CITY BOY'S OUTTA HIS MIND AGAIN
An Andean Summer of Dreams
Artesonraju's North Ridge "Paramount Pictures" view
Peru's Cordillera Blanca
Artesonraju (6,025m/19,767ft) - North Ridge (D)
July 3rd-11th, 2013
Huascaran Sur (6,768m/22,205ft) - Garganta Route (AD-)
July 13th-18th, 2013
Alpamayo (5,947m/19,511ft) - French Direct (AD+)
July 19th-23rd, 2013
Climbing Team: Peter, Liam, Matt
Artesonraju (6,025m/19,767ft) - North Ridge (D)
July 3rd-11th, 2013
Huascaran Sur (6,768m/22,205ft) - Garganta Route (AD-)
July 13th-18th, 2013
Alpamayo (5,947m/19,511ft) - French Direct (AD+)
July 19th-23rd, 2013
Climbing Team: Peter, Liam, Matt
- Day 1: Depart DIA, Layover in Houston. Flight cancelled, spend night in hotel. Lame.
- Day 2: Fly to Lima, Peru. Meet Liam & Peter at Hostel
- Day 3: Cruz Del Sur bus from Lima to Huarez, 8 hours
- Day 4: Logistics & Planning in Huarez
- Day 5: Travel to Cashapampa, Hike to Llamacorral (3,830m)
- Day 6: Hike to Artesonraju Basecamp (4,200M), Acclimation hike in afternoon
- Day 7: Carry to 4700m, Return to Basecamp
- Day 8: Move to Moraine Camp (5100m), Backcarry
- Day 9: Bad Weather in am, Recon on glacier to 5,350m in afternoon
- Day 10: Weather Day
- Day 11: Summit Artesonraju (6,025m) via the North Ridge (D), Return to Moraine Camp (5,100M)
- Day 12: Descend to Basecamp and meet Donkeys, Hike to Llamacorral (3,830m)
- Day 13: Return to Cashapampa, Return to Huarez. Eat food. Drink Beer.
- Day 14: Resupply and plan in Huarez
- Day 15: Travel to Musho, Donkeys/Porters to Refugio (4,600m)
- Day 16: Move to Camp 1 (5,250m)
- Day 17: Move to Camp 2 (5,800m) across infamous "Candletta"
- Day 18: Summit Huascaran Sur (6,768m) via Garganta Route (AD-), Return to Camp 2 (5,800m)
- Day 19: Descend to Refugio (4600m)
- Day 20: Return to Musho, Return to Huarez. Plan more nonsense.
- Day 21: Liam & Matt travel to Cashapampa and hike to Llamacorral (3,830m)
- Day 22: Hike to Alpamayo basecamp (4,330m), Move to Moraine Camp (4,900m)
- Day 23: Move to Glacier Camp (5,400m)
- Day 24: Summit Alpamayo (5,947m) via French Direct (AD+), Descend to Basecamp (4,330m)
- Day 25: Descend to Cashapampa, Return to Huarez
- Day 26: Say Goodbye to Peru, drink and eat lots.
- Day 27: Bus from Huarez to Lima, Fly back to USA
The Confrontation was a Necessary Act...
We Traded in Our Lives, but Took a Million Back...
And in the End...It seems I Get What I Deserve...
But For One Moment's Time.... 'I Wish I Had the Nerve.'
Six weeks after Liam, Peter and I parted ways in Alaska; we met up in Lima, Peru. The goal was to stand on top of a few technical 6000m peaks. Peru had always been the main plan for the summer; Alaska was more of an afterthought. As I boarded the plane in Denver I was extremely excited to travel for a full month down to South America, hopefully having plenty of time to climb and less time spent sitting in a tent.
This year, I was able to swing two expeditions…in one summer, now that is the bee’s knees. I feel incredibly lucky to have regular partners for big mountains, partners who always want to travel, climb harder routes on bigger peaks, and to do it in as pure a style as possible. The journey was as good as the climbs themselves, and with 3 people of similar interest, ability and risk tolerance, we were able to achieve all of our goals, and then some. Peru is an incredible place and this expedition was one that I will not soon forget.
Our main goal was Artesonraju (6,025m/19,767ft), a well-known difficult peak that just reaches the 6,000m mark. We chose the North Ridge instantly when we saw the route description in the book, it just jumped off the page. It was aesthetic, historic, challenging and promised isolation. A complex glacier would lead to a steep couloir and then a corniced summit ridge. We figured we would acclimate on the peak instead of doing a separate climb. Peter and I knew we had a lot of work ahead if one of us was going to lead this route and we spent a lot of the winter on ice. Our determination paid off big time, on July 9th we reached the summit.
Next we wanted to climb as high as we could, which made the choice obvious. At 22,205ft, Huascaran Sur is the tallest peak in Peru and in all of the Earth’s tropics. It is the highest peak in South America that is fully glaciated and its summit is more elusive than the 5 peaks taller than it. The route is well known for its objective hazard but it is not that difficult technically. Since we were acclimated from Artesonraju, we decided to attempt to climb Huascaran in Alpine Style over 4 days. The objective hazard was not as bad as expected, but the technical difficulty surpassed what we were anticipating, throwing a 'one move wonder' ice lead and snow up to 50 degrees at us. On July 16th at 9am we had the summit all to ourselves.
Finally, we had a bit of extra time, well…at least Liam and I did. I was considering a solo speed ascent of Pisco. Liam made no secret of his desire to climb the world famous French Direct route on Alpamayo. I was slow to warm to the idea, fearing the crowded slope and having to lead the entire route with ice raining down on me. By the time we were done with Huascaran, with a few big mountain leads under my belt and armed with some new information I gave it another serious thought. Over many beers, I agreed to go after Alpamayo with Liam. We would leave first thing the next morning. Getting all of our gear up to the glacier camp at 5,400m was tough work, but the scenery that awaited us made it all worth it. We left the tent at 2am on July 22nd, a full moon and clear skies gave us all the light we needed. Feeling relieved to be the first on the route, we made quick work of the glacier and crossed onto the face. We climbed through the night, fighting the cold and the unrelenting slope, I led 7 pitches of 55-65 degree snow and ice. The sun came up just below the final, crux pitch, one of the finest pitches I've ever climbed. At 7:45am I pulled off of the face and onto the summit. Surreal.
This year, I was able to swing two expeditions…in one summer, now that is the bee’s knees. I feel incredibly lucky to have regular partners for big mountains, partners who always want to travel, climb harder routes on bigger peaks, and to do it in as pure a style as possible. The journey was as good as the climbs themselves, and with 3 people of similar interest, ability and risk tolerance, we were able to achieve all of our goals, and then some. Peru is an incredible place and this expedition was one that I will not soon forget.
Our main goal was Artesonraju (6,025m/19,767ft), a well-known difficult peak that just reaches the 6,000m mark. We chose the North Ridge instantly when we saw the route description in the book, it just jumped off the page. It was aesthetic, historic, challenging and promised isolation. A complex glacier would lead to a steep couloir and then a corniced summit ridge. We figured we would acclimate on the peak instead of doing a separate climb. Peter and I knew we had a lot of work ahead if one of us was going to lead this route and we spent a lot of the winter on ice. Our determination paid off big time, on July 9th we reached the summit.
Next we wanted to climb as high as we could, which made the choice obvious. At 22,205ft, Huascaran Sur is the tallest peak in Peru and in all of the Earth’s tropics. It is the highest peak in South America that is fully glaciated and its summit is more elusive than the 5 peaks taller than it. The route is well known for its objective hazard but it is not that difficult technically. Since we were acclimated from Artesonraju, we decided to attempt to climb Huascaran in Alpine Style over 4 days. The objective hazard was not as bad as expected, but the technical difficulty surpassed what we were anticipating, throwing a 'one move wonder' ice lead and snow up to 50 degrees at us. On July 16th at 9am we had the summit all to ourselves.
Finally, we had a bit of extra time, well…at least Liam and I did. I was considering a solo speed ascent of Pisco. Liam made no secret of his desire to climb the world famous French Direct route on Alpamayo. I was slow to warm to the idea, fearing the crowded slope and having to lead the entire route with ice raining down on me. By the time we were done with Huascaran, with a few big mountain leads under my belt and armed with some new information I gave it another serious thought. Over many beers, I agreed to go after Alpamayo with Liam. We would leave first thing the next morning. Getting all of our gear up to the glacier camp at 5,400m was tough work, but the scenery that awaited us made it all worth it. We left the tent at 2am on July 22nd, a full moon and clear skies gave us all the light we needed. Feeling relieved to be the first on the route, we made quick work of the glacier and crossed onto the face. We climbed through the night, fighting the cold and the unrelenting slope, I led 7 pitches of 55-65 degree snow and ice. The sun came up just below the final, crux pitch, one of the finest pitches I've ever climbed. At 7:45am I pulled off of the face and onto the summit. Surreal.
Way Down South
Travelling, the actual flying, and buses and taxis, has never been my favorite part of a trip. I had an early flight on the 29th, then a quick layover in Houston, arriving in Peru in the evening. Yea…that didn’t happen. After getting on the plane and driving around for a bit, and watching a whole movie, we went back to the gate. Eventually they told us the flight was cancelled. An endless line from airport to hotel to check in to eat to back to airport ensued. It was not a great start. But, a guide on my flight who had befriended me reminded me that the worst starts lead to be the best trips. He was right.
I met up with Liam and Peter the next afternoon. The taxi from the airport to our hostel, Posada del Parque was $20 US and took about 45 minutes. It felt awesome to be together again and about to start another adventure. I have found it is impossible not to become close with those you climb with. We headed out into town and had some lunch and got groceries for at least our first climb. Liam and Peter went to the airport when we got back to pick up Liam’s bag that American Airlines had left behind in Jamaica or Miami or wherever Liam had come from (headed to Brazil, Holland then Russia after our trip. Tough life!). It was a close call getting to our bus with Lima’s wonderful traffic, but we made it in time and settled in for the 7 hour bus ride to Huarez. I ran into Elias and his two clients that I had met in Houston.
