2018 Peru

From mid-July to early September the expedition aims were to complete a number of long-distance high altitudes backpacking trips across pre-Incan trails in the Peruvian Andes, around the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash. These mountain ranges are regarded as some of the most beautiful, with the Cordillera Blanca noted as the highest tropical mountain range in the world and encompassing Peru’s largest peak (Huascarán - 6768m).

The expedition was comprised of two Imperial undergraduate students who based themselves in the town of Huaraz, (3,000m), to allow themselves to acclimatise. Initial hikes were made to Lake Wilcacocha and the turquoise lake Churup, (4,500m), however, the pair did experience mild symptoms of acute mountain sickness, (AMS). The pair then embarked on the Santa-Cruz-Alpamayo circuit starting in Paria (3,800m) and then hiking to the Alto de Pucaraju pass (4,640m) and then the Tupatupa pass at (4,360m). The journey involved negotiating a maze of bog and rivers to get to get to the Yanacon pass (4,610m), before arriving at the Mesapata pass (4,460m), which provided stunning views of Pucjirca East and West.  It was then onto the Garagara pass, (4,830m), the Alpamayo basecamp (4,520m) and a climb to 5,020m which provided stunning views of Alpamayo, Jancarurish, Tayapampa, Vientunan (4,770m). The views of Alpamayo were stunning as the peak is an almost perfect pyramidal structure. It was then onto the Osoruri pass (4,860m) before descending. During the Santa-Cruz-Alpamayo trek the team met and walked with some German trekkers and Canadian travellers.

Following this the pair embarked on a four-day beginners ice climbing and mountaineering course with a guide to learn crevasse rescue techniques, ice climbing, avalanche awareness and to summit the 5,500m mountain Yanapaccha. This was completed with the guide and involved walking on a moonlit glacier, which provided magnificent views of the southern stars and nebulae, and having to ascend steep snow slopes using crampons.

The pair then travelled to Los Olivos for some sport climbing up to grade 6b, and some bouldering up to V5. Over the following days one of the team, successfully climbed Hatun Machay (4,200m) with Argentinian and Spanish climbers, and then made an attempt with a German climber on mount Pisco, (5,750m), in the Cordillera Blanca, which had to be abandoned partway due to bad weather.

The student pair then travelled with their guide to Ishinca Valley and to the basecamp of Tocllaraju (6,034m, grade D-/D), where they could also view Huascarán, the highest peak in Peru. During the climb of Tocllaraju the team faced a blizzard and difficulty negotiating the soft snow on the slopes. The two students also experienced nausea and an altitude-induced headache, and the gruelling attempt was aborted.

One of the team, together with a French hiker, tackled the Huayhuash circuit encompassing Quartelhuain (4,170m), the Cacananpunta pass (4,690m), lake Mitucocha (4,260m), but the student had to terminate participation in the remainder of the trek due to feeling unwell.

This expedition pushed the students mental and physical limits with the prolonged exposure to extreme high altitudes, including camping at the bases of glaciers above 5,500m, and enduring temperatures down to -10 C. The students also suffered dizziness, nausea, headaches, and insomnia as a result of the high altitudes. However, they were able to also enjoy a day of mountain biking, and experience the local buses travelling at crazy speeds. The pair also included visits to Chavín de Huántar, a UNESCO world heritage comprising ruins of a pre-Inca, jaguar worshiping civilisation, and to Machu Pichu.