...than this!
What a mountain - and what an achievement - completing the holy trinity for you, having already added your hard earned brace of the two Huscarans! This is a fitting end to the 'series' - and to celebrate the return of the Peak Monster to the mountains tomorrow.
Berg Heil Amigo - don't go bust your ass - and see you in less than 2 weeks when the International Expedition re-convenes...
best wishes
Mark
It was a fitting end indeed to have such a smooth and fast climb. And it also goes to show what a couple of months of acclimatization can do - although I have no idea how my climbing partner got used to the thin air so well so quickly. Perhaps there is something in the air in Scotland?
Right, gotta go packing now. See ya soon!
Cheers, Rob
Sometimes I'm either too tired or simply too focused on climbing to take pictures too, and then afterwards I always regret that. No such problems this time though. We had great weather for it, and while I certainly was very focused on summit day, I wasn't too tired, and I took plenty of pictures once the sun came out.
Although the lower high camp got more use, I had read about the one at 5600m in Brad Johnson's book, so that's how I knew. It's definitely a better place for it.
I gather that you're planning to try Chopi in May or June? If so, then the later the better. The snow from the wet season will need time to settle. Even if it has, you may end up being the first team on the mountain for the season, and that brings the added challenge of finding a route. If it's anything like what I encountered, then up to around 6000m or so that should't be too hard, because you'll have daylight to get to high camp at 5600m, but the last few hundred meters up it was most helpful to have a trail to follow. Without it, I'm not sure how we would have fared, for it was far from obvious. With trial and error, perhaps we would have found a way, but that would have taken time.
Of the 6000-ers peaks I climbed in the Cordillera Blanca in 2011, had there not been a trail, route finding would have been a lot easier on Tocclaraju and on Huascarán Norte. That is, on Huascarán Norte I didn't even have a trail to follow once I got to Garganta, and the only route finding problem I had to overcome was to find a place where I could cross the bergshrund to get on the south ridge.
I've just got to the end of reading all of your "Four months in Peru" trip reports - all 13 of them!
What a fantastic trip. Thanks for posting them and making them such an enjoyable and informative read.
I would love to go there someday myself.
Glad to hear that you like my reports. Must have taken you a couple of hours, if not days, to read them all. Mind you, I didn't have a clue that the series would grow to thirteen when I first started writing. I thought it would be four...
Hopefully you'll make it to Peru some day yourself, and considering worldwide glacial retreat, the sooner the better. It's a mountaineers' paradise!
markhallam - Jun 17, 2013 12:28 am - Voted 10/10
It surely doesn't get better......than this!
What a mountain - and what an achievement - completing the holy trinity for you, having already added your hard earned brace of the two Huscarans! This is a fitting end to the 'series' - and to celebrate the return of the Peak Monster to the mountains tomorrow.
Berg Heil Amigo - don't go bust your ass - and see you in less than 2 weeks when the International Expedition re-convenes...
best wishes
Mark
rgg - Jun 17, 2013 11:56 am - Hasn't voted
Re: It surely doesn't get better...It was a fitting end indeed to have such a smooth and fast climb. And it also goes to show what a couple of months of acclimatization can do - although I have no idea how my climbing partner got used to the thin air so well so quickly. Perhaps there is something in the air in Scotland?
Right, gotta go packing now. See ya soon!
Cheers, Rob
Burchey - Jun 23, 2013 12:15 am - Hasn't voted
Not badWhat beautiful country. Too cool
rgg - Jul 8, 2013 4:16 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Not badThanks. Peru surely is amazing, and I'll just have to go back there myself.
Cheers, Rob
mAdam - Sep 24, 2013 6:27 am - Hasn't voted
memoriesNicely described. Brings memories back...
I remember the last week of our stay in Peru in Hatun Machay enjoying the safety of ordinary rock-climbing:)
thanks for the articles and nice pictures...we took only summit photos...too lazy/tired to take a picture any other time during the climb
adam
rgg - Sep 24, 2013 7:59 am - Hasn't voted
Re: memoriesSometimes I'm either too tired or simply too focused on climbing to take pictures too, and then afterwards I always regret that. No such problems this time though. We had great weather for it, and while I certainly was very focused on summit day, I wasn't too tired, and I took plenty of pictures once the sun came out.
BLong - Oct 27, 2013 6:38 pm - Hasn't voted
NiceExcellent write-up and photos. Thanks for sharing. I still can't believe I haven't made it down there yet. Your report just reignited my desire to go!
rgg - Oct 29, 2013 2:11 am - Hasn't voted
Re: NiceWell, save hard over the next half year or so, then take a few months off work and go!
ljbailey - Nov 12, 2013 8:56 am - Voted 10/10
High camp a great ideawe are planning on spending 5 months there this winter/spring, and chopi is our last on the bag list. Thank you for your trip report!
rgg - Nov 13, 2013 5:07 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: High camp a great ideaAlthough the lower high camp got more use, I had read about the one at 5600m in Brad Johnson's book, so that's how I knew. It's definitely a better place for it.
I gather that you're planning to try Chopi in May or June? If so, then the later the better. The snow from the wet season will need time to settle. Even if it has, you may end up being the first team on the mountain for the season, and that brings the added challenge of finding a route. If it's anything like what I encountered, then up to around 6000m or so that should't be too hard, because you'll have daylight to get to high camp at 5600m, but the last few hundred meters up it was most helpful to have a trail to follow. Without it, I'm not sure how we would have fared, for it was far from obvious. With trial and error, perhaps we would have found a way, but that would have taken time.
Of the 6000-ers peaks I climbed in the Cordillera Blanca in 2011, had there not been a trail, route finding would have been a lot easier on Tocclaraju and on Huascarán Norte. That is, on Huascarán Norte I didn't even have a trail to follow once I got to Garganta, and the only route finding problem I had to overcome was to find a place where I could cross the bergshrund to get on the south ridge.
MikeLJ - Jan 9, 2018 3:41 pm - Voted 10/10
Fantastic tripI've just got to the end of reading all of your "Four months in Peru" trip reports - all 13 of them!
What a fantastic trip. Thanks for posting them and making them such an enjoyable and informative read.
I would love to go there someday myself.
Mike
rgg - Jan 15, 2018 4:35 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Fantastic tripHi Mike,
Glad to hear that you like my reports. Must have taken you a couple of hours, if not days, to read them all. Mind you, I didn't have a clue that the series would grow to thirteen when I first started writing. I thought it would be four...
Hopefully you'll make it to Peru some day yourself, and considering worldwide glacial retreat, the sooner the better. It's a mountaineers' paradise!
Saludas,
Rob
MikeLJ - Jan 23, 2018 4:15 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Fantastic tripHi Rob,
I spread my reading over the Xmas period so it was like a continuing story. Very enjoyable!
Mike