Huarez is a clean and welcoming town, especially when compared with Lima. It is nestled 10,000ft up at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca, one of the true great ranges of the world. At least 25 peaks soar of 6000m, a place for beginners and world class alpinists alike. On our first night we headed out to find Chris Benway at Café Andino, a well known resource for climbers and trekkers. He wasn’t able to talk with us too much since it was late so we set an appointment for the morning, had dinner and went back to the Hostel to get some sleep. Peter was really hoping to leave for Cashapampa the next afternoon.
I met up with Liam and Peter the next afternoon. The taxi from the airport to our hostel, Posada del Parque was $20 US and took about 45 minutes. It felt awesome to be together again and about to start another adventure. I have found it is impossible not to become close with those you climb with. We headed out into town and had some lunch and got groceries for at least our first climb. Liam and Peter went to the airport when we got back to pick up Liam’s bag that American Airlines had left behind in Jamaica or Miami or wherever Liam had come from (headed to Brazil, Holland then Russia after our trip. Tough life!). It was a close call getting to our bus with Lima’s wonderful traffic, but we made it in time and settled in for the 7 hour bus ride to Huarez. I ran into Elias and his two clients that I had met in Houston.
Huarez is a clean and welcoming town, especially when compared with Lima. It is nestled 10,000ft up at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca, one of the true great ranges of the world. At least 25 peaks soar of 6000m, a place for beginners and world class alpinists alike. On our first night we headed out to find Chris Benway at Café Andino, a well known resource for climbers and trekkers. He wasn’t able to talk with us too much since it was late so we set an appointment for the morning, had dinner and went back to the Hostel to get some sleep. Peter was really hoping to leave for Cashapampa the next afternoon.
Day 4: Hurry Up & Wait
The alarm went off shortly after the sun rose and we tried to get our things packed as best we could. We were going to meet Chris at 9am and go with him to get our Huascaran National Park permits (I have a feeling this wasn’t necessary, but we didn’t know that). We also needed to get more food and figure out logistics for hiring Donkeys. We got a lot done before leaving for Café Andino, but I was skeptical that we would leave town that afternoon. Turns out we waited an hour and ate some breakfast while Chris met with some paying customers. He mostly organizes trekking trips for foreigners, and Café Andino makes some awesome breakfast. I probably went there a half a dozen times. The permit was 65 soles (about $25 US) and is good for a month. It says 7 days on the actual piece of paper, but we never had an issue.
There are plenty of stores and friendly people in Huarez and our errands were over by mid afternoon. Our Hostel owner, Claudia, called a friend up who arranged a taxi for us and gave us the name of the Donkey dude in Cashapampa. We all agreed that it would make the most sense to get up early and head out then, we would still get to the trailhead very early. Once we were all packed and ready to go I had a few beers and we went out for Italian food...and had some more beers. Good times. |
Day 5: Once in a Lifetime
The taxi driver arrived a few minutes early and we were on the road well before the sun, just the way we wanted it. We traveled the main road for an hour before heading up a dirt road outside of Caraz. Two hours and 160 soles later we were standing on a dirt road in the mountains of Peru with 3 backpacks and 2 duffels. We spoke to Gustavo who introduced us to his brother Renaldo, an “Arriro” and his 2 oddly named donkeys. For 80 soles per day (40 for Renaldo and 20 per burro, plus an additional days payment for their return trip. we found this pretty standard throughout our trip) we would get our gear to base camp with ease. After having breakfast at Roxanna’s shop near the TH we headed into the park. It was barely 9am.
The trail is well travelled and follows next to a pretty cool aqueduct for a few minutes before arriving at the Ranger’s booth. I had been dreading this part. Climbing in the park is complicated. Local guides work hard to earn skills to earn a living and the locals want to try and prevent accidents as best they can, for these reasons and many others, climbers are encouraged to use a guide. Some friends had some trouble the month before and I had read some horror stories online of climbers being turned away at the gate. Some said the best way was to hide your climbing gear and pretend to be trekkers, but we decided to follow some other advice…have an American Alpine Club card and act confident. Some areas of the world have outlawed unguided climbing and there is talk in Peru of heading down the same path. I hope that never happens. There are countless climbers who seek adventure in this magical place who would no longer be willing to climb there, myself included.
The trail is well travelled and follows next to a pretty cool aqueduct for a few minutes before arriving at the Ranger’s booth. I had been dreading this part. Climbing in the park is complicated. Local guides work hard to earn skills to earn a living and the locals want to try and prevent accidents as best they can, for these reasons and many others, climbers are encouraged to use a guide. Some friends had some trouble the month before and I had read some horror stories online of climbers being turned away at the gate. Some said the best way was to hide your climbing gear and pretend to be trekkers, but we decided to follow some other advice…have an American Alpine Club card and act confident. Some areas of the world have outlawed unguided climbing and there is talk in Peru of heading down the same path. I hope that never happens. There are countless climbers who seek adventure in this magical place who would no longer be willing to climb there, myself included.
Luckily the AAC card was what they were looking for and there was nothing to worry about. A few bits of paperwork and a short conversation later and we were home free. I felt relieved, all I had to do was relax and enjoy the scenery as we began our first climb. We would be camping at Llamacorral, 9.6km in and at 3,830m and hiking with a 30lbs pack wasn’t that bad. Our intended route was a tremendous undertaking and promised a lot of tiring work and scary moments, but that was a few days away. I took in the views of canyon walls, rivers and waterfalls as I listened to some tunes. It took 3 hours for us to get to camp, which turned out to be a bit of a city, complete with a store that had beer and snacks. It was barely the afternoon and we had hours to hang out, drink a bit and enjoy the impressive view of Taulliraju (5840m). As Brad Johnson (author of the best guidebook for the CB) says, “Taulliraju stands like a castle at the head of the Santa Cruz Valley.” It is a very intimidating looking mountain and has seen very few ascents. I heard from some other climbers that 4 South Americans made the summit in mind July, and 2 made it back down…but I am not sure if that is true. You hear a lot of things in Peru. Apparently Huascaran Sur has never been climbed.
Liam made friends with the shop owners and they offered to make us French fries, rice and some fresh fish that they had just caught in the river, for 10 soles, including some tea. They had a little toddler, Alejandro and were pretty awesome people. I enjoyed getting to share several meals with them. Most of my afternoon was spent trying to catch up on my journal and mentally prepare for what lie ahead. We went to bed shortly after dinner intent on an early start. We had aspirations of getting all the way to moraine camp the next day. |
Day 6: Oh So Typical...
Coffee was the first thing on my mind in the morning and I made some for Renaldo and myself. Packing up camp would be our arch nemesis for the rest of the trip. we meant to leave by 7am and made it out of camp around 7:40am. We had transferred some of our weight to the donkeys, by “we” I mean Liam and I, Peter wasn’t paying attention when we decided this and he had the luxury of the heaviest pack for the day. That’s just how he rolls, it’s cool.
There is very little elevation gain over several miles. First you hike through the valley, and then past the most turquoise lake I had ever seen. A look to the left grants a perfect view of Santa Cruz Grande, the tallest peak in the area and a formidable climb by any route. The next portion of the route is not very fun and goes across endless sand, remnants from a flood that happened in 1997. We went up a few switchbacks and crossed a river before arriving at a large open field at 4200m. This was base camp for Artesonraju. It was just before noon. We sorted gear and sent some things back with Renaldo. We discussed our plans with him and decided on a day for him to return. If we weren’t back yet he would wait and we would pay. It’s not a bad arrangement for either party.
It started to rain and I was feeling lazy. We got carried away in a philosophical conversation and making pasta for lunch and before we knew it, it was after 2:30pm. Despite the fact that I melt in the rain, they convinced me to attempt to move up to moraine camp. Our packs were ridiculously heavy, it was almost hard to stand and there were a lot of things hanging off the sides; full Travelling Salesman mode.
The rest of the day flat out sucked. Neither Liam nor I took a look at the route and Peter decided where he thought we should go based on a map but not reading the text of the description. Liam and I didn’t question him. By the time the sun was going down it was clear that we were on the wrong side of a huge canyon and there was no way ahead. We were pretty knackered having lugged such heavy loads up. Shortly before the sun went down I was mesmerized by the colors of the sky and the mountains and the entire universe seemed to be perfect. After a couple of pictures I snapped back to reality and hiked down to meet Liam, the two of us then met up with Peter. At first the suggestion was to bivy since hiking down the steep loose terrain with our packs in the dark could easily end the trip for someone, but I was pretty adamant about not sleeping on a steep slope under a tree. The tent sounded more comfortable and I figured we could be down in 2 hours. Luckily the others agreed and we were back in the area of base camp 1 hour and 45 minutes later. Shit happens. Dinner and bedtime.
There is very little elevation gain over several miles. First you hike through the valley, and then past the most turquoise lake I had ever seen. A look to the left grants a perfect view of Santa Cruz Grande, the tallest peak in the area and a formidable climb by any route. The next portion of the route is not very fun and goes across endless sand, remnants from a flood that happened in 1997. We went up a few switchbacks and crossed a river before arriving at a large open field at 4200m. This was base camp for Artesonraju. It was just before noon. We sorted gear and sent some things back with Renaldo. We discussed our plans with him and decided on a day for him to return. If we weren’t back yet he would wait and we would pay. It’s not a bad arrangement for either party.
It started to rain and I was feeling lazy. We got carried away in a philosophical conversation and making pasta for lunch and before we knew it, it was after 2:30pm. Despite the fact that I melt in the rain, they convinced me to attempt to move up to moraine camp. Our packs were ridiculously heavy, it was almost hard to stand and there were a lot of things hanging off the sides; full Travelling Salesman mode.
