Entries from Peru Seminar

Friday, June 29, 2018 - 5:00 PM PT Good evening! Alpamayo crew reporting from Camp 1, a.k.a. moraine camp. We just had a nice dinner with the most beautiful alpenglow so far on this trip. Gaining elevation today to our camp was an easy task, and everyone did a great job managing the rocky and slabby terrain carved by the glacier that drops from the Alpamayo-Quitaraju Col. We ditched 20 minutes from our carry day... and it's only a 2h journey! That's a big chunk and these climbers are keeping these guides psyched. We're ready to move to high camp tomorrow, should everyone have a good night tonight... So wish us sweet dreams, and stay tuned! RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team.

Good evening from Alpamayo Base Camp. We had a good rest day, where we ate, slept and socialized, all while getting excited for tomorrow's move to Camp 1. We're also excited to see many teams come down, and know it's not going to be too crowded up high... Fingers crossed! Stay tuned for updates on our progress up high. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team.

Good evening from "infinite skies land"! It is quite amazing to enjoy the deepness of the night we're having right now. The clouds have moved away and moon lit ridges reign above us, giving us a sense of smallness amongst these Andean fluted snow walls. All of it wouldn't be as overwhelmingly haunting, if it wasn't because of the task we have in store for us. But having carried to our first camp today, and witnessed those very walls get smaller with our progress uphill, makes us feel that the power of the mountains is on our side. And so, we had a great day reaching the 5,000m mark and dropping half of the equipment we'll use to venture even higher, and eventually, to climb to the top. It's now been four days of activity, and we're ready to go to bed and welcome a well earned rest day at dawn. Although, it is worth mentioning that, we sure could keep going as there is no challenge that can't be fueled by our cook Emilio's food; tonight, meat and carrot soup, followed by breaded chicken breast filled with cheese and ham, accompanied by french fries... Yes, we're here right now climbing Alpamayo! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Hello from Alpamayo Base Camp. We finished our approach to the mountain on an almost rainy day, but the clouds decided to respect us, as now, right before dinner, skies are open and we're enjoying a nice evening. Alpamayo, Quiraraju, Paron, Artesonraju... only a few of these "Andean Giants" that we're able to contemplate from our tents. We're about to enjoy another dinner from our cook Emilio; vegetable soup from his very own garden as first course, and it seems that grilled fresh trout with natural mashed potato and rice with cilantro are on the menu... Yep, living large here! More to come tomorrow. Cheers, RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

Good evening from Icchi Coccha "Small Lake", where we have pitched camp for the night on our way to base camp, at 3800m. We had a very pleasant day, perhaps the best this guide remembers, as it is usually a pretty hot day climbing up the valley in the lower elevations. But the cloud cover provided the best temps to do the hike, so we're happy we didn't bake! We shared the trail with a few dogs, cows and of course, our donkeys. But the highlight was the curious fox that ventured into our camp. We're now about to enjoy the first of our meals from our cook, Emilo, in our dining tent. That's all for now, stay tuned for more! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Sunday, June 24, 2018 - 9:13 PM PT Good evening from Huaraz! It never gets old... our standard acclimatization hike (in picture here) to Churup Lake at 4,400m is a half day endeavor for virtually every Alpamayo Expedition in the last five years. A couple thousand feet of elevation gain to an incredible glacial lake below a radical looking peak baring the same name, provided for us the perfect exercise on after all the travels. A speedy descent brought us to our private van, and we were shuttled to Peruvian delicacies in downtown, before retreating back to the hotel to pack for tomorrow's hike in to the Santa Cruz Valley and start our approach to Alpamayo Base Camp. The real adventure is about to start! Everyone is excited and motivated. Next post will be from the woods... stay tuned!!! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team

Saturday, June 23, 2018 - 9:47 pm PT Greetings from Huaraz! We're happy to announce the start of RMI's fifth season in Peru with our first day of the Alpamayo Expedition. Everyone arrived in Lima yesterday, and we did the long drive into the Andes today. The team arrived at our hotel in time to relax a bit after the long hours on the bus, and we enjoyed a nice dinner at Hotel Andino. Stay tuned for updates on our progress! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

This is Mike checking for the last time. The Team finished the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu today and we're fortunate to see the sunrise over the Citadel from the Sun Gate. It is always a bit of a culture shock when you have spent 5 days hiking in the remoteness of the Andes and arrive at Machu Picchu where some 3000 people visit each day. Today was a light traffic day and we enjoyed a 2 hour tour of the highlights. The scale and shear amount of earth moved leaves people speechless. The Team is currently at the hotel and enjoying some rest after a hot shower. They will have tomorrow morning to visit the site before we catch our train back to Cusco via the Urambamba River valley and high plateaus. Our trip will culminate with 1 last day seeing some more Incan sites around Cusco. Thanks for following along and RMI's next Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is July 2018, come join us!

We are at WinayWayna 8,700' for the night. Today the Team enjoyed some spectacular views of the high glaciated Andes juxtaposed against the semi-tropical orchids and song birds. Our campsite is located near an incredible Incan ruin that has a series of 10 fountains and more terracing. The Team has been in awe of the manpower and resources needed to build let alone maintain this network of trails and sites that stretch from Ecuador to Northern Argentina. Tomorrow morning we will get an early start in hopes of catching the sunrise as we walk into Machu Picchu. RMI Guide Mike King

We have not had many blue skies this trip and today was no exception. The morning provided some great views of the glaciated mountains in the distance as we climbed up Warmi Huanusca Pass at 13,600'. The rain set in and would come and go as the Team go closer to the cloud forest after climbing the second pass of the day named Runkurakay 13,022'. Today we will join a slew of people hiking the Inca Trail, the team has enjoyed the last 4 days in relative solitude. We took in a few Incan ruins and some members continued to document the floral and avian life that this part of the world offers. Some just took in the views provided when the rain would stop and clouds would lift while figuring out a sequence of ascending and descending the wet Incan steps. Everyone is doing well, resting in their tents at Chaquicocha 9,900' and looking forward to the ruins at WinayWayna and Machu Picchu in the coming days. RMI Guide Mike King