Skyline Adventure School | Alpamayo Quitaraju Package Trip in the Cordillera Blanca

ALPAMAYO / QUITARAJU PACKAGE TRIP

The Cordillera Blanca is home to several mountains known ‘round the world for their stunning beauty and exceptional climbing. Alpamayo is one of these illustrious peaks which attracts an international slurry of climbers each year, all hoping to ascend its southwest face and personally experience the grandeur they have seen in photos of this legendary mountain. Just short of 6000 meters, Alpamayo is indeed an exquisite climb, especially if your summit day coincides with a lull in the crowds. With slopes up to 70 degrees of snow and ice, the climb is technical by nature and requires some previous experience. Our itinerary couples Alpamayo with an ascent of Quitaraju, which sits to the east of the 5450 meter glacier high camp. Quitaraju’s north face offers nice 40-55 degree snow climbing, and tops out at 6040 meters after a short traverse of the mountains knife-edge summit ridge. This itinerary is dramatic, technical, and exciting and often calls climbers back to the Cordillera Blanca if they were unable to give it a try on their first trip(s) to the area.

Difficulty: Alpamayo – very strenuous/technical. Quitaraju – very strenuous/technical
Total nights in the mountains: 8 Itinerary length Lima to Lima: 15 days

"This season I had the privilege of climbing with Skyline Adventures on four different mountains (Yanapaqcha, Chopicalqui, Alpamayo, and Quitaraju) as well as attending the mountaineering course. The level of support, guidance, and personal care on each mountain was outstanding. The mountain guides for Skyline were professional, enthusiastic, and just plain fun to be around..."

--Nicole Norstrud – Alpamayo/Quitaraju Ascent, July 2009

ALPAMAYO / QUITARAJU 15-DAY ITINERARY:

DAY:	ACTIVITY:
1	Private pick-up at the Lima Airport. Transfer to hotel in Lima for a nice meal & a good night's sleep.
2	Private transfer in the morning to the bus station. Take a comfortable first class ride to Huaraz (approximately 8 hour journey). Move into your hotel and relax... the adventure is all around you!
3	Meet at the Skyline office to review your itinerary, answer questions, finalize trip. Spend the rest of the day visiting nearby ruins and touring the city (acclimatize!). Spend the night in your Huaraz hotel.
4	Day hike to the turquoise waters of Laguna Churup (4500 meters). Approximately 6 hours round trip. Return to Huaraz.
5	Ice climbing at a nearby glacier to test out your equipment & review some basic climbing techniques and glacier travel skills.
6	Pack your bags! Head out to the town of Cashapampa where you'll load the donkeys with gear & supplies. Hike up the beautiful Santa Cruz valley camping near a big alpine lake en-route to Base Camp.
7	Continue the approach, arriving to the Base camp mid-afternoon.
8	Ascend the steep moraine to the Moraine Camp (4900 meters).
9	Ascend up to the High Camp, perched on the snowy col between Alpamayo and Quitaraju. (5200 meters)
10	Alpamayo Summit Day!!! Depart from camp at 3:00am and head to the steep summit wall, which offers 360 meters of fun technical climbing to the summit.
11	Rest Day
12	Summit day on nearby Quitaraju (6100m), which offers the same steep technical terrain as Alpamayo with a bit more elevation taboot!
13	Descend back to the Base Camp.
14	Hike back out to Cashapampa, returning to Huaraz around 4:00pm. Check into your Hotel for hot and well-deserved shower. Meet again for a Celebration Feast that evening.
15	Last minute shopping for family and friends before departing for Lima at 10:00am, arriving at the airport or your hotel by 7:00pm.

SERVICES INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED

Trip Includes:

   *    All in-country transport during trip, including transport to and from the Lima airport
   *    First class bus tickets between Lima and Huaraz
   *    Hotel accommodations for specified time in Lima and Huaraz
   *    Professional, English speaking guide for acclimatization activities and climbs/treks
   *    Professional outdoor cook, 3 healthy meals a day plus snacks during the wilderness components of the trip
   *    Technical mountaineering equipment
   *    All park entrance fees
   *    All camping & cooking equipment which is not included in the gear list
   *    Donkeys or llamas and porters where applicable
   *    Sleeping tents, sleeping mats (foam)
   *    Cook tent, eating tent, tables, chairs, and bathroom tent (where applicable)
   *    First aid kit stocked for wilderness expeditions
   *    Celebration banquet at the end of trip

Not Included:

   *    International flights to/from Lima and applicable airport taxes
   *    Personal clothing and equipment (see gear list)
   *    All food during in-town days with the exception of the Celebration Banquet
   *    Incidental personal expenditures, including emergency evacuations and medical expenditures
   *    Travel, Personal, and/or medical insurance

DATES AND PRICE:

Alpamayo / Quitaraju Package	July 4-18, 2010	Price per Person:
		$2450 USD (2 person minimum)

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