The rest of the day flat out sucked. Neither Liam nor I took a look at the route and Peter decided where he thought we should go based on a map but not reading the text of the description. Liam and I didn’t question him. By the time the sun was going down it was clear that we were on the wrong side of a huge canyon and there was no way ahead. We were pretty knackered having lugged such heavy loads up. Shortly before the sun went down I was mesmerized by the colors of the sky and the mountains and the entire universe seemed to be perfect. After a couple of pictures I snapped back to reality and hiked down to meet Liam, the two of us then met up with Peter. At first the suggestion was to bivy since hiking down the steep loose terrain with our packs in the dark could easily end the trip for someone, but I was pretty adamant about not sleeping on a steep slope under a tree. The tent sounded more comfortable and I figured we could be down in 2 hours. Luckily the others agreed and we were back in the area of base camp 1 hour and 45 minutes later. Shit happens. Dinner and bedtime.
Day 7: Days When I Remember When
We had made no plans the night before intending to sleep in and see how we felt after our exhausting day. We figured it would cost us a day somehow. It was unlikely that we would be ready in time and have the energy to single carry all the way to moraine camp. We needed to eat a bunch, drink water, rest…and of course get camp together. Since our plan called for a traditional style ascent and we were acclimating, a carry sounded really appealing. It would allow us to scout the route ahead, make some progress and not wear ourselves out. Technical gear and extra food was packed and we left camp in the early afternoon. I was eager to get closer to the mountain and see our route and do it with only half of my gear on my back.
|
Going the right way was a lot easier than going the wrong way and there are some trails to follow. The route heads up the right side of the flood debris and angles towards the glacier, climbing through a forest and a boulder field. The trail is a climbers trail and comes in and out. Pretty much as long as you are heading up you’re alright. As we got higher the features on the mountains in the area became clearer and we could look down on Artesonraju’s lakes. It was an awesome experience; we really started to feel like we were on a big mountain. We got our first view of the route.
The moraine camp was 900m above our base camp and we had started pretty late. Since I didn’t want to have to deal with finding our tent which was hidden in the trees in the dark, I suggested we cache at 4700m 2 hours before sunset. Peter and Liam agreed it would be prudent. My MP3 player had died and Peter was super generous and let me use his for the descent hike. I needed my Daft Punk fix! Of course we decided that the solar panel wasn’t a necessary item for the upper mountain and had sent it down with Renaldo. I spent the entire climb bumming music. We got back to the tent just before dark, feeling good about our day.
The moraine camp was 900m above our base camp and we had started pretty late. Since I didn’t want to have to deal with finding our tent which was hidden in the trees in the dark, I suggested we cache at 4700m 2 hours before sunset. Peter and Liam agreed it would be prudent. My MP3 player had died and Peter was super generous and let me use his for the descent hike. I needed my Daft Punk fix! Of course we decided that the solar panel wasn’t a necessary item for the upper mountain and had sent it down with Renaldo. I spent the entire climb bumming music. We got back to the tent just before dark, feeling good about our day.
Day 8: Upward Progress
When we awoke the next day things were more deliberate. The plan was to hike to Moraine Camp, and possibly also retrieve our cache. We planned to stay at the Moraine Camp that night, somewhere between 5000m and 5100m. After some breakfast and packing up camp we were on our way back up the familiar route. Our packs weighed about the same as the day before, but knowing the route made for quicker travel and we were back at our previous high point in only 90 minutes. The hike was beautiful, but the weather was the same as it had been for days, unsettled but manageable. I enjoyed looking down on the high alpine lakes, undisturbed perfection.
When Liam and I arrived at “Cache Rock” we each decided to load up our packs with as much as we could fit, in the hopes that we could avoid a backcarry. Our packs were now extremely heavy and awkward, but we only had 3-400m to go and the terrain didn’t look all that bad. As soon as I was ready I started moving. It wasn’t as tough as I had expected and I moved well up the grassy slope. The route is pretty obvious and there are many different options, and some cairns here and there. The slabs were a bit slippery when wet but either way it was starting to feel like we were on the mountain. The approach was over.
Above 5000m I was feeling the altitude and the weight. Liam and I met up and dropped our packs to start scouting out campsites. We were at 5100m and only a stone’s throw from the glacier. I think this is higher than what people traditionally use for camp, but I quite liked the spot. We found a nice flat area with some old walls and set up shop. Peter joined us a bit later with some bad news. One of us would have to go down and get some gear the next day as he simply could not fit everything in his pack. Can’t say we were surprised though.
We brought up the idea of going to get it that afternoon so that we could possibly move to a high camp on the glacier, or at least make an acclimation hike and scout out the route. I was pretty comfortable in the tent, but Liam volunteered immediately. Homeboy went there and back in less than 1.5 hours. Hercules! Now we had all of our gear and ourselves less than 1000m below the summit. We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing different ascent plans, but the weather would have different plans for us.
Above 5000m I was feeling the altitude and the weight. Liam and I met up and dropped our packs to start scouting out campsites. We were at 5100m and only a stone’s throw from the glacier. I think this is higher than what people traditionally use for camp, but I quite liked the spot. We found a nice flat area with some old walls and set up shop. Peter joined us a bit later with some bad news. One of us would have to go down and get some gear the next day as he simply could not fit everything in his pack. Can’t say we were surprised though.
We brought up the idea of going to get it that afternoon so that we could possibly move to a high camp on the glacier, or at least make an acclimation hike and scout out the route. I was pretty comfortable in the tent, but Liam volunteered immediately. Homeboy went there and back in less than 1.5 hours. Hercules! Now we had all of our gear and ourselves less than 1000m below the summit. We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing different ascent plans, but the weather would have different plans for us.
Day 9: Crampons Touch Snow
It was obvious in the morning that we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. High winds and precipitation kept us in the tent for many hours in the morning. We tried to relax and talk about things other than mountains. That usually lasts a bit, but never for long. We also tried to eat a lot as we were several days into the trip and had put in a decent amount of work each day. It was an enjoyable morning hanging with my friends.
I think that we probably needed the rest and we still had the chance that the weather would clear and we could make use of the afternoon. Lucky for us, this wound up being the case. It was well after noon before we emerged from the tent and decided to be productive and none of us were eager to pack up and move camp. Instead we would simply take a stroll up the glacier and see what was going on above us. This plan didn’t take much prep and I was at the edge of the glacier putting on my crampons just a few minutes later. |
Liam and Peter weren’t far behind and the 3 of us tied in on one of our twin 70m 7.7mm ropes. I started towards the glacier proper and was instantly turned off by my initial route choice…the snow was less than an inch thick and there was a 10ft drop onto rocks below it. No bueno. I stepped right and onto some rocks, making a short climbing move before stepping onto the snow. It was apparent that this glacier was going to provide a lot more challenge than we had faced just a few short weeks before in the frigid Alaska Range. It didn’t take long to find a groove and I was able to make steady forward progress. Each route option provided similar uncertainty about the stability of the snow bridges, but the angle was low and the going was easy.
The slope never went above 40 degrees, but there were some decent fall lines and I placed a picket or two on some of the traverses. We reached a flat area below a serac zone around 5350m, we had been going about an hour. It appeared that a ramp with a short ice lead would lead to the next tier of the glacier. We figured we had enough beta to get started before dawn and follow our tracks back up to this high point, then we could push the route further up. With our new information we also decided against a high camp. Ideally we would try for the summit the following morning.
The trip down went by quickly and we were back on solid ground in no time. Liam and Peter reviewed some technical skills and I got us some water. The weather had never really cleared and we wanted more than that if we were going to attempt the summit. Either way, I tried to eat and drink a lot if we did set off in the morning.
The slope never went above 40 degrees, but there were some decent fall lines and I placed a picket or two on some of the traverses. We reached a flat area below a serac zone around 5350m, we had been going about an hour. It appeared that a ramp with a short ice lead would lead to the next tier of the glacier. We figured we had enough beta to get started before dawn and follow our tracks back up to this high point, then we could push the route further up. With our new information we also decided against a high camp. Ideally we would try for the summit the following morning.
The trip down went by quickly and we were back on solid ground in no time. Liam and Peter reviewed some technical skills and I got us some water. The weather had never really cleared and we wanted more than that if we were going to attempt the summit. Either way, I tried to eat and drink a lot if we did set off in the morning.
Day 10: Where You Going? ...Nowhere...
The wind howled all night long and the rain/hail/sleet/snow was having a field day on the mountain. It was clear we weren’t going anywhere. We slept in as long as we could bear before getting up and starting the usual tent bound nonsense. Conversations were interesting to say the least as the weather raged outside. I didn’t get out of the tent until 1:30pm…more than halfway back to the night, woohoo! Melting water and cooking one hot meal for the day are the only things that occupy our time, the rest of which we spend with our music and thoughts. Sitting around can certainly get dull, but I’ve played this game before and know it won’t matter once the weather clears. Tomorrow’s plan will be the same, get up before sunrise and go for the top.
Day 11: Take Me To....Astronaut!
When the alarm went off at 3:45am the three of us leapt right up. There was none of the lethargy that often plagues the morning during alpine starts; we had had enough of sitting around. Liam poked his head out and report clear skies. It was on. We had decided that we would only carry two packs, the leader wouldn’t carry one. I have found this to be rather successful on the few peaks we’ve tried it on. I racked a liter of tea on my harness and stuffed my pockets with food, extra gloves and other essentials. Liam and Peter each carried a few pounds of my gear. We were roped up and moving by 5am and made quick progress along our track, despite the day of weather. The glacier felt secure in the cold morning.
