Chopicalqui to High Camp 2010

Base Camp

This is the second part of our trip of 2010, the trip report of the first part is here:
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After arriving at Yanapaccha base camp, I had some time time to rest and eat a bit and then we had to hike back out to the trailhead because we had a taxi coming to pick us up. I was tired from climbing and felt that the hike out would not be a good idea.

From the Yanapacccha trailhead to the Chopicalqui trailhead is only about 30 minutes. From there we had to hike for about 45 minutes to get into Chopicalqui base camp. By the time we got there I was wasted. Luckily the next day was scheduled as rest.




The next day we just sat around camp. At the end of the day we climbed part way up the ridge next to camp so that I could photograph the sunset. We were a bit late for the sunset but I did get a picture or two of base camp.

Moraine Camp

The day after our rest day we took our time in the morning and then headed to moraine camp, which took us 3 hours. I felt much better on this day. Below is a photo a bit more than half way there. The trail from base camp heads up the small ridge to the left of camp (from the pictures vantage point), heads along that ridge until the trail comes down to the moraine. There we crossed the moraine and hiked up the ridge to where the photo was taken.


A bit further up the trail becomes very steep. Below you can see one of our porters (also the cook) resting on the trail and if you look at the larger version you can see the other porter at the bottom left coming up an alternate trail.


The trail comes to a bend and the slope becomes easier. Here's a picture of moraine camp taken at our arrival.


This is the view back towards base camp from moraine camp:


Here's a closer look at moraine camp showing our tent on the right.


That night I took this photo of Chopicalqui at sunset:

The Climb to High Camp

The next morning we took our time and left late for high camp. I still felt good at this point. I can't remember how long it took to get there. Probably around 3 hours.

Here's a picture from early in the climb that shows some of the crevasses as well as the summit:


Here's a view of Chacraraju on our way up:


Here's a crevasse that we passed:


Here's a short standing rest break on our climb that again shows the summit in the background:


Jackie checks out the crevasse at high camp as we arrive:


Here is the view of high camp with the Huascaran peaks in the background:

Deciding not to climb further

Despite feeling fairly good on the climbs to moraine camp and to high camp, I didn't sleep at all at high camp and started feeling tired. I could tell that I would not feel up to climbing that night. So we decided to go down the next day all the way to base camp. I felt very tired on the decent below moraine camp.

After having time to think about how our trip went I think that after the Yanapaccha climb I was OK but I should have stayed at Yanapaccha base camp to rest before hiking out. I don't think I recovered from that before climbing up on Chopicalqui. I also think I needed more nights sleeping at 4500 meters before climbing a 6000 + meter peak.

After we got down from Chopicalqui we had two days of rest. We were scheduled to then climb Huascaran. We learned that most groups were turning back on Huascaran at high camp due to poor conditions. Since I also felt a bit tired we decided to do a trek in the Huayhuash area.

Though I didn't summit Chopicalqui, I thought I would do a trip report to show the route and to write up my experiences of acclimatization. In the future I would spend a couple of nights at Pisco base camp after some trekking. Then I might climb a smaller peak (under 6000 meters) and then go back to Huaraz for a couple of days. After this I think I would be better prepared to do Chopicalqui or Huascaran etc.

Here is a picture looking up towards the summit taken from high camp:

Images

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