaks, Chopicalqui offers a striking high-altitude ascent.
The last three years were fantastic seasons with 100% success on Chopicalqui in 2015 and near the same in 2016 and 2017. (see last year’s climb) In addition to leading several successful expeditions, Jose Luis made some itinerary and logistics improvements in our continued efforts to fine-tune our program. We look for similar success in 2018 with Jose Luis at the helm. As always, we highly encourage you to contact former climbers for their perspectives as each had much praise about both the climbing arena and guiding.
Reading List
This is a highly recommended shortlist and we would be happy to pass on a longer reading list for those interested. These links will bounce to Amazon.com with reviews.
Touching the Void: The Harrowing First Person Account Of One Man's Miraculous Survival
by Joe Simpson, HarperCollins (paper)
Peru and Bolivia : Backpacking and Trekking
by Hilary Bradt, Bradt Pub.
Bolivia : A Climbers Guide
by Yossi Brain, Mountaineers Books
The Incas: Empire of Blood and Gold (New Horizons)
by Carmen Bernand
The Ancient Kingdoms of Peru
by Nigel Davies, Penguin USA (paper)
We were spoiled during the entirety of the trip. Lodging was excellent. The food was magnificent. The weather was great. I even had the opportunity to sleep out under the brilliant stars at high altitude.