An hour later we reached our previous highpoint. The sun was rising and the views were spectacular. We each had a snack and enjoyed first light. The views of Alpamayo will be forever engrained in my mind. Before long we were on our way, we hadn’t a moment to lose. I headed towards the ramp and found exactly what I expected. It was icy and had a short vertical section, but for the most part it looked like it would go easily. I placed a picket and took out my other ice tool. A few dozen swings and some very joyous moments later I was on the large snowfield that made up the base of the upper glacier. Looking around at the surround ridge lines, at 5400m I experienced a feeling of fulfillment. I built a quick anchor and belayed Liam and Peter up. They had also enjoyed the climbing. Spirits were high.
An hour later we reached our previous highpoint. The sun was rising and the views were spectacular. We each had a snack and enjoyed first light. The views of Alpamayo will be forever engrained in my mind. Before long we were on our way, we hadn’t a moment to lose. I headed towards the ramp and found exactly what I expected. It was icy and had a short vertical section, but for the most part it looked like it would go easily. I placed a picket and took out my other ice tool. A few dozen swings and some very joyous moments later I was on the large snowfield that made up the base of the upper glacier. Looking around at the surround ridge lines, at 5400m I experienced a feeling of fulfillment. I built a quick anchor and belayed Liam and Peter up. They had also enjoyed the climbing. Spirits were high.
The slope above was mellow, but certainly had potential to slide, so we got moving right away. When I got to the top I found a giant crevasse. At first I headed left, but quickly changed my mind and headed down to the right and was able to move around it. The ridge was just up ahead and it was tempting. I gave in and headed up only to find a 15ft wall of ice blocking the way. I brought Liam in and began to think about heading up it. By the time Peter got there I had placed a screw and was ready to go. Of course he talked some sense into me and suggested we find the path of least resistance instead of wasting our time leading ice for fun. Smart guy. Retracing our steps only a hundred meters or so I was able to find a much easier path forward.
The low angled slopes went on for a bit but we were soon faced with another obstacle and had to turn up and to the right, climbing snow at 45-50 degrees for 30m. I built an anchor at the top and belayed my partners up. It was clear we had made the right decision not to stick high on the ridge early as there would have been many more obstacles to overcome. This small platform was a cool perch and we could see a few route options ahead. Traversing across the glacier we could enter the steep couloirs and climb to the ridge. The route gets noticeably more difficult and committing as you get higher and as I approached the face my nerves took a bit of a hit. I placed some pro and stepped around some snow and onto the face.
The low angled slopes went on for a bit but we were soon faced with another obstacle and had to turn up and to the right, climbing snow at 45-50 degrees for 30m. I built an anchor at the top and belayed my partners up. It was clear we had made the right decision not to stick high on the ridge early as there would have been many more obstacles to overcome. This small platform was a cool perch and we could see a few route options ahead. Traversing across the glacier we could enter the steep couloirs and climb to the ridge. The route gets noticeably more difficult and committing as you get higher and as I approached the face my nerves took a bit of a hit. I placed some pro and stepped around some snow and onto the face.
There it was, a 2000ft void below me, and a steep slope above. I had just stepped over the line and the entire mood of the climb changed. I placed two pickets and a screw and belayed Liam in, who in turn belayed Peter in. We briefly discussed what we were going to do and settled on Liam and Peter tying in 20m apart on one end of the rope and I would lead on the other, this would give us 50m per pitch. I gathered all of the gear, checked Liam’s belay and started up. The conditions were great and the climbing was easy but heady. I was 40ft above the anchor before I began to think about pro. I placed a picket and headed up a ways before wasting another one. I built an anchor and belayed them up when I ran out of rope. I had been able to place one screw but for the most part this was going to be a snow climb. The angle flirted with 70 degrees and never dipped below 55. When Liam anchored in I started grabbing the gear while he belayed Peter in, as soon as Peter was anchored, Liam would put me on and I would head up again. We did this for 250m, moving rather efficiently considering we had three.
Nearing the ridge crest the angle relented for a bit, but we had to traverse back onto the face for a final steep pitch. As I topped out on the summit ridge I was not entirely sure that I was in fact on the ridge and not on a cornice. I had Liam stop 10m below me and build another anchor to belay Peter up with before leading a bit higher and onto what was more likely to be ridge. A few minutes later we were all at 19,500ft, looking at the start of the ridge run to the summit and it was not pretty. It was 1pm and we had been at it for 8 hours. Our position was horribly exposed but the anchor was good. It was obvious that the most difficult section would be the first 50m where the ridge was very narrow and heavily corniced. I thought there was a distinct possibility I could fall through. Beyond that, however, I expected a straight shot to the summit. I informed Liam of my concerns before nervously stepping out.
The traverse was over before I knew it and I was on much sturdier ground. I called back to them to start simul-climbing. We made good time as we plodded along nearing 19,700’. The clouds had come in a bit and the views weren’t exactly what we had hoped but the position we were in was mesmerizing. The airy ridge provided a classic snow climb in a remote setting halfway around the world. We hadn’t seen a soul since we left basecamp and I was farther “out there” then I had ever been before. Breathing wasn’t quit as tough as I expected and I slowly placed one foot in front of the other, plunging both axes as I moved forward. There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to make the top.
I was fooled a few times as the ridge has no clear high point, but there wasn’t much doubt in my mind when I arrived on it. I dropped to my knees and lifted my ice tools into the air letting out some emotion as I stood atop my first 6000m peak. It was 2pm on July 9th. Liam arrived seconds later and we congratulated each other. Peter wasn’t far behind. The three of us were in awe of where we were and what we had done. We spent a few elated moments reveling in it all before snapping photos. Liam really likes to take pictures and this was a time consuming process, but we had the most serious descent of our lives ahead and a limited amount of daylight. We agreed that we needed to be moving by 2:30pm and we stuck to it pretty well.
On the way down Peter led. It took us a while to get back to the start of the ridge and it involved some exposed down climbing and questionable snow. We were able to place pickets and use belays on the tough section and an hour after leaving the top we were all anchored in above the precipice atop the couloirs. “Wahhh, I don’t wanna!” I thought. The drop was scary and rappelling off of pickets is not exactly the most enjoyable experience. In the delicate and exposed position it took us quite awhile to setup the rappel and it was getting cold. Daylight was also not plentiful and it was hard not to get frustrated, but anchors are something that need to be done the right way every time. We only had 6 pickets but no one volunteered to be the last to go off of a single picket so we placed 2 of them and equalized. At least we had 70m twins and could hopefully rappel onto the sort of flat ridge bump below. I went first only to find to my dismay that we would still be hanging on a steep slope. I built an anchor, clipped in and called ‘off rappel.’
Liam and Peter joined and I was already working on the next rappel. A down and right traverse would easily make the platform that we were hoping to get to. We rapped in the same order, Peter going last and off of a single piece. Once on the platform I knew immediately that I wanted to down climb a bit and then rappel down a shorter section of the face. It looked as if we could make our footsteps on the glacier with one more rappel this way. Peter agreed instantly and I got to work. The down climb was steep but secure and I was building the anchor in no time. Sure, the sun was going down and we were far from safety and running low on pickets (with which to rappel off of) but the colors bouncing off of the surrounding peaks certainly didn’t have me focused on the danger. We would get down eventually and we had headlamps. I figured the worst was over and once we were back on the glacier we could easily retrace our steps to camp. I was right…for the most part.
Liam and Peter joined and I was already working on the next rappel. A down and right traverse would easily make the platform that we were hoping to get to. We rapped in the same order, Peter going last and off of a single piece. Once on the platform I knew immediately that I wanted to down climb a bit and then rappel down a shorter section of the face. It looked as if we could make our footsteps on the glacier with one more rappel this way. Peter agreed instantly and I got to work. The down climb was steep but secure and I was building the anchor in no time. Sure, the sun was going down and we were far from safety and running low on pickets (with which to rappel off of) but the colors bouncing off of the surrounding peaks certainly didn’t have me focused on the danger. We would get down eventually and we had headlamps. I figured the worst was over and once we were back on the glacier we could easily retrace our steps to camp. I was right…for the most part.
We used two pickets here, leaving us with only one for the rest of the descent. Our large collection of ice screws hadn’t proved to be very useful. The ropes reached the easier ground but I fell into a crevasse about halfway down. By the time the three of us were in our tracks it was fully dark, but it would still be almost four hours before we reached the safety of the tent. The glacier was complex and even more so in the dark. We moved quickly initially but then arrived at another rappel, one which I had forgotten about. I knew we would have to rappel the initial ramp way down lower, so we wanted to save the picket for that, plus if we needed to build an anchor in the event of a fall. Ideally we would down climb but it was way late in the climb and not everyone felt comfortable with this option. After quite a bit of effort we were able to deadman two ice screws and make an anchor that we….you know…sort of trusted. I went first, careful not to weight what was a very expensive and very sketchy anchor. I was relieved when I got to the bottom. Hopefully only one more rappel and some down climbing and then rest. I like rest.
The process of switching between glacier team and rappelling was monotonous but at least we were getting better at quick change overs. I was happy to be moving for an extended period of time and somewhat warm. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the top of the ramp. It was after 9pm already and I was ready to be done, but I was in good spirits. By now I felt fairly certain that we would get down alright and I was fairly relaxed. We felt good about the single picket placement and rappelled onto the lower glacier. From there it was a simple walk and shortly after 10pm I stepped off of the glacier. It was hard to imagine all that had happened in our 17 hour summit push. I was the first in the tent and the first to lie down, but besides a ten minute nap initially, sleep did not come easily. I felt sick from the exertion and my mind was running wild going over the details of our day. I sat up and talked with my partners for quite a while before eventually drifting off to sleep. It felt good to be safe.
