Entries from Peru Seminar

Hello all! Another day here in the beautiful Ishinca Valley! However, unlike yesterday’s rain and snow, today was splitter and bluebird! We took advantage of the sunshine and made our way up to the toe of the Ishinca Glacier for some on-snow training. The views of the massive Ranrapalca as well tomorrow’s objective, Ishinca, were second to none. We all got some much needed rest this afternoon, and are tucked into the tents already this evening, in anticipation of a 2am breakfast and an attempt on 18,143’ Nevada Ishinca tomorrow. Wish us luck! RMI Guides Robby Young, Alan Davis and Peru Team ‘Con Gas’

Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 6:12 PM PT Hello! Your favorite Expedition Skills - Perú team here, getting into sleeping bags after a beautiful day here at Ishinca Base Camp. We slept in this morning, and enjoyed omelettes and strong Peruvian coffee before we set out to review and learn some important knots and hitches for our upcoming climbs. The afternoon brought some cloud cover, but we had a chance to get out and stretch the legs for an hour on a hike above our camp. Pretty soon, the unthinkable happened here in the dry season in the Cordillera Blanca; it snowed! Luckily, our plan was to rest tent-side all afternoon anyway, and the sound of snow and rain lulled us to sleep for a well deserved siesta. After a delectable caramelized onion, chicken and rice dish, we are back in the tents, resting up for our big day up to the Ishinca Glacier for some on-snow skills tomorrow. We’ll hit yet another high point at 16,200’ if all goes according to plan. Wish us luck! Best, RMI Guides Robby, Alan, William, and crew

Greetings from the Ishinca Valley! And so it begins! After three days of prepping our bodies and our bags in the hustle and bustle of Huaraz City, we’ve finally made our move to the mountains. We made our way by bus to the small village of Pashpa, where we met our donkey drivers and their crew of willing steeds. We loaded up our animals, affectionately thanked them in advance for their work, and began our hike up the Ishinca Valley with light loads and high hopes. After a little over three hours of moving, we arrived at Ishinca Base Camp, nestled in a steep valley here at 14,400’. We made quick work of camp setup in the grassy meadows and before we knew it, we were feasting on chicken soup and fresh lake trout! Fresh fish at 14,000’...oh boy, what a treat! That’s how we roll down here in the Cordillera Blanca. Tomorrow, acclimatization continues. We’ll start working on some technical rope skills, and likely eat like royalty once again. We’ll let you know how it goes! Until then, hasta manana! RMI Guide Robby Young and the well-fed ESS-Peru team

Wednesday, July 4, 2018 - 9:14 AM PT And we came out! We finished our trek and arrived into Cashapampa, where we unloaded donkeys, grabbed a drink and celebrated that once more, the mountains provided adventure, challenge and the unexpected. But more so, that we're safe, back and ready to plan the next adventure. Thanks for following! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Tuesday, July 3, 2018 - 7:43 PM PT Greetings! Today we set our sights even higher than the day before. The team’s goal; Laguna Churup at 14,600’. We took a quick bus ride this morning after a Hotel Andino coffee fiesta, and before we knew it, we were staring at the crystal clear blue and green waters of Churup, gazing up the steep moraines at the first glaciers of the trip. The scene at Laguna Churup is surreal, and we spent a good amount of time soaking it in, and letting our bodies register the new altitude record for our trip. A quick descent led to an afternoon of packing, resting, eating, and Huaraz City-living. We capped off our acclimatization days with yet another exquisite dinner here at Hotel Andino! We even had the chance to catch up with Elías de Andres Martos and team upon their return from Alpamayo. Tomorrow, the climbing begins as we make our approach into the Ishinca Valley, and build our Base Camp at 14,500’. The comforts of city-life will soon be in the rear view, but the joys of the alpine will soon follow. Until then, thanks for following. RMI Guides Robby, Alan, William, and team Lomo Saltado

Greetings from Icchi Coccha. We're on our way out, camped at our same first camp on the way in... Since we were heading out earlier, it took a bit more logistics to organize our "donkey train". But these awesome guys made it happen for us and came with short notice. It's amazing how things work in these places, with no written contract, just a verbal agreement, and a satphone call to a distant neighbor of our cellphone-less mule driver, human sense is the common norm. "Someone needs me, I must assist" they must think. And a two-day journey uphill becomes a sprint so they can bring us back to our commodities. We left midday instead of early morning and decided to keep soaking in the greatness of the Andes, since pushing it all the way out with our late departure, would have us arriving late. So, here we are, enjoying another great meal from our cook Emilio, breathing thicker air, and witnessing the mountains getting bigger above us, as we descend. We look forward to a shower and clean clothes tomorrow, to catch up on emails, to a meal in a restaurant and to a room with clean sheets... but surely, and despite the "no summit" this year, the magnitude and majesty of these peaks will always be greater than any mundane human desire. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

Greetings from Huaraz! Your Peru Expedition Skills crew had a full day of fun here in the beautiful city of Huaraz, Peru. Nestled in a valley at 10,200’, we set our sights higher today, and hiked above town to 12,000’ as part of our acclimatization sequence. We stimulated our muscles, and sparked cellular changes in our blood as we work towards a move to Base Camp in the Ishinca Valley (14,400’) in a few days. The views from Puca Ventana (Red Window) did not disappoint this morning. We followed our hike up with a delicious lunch at a local climber favorite, Cafe Andino. Fresh squeezed juices, Inka Kola, Burritos, and Lomo Saltado were popular choices amongst our team. The rest of our afternoon was spent perusing the narrow streets, shops, and restaurants of Huaraz (aka, the Chamonix of South America). Tomorrow, more acclimatization and prep is on the docket. Well keep you in the loop! RMI Guides Robby Young, Alan Davis, William, and your ESS-Peru climbing team

Greetings all! Your Peru Expedition Skills Team has arrived in the beautiful mountain city of Huaraz, Peru! What a nice introduction to Peru we’ve had thus far; breakfast in the bustling city of Lima, a drive along the Pacific Coast, and altitude gain up and over the mountain pass (13,500’) into the Rio Santo Valley. The views of the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains) and the Cordillera Huayhuash were ‘out of this world’. We made a stop to admire the first of many ice capped peaks, Pastoruri (see photo). After a fantastic dinner here at Hotel Andino, our team is doing our best to rest and recover from long days of travel. Alpaca steaks, Inka Kolas, and apple fritters were popular choices for many of us as we dove in head first to some exotic Peruvian fare. Tomorrow, acclimatization hiking above Huaraz and body nourishment are the name of the game as we prep for our climbs later this week. Until then, thanks for following! RMI Guides Robby Young, Alan Davis, and your Peru 2018 Team

Sunday, July 1, 2018 - 6:57 PM PT Greetings from Alpamayo Base Camp. We descended today and arrived to our tents and good meals from our cook. We're bummed we couldn't climb, but it was the right decision. We're headed to bed soon in hopes of hiking out tomorrow. We'll check in when we're in Huaraz. RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Good evening from Alpamayo High Camp. We are sad to report that the SW face is not in safe condition to be climbed, and we're not going to aim any higher. Everyone did a great job today and pushed through the upper glacier that is steep as usual, but we will descend tomorrow to Base Camp. RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team