Heading Down & Resupplying in Huarez
We slept in until well after sunrise to allow our bodies to recover from our 17 hour day. It was windy and a bit cold out. I was happy that we had had the weather we did for our summit day. We took our time packing our things and one by one started heading down to base camp where we hoped Renaldo would be waiting for us with our duffels filled with extra clothes and food. We were a day or two late, but these guys are no amateurs, they know that mountaineering involves a tremendous amount of uncertainty. When I did arrive at the camp, he was there happily soaking in the sun and relaxing. He was elated to see us safe and successful and we enjoyed some tuna fish and whiskey together while I waited for the others.
The trip back to Llamacorral was uneventful and we spent the night drinking beers and making some new friends, a couple from Poland and trekker from Boston, as well as eating dinner with the local family again. In the morning we hiked out and shared a taxi with our new friends back to Huarez, transferring to a pretty rad collectivo in Caraz. After a few bumps we were checked into our new Hostel and taking showers, one of the three I would take in a month! We had set our sights on a night on the town, but after walking across the street to eat at Sigrid's Coffee House (Percy is the man and was a good friend to us) we retired one by one for the night.
The trip back to Llamacorral was uneventful and we spent the night drinking beers and making some new friends, a couple from Poland and trekker from Boston, as well as eating dinner with the local family again. In the morning we hiked out and shared a taxi with our new friends back to Huarez, transferring to a pretty rad collectivo in Caraz. After a few bumps we were checked into our new Hostel and taking showers, one of the three I would take in a month! We had set our sights on a night on the town, but after walking across the street to eat at Sigrid's Coffee House (Percy is the man and was a good friend to us) we retired one by one for the night.
Having set down early, Peter and I were eager to get started in the morning. Liam had been his typical self and stayed up the entire night. We agreed to meet for breakfast at Café Andino after Peter and I ran some errands. We needed more pickets, some food and to check conditions on Huascaran. I also picked up a pretty sweet hybrid axe made by a company with the slogan “Climb Now. Work Later.” Sound familiar? Breakfast was long and drawn out and everything that we needed. We found ourselves with more time than we expected and went out for lunch and then returned to Sigrid’s for dinner. Before heading to bed we set up a taxi to arrive at 7am and take us to Musho, the launching point for Huascaran.
I Don't Care If It Hurts...I Wanna Have Control...
I Want a Perfect Body...I Want a Perfect Soul...
Day 15: Life, He Said, Is All About Style (My Flying Machine)
Liam had secured us a taxi complete with a large trunk and an auxiliary cable input on the stereo so that he could DJ the hour and a half ride to Musho. We were there before 9am and beginning to discuss logistics with the family there who runs the Donkey Show. They also made us a hearty breakfast. The people of Peru really are great. With a bit of negotiating, we arranged for 3 donkeys to carry our duffels and our packs up the base camp and then 2 porters to carry the duffels to the Refugio, which we would be using as our base camp. Sufficiently acclimatized climbers can hike from Musho at 10,000ft to the Refugio above 15,000ft in a single day. In fact, most would recommend only coming to Huascaran once acclimatized and trying a fast and light “Alpine Style” ascent of the peak, moving to Refugio on Day 1, Camp 1 on the second day, crossing the infamous “Candeletta” on Day 3 and sleeping at a High Camp above 19,000ft. This allows you to try the summit on only the 4th day. We watched many parties simply hike to base camp and wait for three days before moving to the Refugio. I would not have liked that.
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A team from Mexico arrived as we were sitting down to breakfast. It turned out that Liam had met their guide before on his trip to Mexico to climb Orizaba. He managed to fit this in between Alaska and Peru. I like his style. Both of us set out around the same time, but the Mexicans were only planning to go to base camp and they were shouldering packs. The trail has many options at first but soon becomes easier to follow. At one point we waited twenty minutes for our Arriro so we could confirm which fork of the trail to take. It turned out they both went, one was just steeper and shorter. We didn’t go that way. We arrived at the base camp only two hours after setting out. A group of Eastern European climbers were coming down from the summit and happily offered us their advice, confirming that we could likely get away with only 1 piolet each if the leader borrowed a second tool for the short ice leads. They also discussed some ideas for an ambitious schedule, but as attractive as some of them sounded, I knew that our four day plan was best.
Once the donkeys arrived we shouldered our packs and followed the porters up the slabs and interesting trail sections that led to the Refugio. The trip went by rather quickly and we didn’t gain all that much altitude in the process. The first view of the Refugio was welcoming and I was instantly impressed by the accommodations that we would have for our short trip. Dinner, breakfast and a room complete with bathrooms and electricity…sometimes, for 80 soles each. We chatted a bit with the Park Ranger stationed there and then set to packing, discussing each piece of gear extensively. I left behind some items of clothing I would normally take and we left behind some pro, a bit of fuel and had not taken the ice tools that almost every other team we saw would have. The goal was to move quickly through the dangerous sections of the route and not haul too much gear up to 19,000ft. Dinner was wonderful and we were all quite ready for it by the time it was time to go downstairs.
Day 16: Divided Sky, The Wind Blows High
Breakfast was to be served at 7am and we were up beforehand. We had briefly discussed trying to push past Camp 1 and go to Camp 2 that day, but the timing just didn’t work out and it seemed unnecessarily risky. Despite our short trip to Camp 1, we still got ready before eating and then took our time with our coffee, tea, toast and jam. Sleeping in a bed and being served breakfast, I think that is also known as ‘roughing it.’ After eating we stashed a duffel with things we decided we didn’t need and headed outside to check in with the Park Service. Once again this proved to be mostly a formality and they let us in without a guide.
We weren’t the only party heading up to the glacier and there were many cairned trails to spread out on. My pack wasn’t as heavy as I had anticipated and the weather and views kept me in good spirits. Before too long the three of us were at the foot of the glacier gearing up for snow travel. The climbing was about to begin.
We weren’t the only party heading up to the glacier and there were many cairned trails to spread out on. My pack wasn’t as heavy as I had anticipated and the weather and views kept me in good spirits. Before too long the three of us were at the foot of the glacier gearing up for snow travel. The climbing was about to begin.
After a quick debate about whether or not to rope up on the initial, dry glacier, I coiled the rope and stepped onto the ice. A few scrambly moves and step overs later and we were on the glacier proper. Some others were not roping up at all, including a guided party led by a British High Altitude climber, but we felt that to be unnecessarily risky. Peter tied in at the front and I tied in at the back. The slope was mellow and the glacier did not seem very active. We made good time to Camp 1 arriving well before noon. Other than eating and melting snow we didn’t have much to do so we listened to tunes and talked as per usual, life was good. I was not entirely convinced of the safety of our campsite, but the walls of the peaks seemed far away and we accepted a certain level of risk. The minutes passed into hours and by dark we were cozily in bed, ready for an early morning dash across The Candeletta.
Day 17: Run, Run, Run, Run...
I fell asleep early but found it hard to stay asleep. A team had arrived after dark and departed only a few hours later, hedging their bets by making the dangerous trip to Camp 2 during the coldest part of the night. I theorized that they must have hung out at the Refugio for most of the day and then hiked to Camp 1, made dinner and relaxed and then simply headed up to 2. They would wind up summiting the next day and if I were to climb Huascaran again I might use this schedule. Anyway, lying awake at times I found myself dwelling on our start time and wondering if it was too late. We had chosen our time based on when the sun hit the route, and that was not until well after 9am and we aimed to start the 2-3 hour trip at 7am.
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Of course sleep eventually came and I woke up to Peter already getting ready. Despite the rush, Liam and I sort of just laid in our bags for a bit, not yet willing to get up. Luckily we still managed to depart on time after getting our packs together and eating a little something. I took the lead again and followed the well worn trail out of Camp 1. The route above seemed convoluted and dangerous and I was already looking forward to being at Camp 2. Nevertheless, my axe felt good in my hands and my pack weight was reasonable. At least the route promised a bit of fun despite the seracs looming above.
At first we were running out of camp but the terrain quickly became more difficult and several crevasse crossings were required, but we were not yet below the worst of the danger. Twenty minutes or so out of camp we arrived at the biggest crevasse in the area and crossed a delicate snow bridge onto a flat area that had very clearly just been buried in snow. There were several small avy slopes above it as well as some looming seracs. Liam suggested we hurry, which of course I agreed to, huffing and puffing I arrived at the other end where we encountered the steepest climbing of the day. The snow was soft and already had steps so the 45 degrees was a non issue. Looking at my watch I was pleased with our progress.
At first we were running out of camp but the terrain quickly became more difficult and several crevasse crossings were required, but we were not yet below the worst of the danger. Twenty minutes or so out of camp we arrived at the biggest crevasse in the area and crossed a delicate snow bridge onto a flat area that had very clearly just been buried in snow. There were several small avy slopes above it as well as some looming seracs. Liam suggested we hurry, which of course I agreed to, huffing and puffing I arrived at the other end where we encountered the steepest climbing of the day. The snow was soft and already had steps so the 45 degrees was a non issue. Looking at my watch I was pleased with our progress.
A few more turns and a tricky step or two and we were below the worst of the route, a rising traverse below two distinct serac zones. The amount of debris across the glacier made the danger pretty evident, but in the distance we could see tents below the Col and the angle was pretty mellow. I set out right away setting a rather quick pace. Over a decade ago, four European climbers were killed in a slide here, and that was not the only incident of its kind. This is not a happy place. Short of breathe breaking 19,000ft, we kept our pace, arriving at the relative safety of Camp 2 two hours after setting out. There were several other groups spread throughout a half dozen tents or so.
A team of Europeans had made the summit and recently returned, but one of their climbers was in a bad way, badly dehydrated and weak. His friend started chatting us up, mentioning that he had hoped to also summit Huascaran Norte (which was our plan) but that his team had barely made Sur, and that they had underestimated it. We offered them some water which they happily exchanged for some extra food and fuel that they did not want to carry down. We were able to get some more route beta before they finally headed down, well after noon, during the worst time of day to cross the Candeletta. I did not envy them.
A team of Europeans had made the summit and recently returned, but one of their climbers was in a bad way, badly dehydrated and weak. His friend started chatting us up, mentioning that he had hoped to also summit Huascaran Norte (which was our plan) but that his team had barely made Sur, and that they had underestimated it. We offered them some water which they happily exchanged for some extra food and fuel that they did not want to carry down. We were able to get some more route beta before they finally headed down, well after noon, during the worst time of day to cross the Candeletta. I did not envy them.
Since we had arrived even earlier in the day then yesterday, we had over eight hours of daylight to kill. We quickly hatched a plan for the summit, so that left us with what felt like infinite time to eat, drink and listen to Daft Punk. Liam and I wanted to climb Norte directly after Sur in a marathon push, but Peter realistically thought that climbing two high 6000m peaks in one day was a bit ambitious. We agreed to set out before 2am for Sur and try Norte the following day if we still wanted it. This was to be my first time above 20,000ft. Again we would carry only two packs between the three of us.
When the lights went out, the three of us hit the hay. It was difficult to fall asleep as one of the most exciting days of my life was only hours away. As I lay there in my sleeping bag at 19,000ft, I counted my lucky stars that I had so far performed optimally at altitude. I hoped this trend would continue as I tried to push it above 22,000.
When the lights went out, the three of us hit the hay. It was difficult to fall asleep as one of the most exciting days of my life was only hours away. As I lay there in my sleeping bag at 19,000ft, I counted my lucky stars that I had so far performed optimally at altitude. I hoped this trend would continue as I tried to push it above 22,000.
Day 18: Lunar Pursuit
...Doin' It Right...Everybody Will Be Dancing and Be Feelin' It Right...
Liam’s phone alarm went off at 1am, and although groggy I jumped up right away with excitement. We had mostly gotten ready the night before and it wasn’t long before we were outside the tent. The air wasn’t as cold as it could be and the wind was light enough. Dozens of towns shown their lights in the valley below and given the circumstances I don’t think my mood could have been better. Waiting patiently for my partners to finish getting their crampons on and tie in, I let my mind wander to the route and wondered how hard the route finding would be and if I would be able to lead the short sections of ice with only one tool. |
We had many hours of darkness ahead and it was difficult to make out exactly where we were. There was a boot pack trail so the route finding was straightforward to start. Our faces felt the cool chill of the wind as we wound our way around huge crevasses just below the Col. At one point we went so far left that I figured we were actually climbing Norte, turns out we did touch its lower flanks. Once on the Col the wind was pretty brutal and I found it difficult to keep both eyes open (one of the items I had left behind was non tinted ski goggles). We didn’t gain much altitude as we crossed back towards the lower slopes of Sur. Finally, after being out for an hour we started taking steps upwards.
The angle wasn’t that bad, but I couldn’t really see much ahead. For all I knew we could be climbing below huge blocks of ice that could collapse at any time. Well…we were. The angle increased to about 45 degrees before we arrived on a platform next to the seracs. We took our first break and drank a bit and had a snack. It was 3:30am and sunlight was a long way off. The way ahead wasn’t getting any easier and we would soon experience our first delay.
The route was well wanded in places and not so much in others. The pitch black of the alpine night made it difficult to see wands off in the distance, and there were several times on the ascent that we made our own way. As I led into an enclosure, I wondered if I was seeing exactly what I expected or if we were off route. Ahead was a crevasse that blocked our passage and the only way up seemed to be crossing an unstable snow bridge and leading a 10ft pitch of near vertical ice. I didn’t really think too much, this seemed to be in line with the route beta and it looked fun. I approached the snow bridge and placed a picket. I told Liam that I intended to lead up and then climb the short snow slope to the ice wall where I would build an anchor. I had only my hybrid axe, a picket and an ice screw. Liam gave me a token belay off of his axe, but I knew a better plan would be ‘just don’t fall,’ as I would likely go into the crevasse if I did.
The angle wasn’t that bad, but I couldn’t really see much ahead. For all I knew we could be climbing below huge blocks of ice that could collapse at any time. Well…we were. The angle increased to about 45 degrees before we arrived on a platform next to the seracs. We took our first break and drank a bit and had a snack. It was 3:30am and sunlight was a long way off. The way ahead wasn’t getting any easier and we would soon experience our first delay.
The route was well wanded in places and not so much in others. The pitch black of the alpine night made it difficult to see wands off in the distance, and there were several times on the ascent that we made our own way. As I led into an enclosure, I wondered if I was seeing exactly what I expected or if we were off route. Ahead was a crevasse that blocked our passage and the only way up seemed to be crossing an unstable snow bridge and leading a 10ft pitch of near vertical ice. I didn’t really think too much, this seemed to be in line with the route beta and it looked fun. I approached the snow bridge and placed a picket. I told Liam that I intended to lead up and then climb the short snow slope to the ice wall where I would build an anchor. I had only my hybrid axe, a picket and an ice screw. Liam gave me a token belay off of his axe, but I knew a better plan would be ‘just don’t fall,’ as I would likely go into the crevasse if I did.
As I stepped onto the ice I started to wonder if I had been a bit over ambitious, trying to climb such a technical section with only one axe. After a moment’s hesitation, I used my left hand to grab the ice, thrust my axe high and right and made a very high step with my left foot, finding myself above the crux. Another 15-20 feet on a 50 degree snow slope put me against a large ice wall where I clipped into our only screw. Shortly afterwards Peter and I started debating where the route went, which meant that I could be looking at a down climb. This prospect did not excite me. Stupid dark, why did we start so early?
After some discussion, I realized that there was a V Thread in the ice. I straightened my anchor and belayed my partners up. There was some debate as to whether we should go left or right and finally I decided to go right and a few seconds later, relief swept over me as I spotted two wands and a bit of a trail ahead. The route hugged the ice wall and then turned steeply upward, climbing about 50ft of 50 degree icy snow. I belayed my partners up and we looked upwards at a slope that seemed to stretch forever upwards in the dark. Wands were few and far between and I pretty much just headed upwards, breathing heavier with each step. We were now above 20,000ft and the slope was steepening to over 50 degrees. When I pulled onto a small platform and sat down in the snow, I allowed myself to relax a bit.
After some discussion, I realized that there was a V Thread in the ice. I straightened my anchor and belayed my partners up. There was some debate as to whether we should go left or right and finally I decided to go right and a few seconds later, relief swept over me as I spotted two wands and a bit of a trail ahead. The route hugged the ice wall and then turned steeply upward, climbing about 50ft of 50 degree icy snow. I belayed my partners up and we looked upwards at a slope that seemed to stretch forever upwards in the dark. Wands were few and far between and I pretty much just headed upwards, breathing heavier with each step. We were now above 20,000ft and the slope was steepening to over 50 degrees. When I pulled onto a small platform and sat down in the snow, I allowed myself to relax a bit.
At first I liked the look of the route to the left, but after climbing towards it, it was clear that there was no reasonable way or at least none that I could locate in the dark. I returned to my friends and headed down and right, traversing below the ice cliffs and hoping to find a ramp leading to the upper glacier. The climbing was easy but the fall line was less than friendly. After a few hundred feet the conditions improved and I started moving up a ramp onto the upper slopes of the mountain. The sun was up by the time we had all arrived and I took my first pictures of the day.
Even though we had some light, I was not sure of the way to go and at first I chose the wrong way, heading towards the right through a very nasty looking section. As I walked on the level ground, I thought of Harry Potter’s “The third floor is off limits for all those not wanting to die a horrible death.” Yea, I didn’t last long there and quickly suggested we retreat to the ramp and once we got back the way ahead was actually quite clear. I led across a mellow snow slope and then crossed onto the upper mountain. From here on out it was easy going, well….except for the altitude…my pace slowed to a crawl. After a few minutes I became aware of this and asked Liam to change places with me. With over a dozen ascents above 20,000ft, he had far more experience and was clearly moving much more efficiently than I was. Though it was relieving to relinquish the lead, the last thousand plus feet were grueling. I knew we would eventually get there but the mental game required tested me to the core.
Step, breathe, breathe, breathe…step. “Oh, cool…I moved 8 inches. Ugh…this sucks.”
Even though we had some light, I was not sure of the way to go and at first I chose the wrong way, heading towards the right through a very nasty looking section. As I walked on the level ground, I thought of Harry Potter’s “The third floor is off limits for all those not wanting to die a horrible death.” Yea, I didn’t last long there and quickly suggested we retreat to the ramp and once we got back the way ahead was actually quite clear. I led across a mellow snow slope and then crossed onto the upper mountain. From here on out it was easy going, well….except for the altitude…my pace slowed to a crawl. After a few minutes I became aware of this and asked Liam to change places with me. With over a dozen ascents above 20,000ft, he had far more experience and was clearly moving much more efficiently than I was. Though it was relieving to relinquish the lead, the last thousand plus feet were grueling. I knew we would eventually get there but the mental game required tested me to the core.
Step, breathe, breathe, breathe…step. “Oh, cool…I moved 8 inches. Ugh…this sucks.”
Looking back at Norte, I tried to reconcile our altitude with what my watch suggested. Up ahead, Liam had stopped and it looked like it could be the top to me, but I knew the trap of declaring victory too early, I told myself we still had a few hundred meters to go. Then, all at once, we were there. It was 9am on July 16th…22,205ft above sea level in the Peruvian Andes...and to top it off, we were completely alone.
We spent a long time on the summit, enjoying the bluebird weather, incredible views and above all, the solitude. It was a good hour before we started to head down and we were all in good spirits. Huascaran Sur had been a major goal of ours and to have stood on top felt fulfilling on the deepest of levels. I happily brought up the rear on the way down, reflecting on my life in general.
We spent a long time on the summit, enjoying the bluebird weather, incredible views and above all, the solitude. It was a good hour before we started to head down and we were all in good spirits. Huascaran Sur had been a major goal of ours and to have stood on top felt fulfilling on the deepest of levels. I happily brought up the rear on the way down, reflecting on my life in general.
The trip down was taxing and by no means a gimme. We retraced our steps on the upper slope and then wound up down climbing the ramp. Instead of traversing to the right and going down our ascent route, we spotted some wands leading straight down the slope and some moderately sketchy terrain and we followed it. I belayed Liam and Peter down the ramp above the ice lead and then down climbed on lead, passing Peter and the anchor and leading on to the ice wall where we would make our only rappel. The v thread was solid, but we figured we might as well back it up with a picket. I went first, then Liam and finally Peter. After an additional steep down climb, we arrived on the Col. We were surprised to see camp deserted when we arrived, our tent was the only one. It was 2pm. I crawled into my sleeping bag.
Day 19: Where Did That Snow Bridge Go?
Liam and I had spent most of the afternoon contemplating giving Norte a go in the morning, and we had even packed. When the alarm went off at 4am and then again at 5am I pretty much told it to F Off. The wind was not inviting and I was still pretty gassed from our day on Sur. We slept in.
The trip across the Candeletta was uneventful and we crossed it fairly early in the morning as had always been the plan. Upon arriving at the major crevasse crossing, we discovered to our dismay that the snow bridge was out. At this point we remembered that no one was at Camp 2 and we didn’t see any one coming up. This was not the best for our confidence but it was what it was. We scoped out a few different ways and Peter even started down into a crevasse, but eventually I led down a slope below the Shield that led to the lower glacier. It was a bit hectic, requiring a few running jumps and lots of route finding, but with a little effort, we found ourselves back at Camp 1. After talking with a few teams, we found out that suspected high winds had kept all the teams from moving up, but we had found most favorable conditions for our summit attempt, we were at the right place at the right time simply by chance (We never checked a forecast in Peru, preferring to simply watch the weather and make decisions day by day).
We moved down off of the glacier and down the slabs back to the Refugio. Since we had already agreed to stay the night again and enjoy the hospitality, I immediately grabbed a beer when I got there and sat down to stare up at the peaks. The rest of the afternoon passed with pleasant conversation with other climbers, beers and good food and a euphoric atmosphere among our team.
The trip across the Candeletta was uneventful and we crossed it fairly early in the morning as had always been the plan. Upon arriving at the major crevasse crossing, we discovered to our dismay that the snow bridge was out. At this point we remembered that no one was at Camp 2 and we didn’t see any one coming up. This was not the best for our confidence but it was what it was. We scoped out a few different ways and Peter even started down into a crevasse, but eventually I led down a slope below the Shield that led to the lower glacier. It was a bit hectic, requiring a few running jumps and lots of route finding, but with a little effort, we found ourselves back at Camp 1. After talking with a few teams, we found out that suspected high winds had kept all the teams from moving up, but we had found most favorable conditions for our summit attempt, we were at the right place at the right time simply by chance (We never checked a forecast in Peru, preferring to simply watch the weather and make decisions day by day).
We moved down off of the glacier and down the slabs back to the Refugio. Since we had already agreed to stay the night again and enjoy the hospitality, I immediately grabbed a beer when I got there and sat down to stare up at the peaks. The rest of the afternoon passed with pleasant conversation with other climbers, beers and good food and a euphoric atmosphere among our team.
Day 20: The Long and Winding Road
Sleeping in a bed felt great even though we had only been out for a few nights. We weren’t in any sort of rush so we woke up and headed down for a leisurely breakfast before packing our gear. We had decided in advance not to use donkeys on the way down so our packs were pretty well loaded up, to the point of comedy. I could barely stand, but whatever, we were headed down, possibly for the last time. Peter and Liam were no better off and we enjoyed laughing at the disproportionate size of each other as compared with our packs. As usual, I was too impatient to wait and started heading down the well worn trail, planning to wait for them at base camp, just below a very slick class 3 slab.
I managed to zone out enough to not notice my pack weight for a while and enjoyed the views and tunes, but before long I realized that I was most likely lost. The trip up from camp had crossed slabs and had several sections of class 3, but I had been hiking on a trail for much longer than expected, which seemed too good to be true. I kept going for just a bit before hanging out with some cows for a bit and looking around. Based on altitude I was able to gauge where base camp was and I was likely level with it. Bummer. A straight traverse wasn’t an option so me and my ridiculously heavy pack started uphill. A few moments later I ran into Peter and Liam.
I managed to zone out enough to not notice my pack weight for a while and enjoyed the views and tunes, but before long I realized that I was most likely lost. The trip up from camp had crossed slabs and had several sections of class 3, but I had been hiking on a trail for much longer than expected, which seemed too good to be true. I kept going for just a bit before hanging out with some cows for a bit and looking around. Based on altitude I was able to gauge where base camp was and I was likely level with it. Bummer. A straight traverse wasn’t an option so me and my ridiculously heavy pack started uphill. A few moments later I ran into Peter and Liam.
Peter suggested that we continue down and that the trail would eventually lead back to the same place. He remembered this from his planning on Google Earth (his job), and it paid off big time, a couple of hours later we were back in Musho. Way to go Peter. The ride back to Huarez was uneventful and before I knew it I was taking a shower, my second of the trip. Time to relax, sort of, there was a lot to decide as the trip was almost over but it was clear that Liam and I still badly wanted to climb again, I wasn’t ready for the expedition to be over.
We went to Chili Heaven for dinner. If you go to Huarez and you want totally gringo, not at all local but extremely tasty and affordable (by US standards) food, go here. It’s owned by a British Expat and the food is incredible. Seriously, on Alpamayo we dreamt of it and I put their sticker on my helmet. Though I had planned on making a solo speed ascent of Pisco, Liam was very interested in Alpamayo, and the prospect of making him hire a guide did not appeal to me at all. What did appeal to me was climbing a classic route on a world renowned peak with my close friend. We would leave first thing in the morning.
We went to Chili Heaven for dinner. If you go to Huarez and you want totally gringo, not at all local but extremely tasty and affordable (by US standards) food, go here. It’s owned by a British Expat and the food is incredible. Seriously, on Alpamayo we dreamt of it and I put their sticker on my helmet. Though I had planned on making a solo speed ascent of Pisco, Liam was very interested in Alpamayo, and the prospect of making him hire a guide did not appeal to me at all. What did appeal to me was climbing a classic route on a world renowned peak with my close friend. We would leave first thing in the morning.
Day 21: Same As It Ever Was
I was up at 7am, but it probably wasn’t necessary as Liam and I both had a lot to do. After my errands, I hung out with Peter a while and we said our goodbyes. Part of me felt weird about going on a major climb without my best friend, but the other part felt very excited about taking full responsibility for our team. Not too long after 10am, Liam returned to our hostel with a taxi and we were on our way. The familiar ride to Cashapampa went by quickly and as we were driving into town we met our friend Renaldo which surely made our day. He was available and happily agreed to head out with us on another adventure.
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Getting into the park was as easy as ever and the trail was exactly as I had remembered, mesmerizing. Since we had left much later in the day than we had expected we figured it would be best to just stay at Llamacorral, have dinner with the family we had befriend and get an early start in the morning, possibly making it all the way to the glacier camp at 5500m. We spent a relaxing afternoon doing just that, but the thought of climbing Alpamayo was looming, and it was a bit frightening.
Day 22: Stopped Short
We were on the trail early in the morning and as usual Renaldo’s estimate of our travel time was far off the mark. The turn off for Alpamayo base camp was just a few hundred meters before the turn we had taken for Artesonraju, but the trip was much longer as the camp was much further back into the basin. As we gained altitude, the views of Artesonraju’s North Side became ever impressive, very reminiscent of the Paramount Pictures logo, which of course is the rumor. After an initial steep section, the remainder of the hike was pretty flat and we got to camp before lunchtime. This base camp was filled with climbers and trekkers and had a shop of its own, gotta say, “roughin’ it” isn’t exactly in a mountaineer’s vocabulary when in the Santa Cruz valley. Renaldo was eager to be on his way, so we grabbed our stuff off the donkeys and then had some lunch. Afterwards we rearranged our gear into two packs and left a duffel with the shop owners with a few small items, mostly clothing.
Originally we had hoped to get to the Glacier Camp at 5500m, but with 70+ lbs packs and limited daylight, I realized it wasn’t a remote possibility. The trip to moraine camp at 4900m would be grueling enough. A few social trails led up the grassy slopes to some boulders with some short slabby sections. I was able to find a few flat options for camp just below 5000m and I selected one, dropping my pack and resting a bit. I had the tent up by the time Liam arrived.
Originally we had hoped to get to the Glacier Camp at 5500m, but with 70+ lbs packs and limited daylight, I realized it wasn’t a remote possibility. The trip to moraine camp at 4900m would be grueling enough. A few social trails led up the grassy slopes to some boulders with some short slabby sections. I was able to find a few flat options for camp just below 5000m and I selected one, dropping my pack and resting a bit. I had the tent up by the time Liam arrived.
Day 23: Our Work Is Never Over
I wasn’t terribly excited to lug the pack up and over the col and down to the glacier camp. We still had 600m to go on semi technical terrain and a few gnarly crossings and we had our packs. Either way, we agreed on the relatively early start of 8am and we solo’d up to the glacier, which only took about fifteen minutes. It seemed to make the most sense to have Liam lead the glacier and since there were only two of us, I coiled most of our 70m rope before we set out. At first the going was pretty easy with some steep sections here and there but mostly it was flat or mellow and it was all well packed. |
Approaching the saddle we could clearly see the steep terrain, but it didn’t look all that bad. The views of Quitaraju and Alpamayo were great and tower walls of rock, ice and snow rose in most directions. The going was tough physically, but Liam led at a good pace. Reaching the saddle involved about two pitches worth of climbing on 50 degree snow followed by a sketchy crevasse crossing which Liam dispatched brilliantly, clipping a fixed picket just afterwards. A few tents were pitched on the Col, but I had no interest in that freezing and windy weigh station. Normally the Southwest Face of Alpamayo would be in full view but today it was mostly hidden in the clouds, though this did not hide its intensity, and the French Direct route goes straight up the center.
Our chosen camp would be on the glacier at 5400m, a much more hospitable place. A bit of steep down climbing and some walking led us to the tents of a guided party that had summitted earlier that day. We chatted with them a bit for beta and then retired to the tent for the afternoon where we hung out and ate and drank. We figured if we got up at 1am we could beat any other parties and be first on the route. As I set down for the night I was probably the most nervous I had ever been before a climb. The face loomed above and was 100% without a doubt the real deal.
Our chosen camp would be on the glacier at 5400m, a much more hospitable place. A bit of steep down climbing and some walking led us to the tents of a guided party that had summitted earlier that day. We chatted with them a bit for beta and then retired to the tent for the afternoon where we hung out and ate and drank. We figured if we got up at 1am we could beat any other parties and be first on the route. As I set down for the night I was probably the most nervous I had ever been before a climb. The face loomed above and was 100% without a doubt the real deal.
Day 24: Sail to the Moon
There was no reason to be nervous in the morning because this was in my immediate future whether I liked it or not. Of course, with the face in clear view under the bright sun, perfect weather and no one else stirring about, most of my concerns washed away and left only the desire to climb. The ritual Daft Punk alarm went off and Liam and I were ready alarmingly fast, I think that by our third climb in (fourth of the season), we had stuff dialed down a bit. We were moving by our goal of 2am and guaranteed ourselves perfect position on the infamously crowded route, only two lights at the Col camp 100m above and behind us were on, and they weren’t even moving yet. It took us about a half hour to reach the base of the face and the going was mellow on a packed trail. We still roped up though and I coiled as much as I possibly could to keep us relatively close together.
Getting onto the face would not prove to be as difficult as it could have been, but it took some thinking. At its worst, the bergschrund can require up to 10m of 80 degree ice, but today it only offered steep, unconsolidated snow over a few gnarly crevasses. It was more mental than physical and I was able to gain the face without too much trouble, placing one picket before the crossing. Since there was still a lot of rope left and I expected to find fixed gear along the way, I continued to lead once on the face, running it out on the moderate snow for another 30-40m before stopping at a fixed picket anchor. Belaying Liam up, I felt the cold a bit, but there was a feeling of euphoria as I contemplated our situation. Tied into a solid two picket anchor allowed me to relax and lean back while I brought him up.
Above the first anchor, we did two more pitches on similar terrain, mostly snow at around 55 degrees with a few sections of blue ice. Every 20m or so there was a picket or a V thread, and other than placing a picket or two, I mostly ran it out between fixed pieces since the climbing felt secure. We made decent time on this section and thus it was still very dark, but the moon gave enough light to really brighten our spirits. I still used a headlamp though. Above the third pitch the route got more serious, but we were up for it.
The route can be broken up into three sections, snow for a couple of pitches followed by steeper snow and ice for the majority of the face. Above this you reach a fork in the gully and the right fork leads into the crux and onto the summit ridge over two long pitches. We continued to move upwards on the 60 degree ice and snow at a moderate pace. Liam was getting cold; especially in his hands but like a trooper he persevered and kept his own. There was a tricky move here and there and a lot of run out, but before too long the sun was coming up and we could see the turn towards the ridge. Liam joined me at a solid double V thread anchor and we had a quick conversation about how things were going to go. The route ahead was clearly steeper and had sustained sections of blue ice completely devoid of snow. Once I was content with our belay setup I moved above the anchor.
The route can be broken up into three sections, snow for a couple of pitches followed by steeper snow and ice for the majority of the face. Above this you reach a fork in the gully and the right fork leads into the crux and onto the summit ridge over two long pitches. We continued to move upwards on the 60 degree ice and snow at a moderate pace. Liam was getting cold; especially in his hands but like a trooper he persevered and kept his own. There was a tricky move here and there and a lot of run out, but before too long the sun was coming up and we could see the turn towards the ridge. Liam joined me at a solid double V thread anchor and we had a quick conversation about how things were going to go. The route ahead was clearly steeper and had sustained sections of blue ice completely devoid of snow. Once I was content with our belay setup I moved above the anchor.
The minutes that followed were some of the most intense and memorable of my life. I moved upwards over 65 degree blue ice deep in the heart of the Cordillera Blanca above 19,500ft. Each stick made a crisp clean sound and gave me confidence to step up onto my feet. Over the crux I placed a screw or two and then moved onto steep snow with solid steps kicked into it. Despite the exposure, the climbing was much easier and at 7:45am on July the 22nd, I pulled off of the Southwest Face of Alpamayo and onto its summit, hardly able to comprehend what was going on. Liam wasn’t far behind and we were both elated by the views, our other two friends, Huascaran Sur and Artesonraju were clearly visible to the South. I had expected a bit of sketchy ridge climbing to reach the summit proper, but as I scoped out the area it was clear that we were on the true summit, alone and on a bluebird day on one of the most coveted summits in the world. The two of us spent a few spectacular moments above the clouds taking pictures and simply enjoying our friendship. The experiences we shared this summer on multiple continents, traveling the world together with common goals have propelled us into a bond beyond friendship, sharing the summit of Alpamayo with Liam after the two of us had struggled over days to get there was a soul satisfying experience. Of course, we still had to descend the steep and treacherous face.
Immediately, I knew how I wanted things to go. I would rappel first, find an anchor, thread it while Liam rappelled and then pull the rope and repeat. On the summit there was a solid anchor and I remembered a double V thread not too far below, so I anchored into it at the end of my first rappel, our first of six total with twin 70m ropes. The rest of the descent went by without incident and we were able to repeat the process exactly as planned; only having to rappel off of a single v thread once. We passed a pair from the US on our way up and chatted a bit, giving them some beta. Once we were below them they started dropping ice on us and I was reminded why we had started so early. The sixth rappel brought us safely onto the snow and I let out a sigh of relief and joy as Liam joined me on the glacier. We met up with some Brits we had run into the day before and soloed back to the tents. It felt good to relax, that’s for sure.
After some time passed we got our camp together and made our way back down to base camp. The trip up to the Col was tough and getting back down the initial steep sections was not trivial, requiring two rappels. The final hour or so to the camp was miserable, feeling every ounce of weight and every muscle in my legs as I stepped down, but we had done it and were safe now. Some food and some beers and some happy thoughts took up the rest of the afternoon and we blissfully fell asleep.
After some time passed we got our camp together and made our way back down to base camp. The trip up to the Col was tough and getting back down the initial steep sections was not trivial, requiring two rappels. The final hour or so to the camp was miserable, feeling every ounce of weight and every muscle in my legs as I stepped down, but we had done it and were safe now. Some food and some beers and some happy thoughts took up the rest of the afternoon and we blissfully fell asleep.
Over and Out and Homeward Bound
The night before we had organized donkeys with a Columbian team that was going down to Cashpamapa and we were able to carry only the essentials on the hike back down which was well over thirteen miles. This was certain to be our last climb of the trip and our last climb together for the season, of course we already have a couple of trips planned for next season, but that’s a long way away. We disappeared into our own worlds and reflected. Getting down to town was very rewarding and I enjoyed a Coca Cola before getting into a Collectivo which would take us down to Caraz. Once there we were given awesome accommodations in the front seat of a very full Collectivo and by nightfall we were back at our hostel in Huarez. After dinner and drinks we walked around town for a bit, witnessing a celebration of the anniversary of the town.
Liam’s bus left for Lima that ngiht and he was headed to Brazil for some more adventures. My bus headed out in the morning and I made the rounds saying goodbye to some friends and enjoying a final breakfast at Café Andino. The bus ride was welcome as I had no choice but to sit still for eight hours. After all I had been through over the past month it seemed like I needed to not have the option to make sitting still happen. Peru, wow, glad to have had a window seat.
Liam’s bus left for Lima that ngiht and he was headed to Brazil for some more adventures. My bus headed out in the morning and I made the rounds saying goodbye to some friends and enjoying a final breakfast at Café Andino. The bus ride was welcome as I had no choice but to sit still for eight hours. After all I had been through over the past month it seemed like I needed to not have the option to make sitting still happen. Peru, wow, glad to have had a window seat.
Before I knew it I was eating American fast food in the Lima airport and boarding the plane. I wasn’t ready to leave when I had left Huarez, but back in the city and mid travel, it was all I could think about. Landing in Denver the next day after a bit of a debacle in Houston gave me tremendous satisfaction and the world came back into view as I hugged my best friend at the airport. I knew I would never be the same and I knew I had pushed the boundaries in Peru far past anything I had ever experienced before…but what has it done? A month later, life is much the same, maybe with only a deeper sense of purpose. The sky is the limit, what can I do with a few close friends and a little bit of dreaming?
Well there is a big world out there filled with big mountains. At 27, having sacrificed more than most would be willing to for a non tangible dream, I am as sure as ever that I am living life as it was meant for me. I have no plans on stopping anytime soon. Here’s to pushing it harder and faster every time, to going higher and further towards the summit of your dreams.
Well there is a big world out there filled with big mountains. At 27, having sacrificed more than most would be willing to for a non tangible dream, I am as sure as ever that I am living life as it was meant for me. I have no plans on stopping anytime soon. Here’s to pushing it harder and faster every time, to going higher and further towards the summit of your dreams.