iechegar - Jan 4, 2010 5:59 pm Date Climbed: Nov 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal : November 11-12 2009
First summit involving glacier traveling for me! Nice and "easy" introduction for a hiker who wants to transition to mountaineering. Nice views of Ranrapalca and Ocshapalca. Completely doable when most other peaks are off season. An option is to do an ice climbing course at the nearby glacier before going for the summit as part of acclimatization
Nice, easy climb. Reached the summit with Timm Fischer and descended fast to have some Pasta at BC. My first climb in the Cordillera Blanca.
ChrisHunley - Mar 27, 2009 5:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2008
SW Slope Ski Descent
Skinned up the glacier and after reaching the North summit, skied back down to the morraine. Incredible summit views.
TrevorMarrs - Nov 3, 2008 4:58 pm Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2008
5 day alpine training course
5 day alpine climbing course utilising the Ice wall and crevases fantastic experience spending 5 days at 5000m + had a great guide in Wilder and Peruvianandes really looked after me!! Loads of snow made for interesting conditions didn´t summit as was more intersted in additional tuition did do crevasse and self rescue at approx 5400m which I thought more than adequate!
Timothy Pearl - Aug 15, 2008 10:57 am Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2008
New Heights
With Jim, Ben and Eric. This was our acclimatization climb after a little stay at Quebrada Llaca 14,000ft, and a night at 16,000 Moraine Camp. Climbed with full effects of AMS on one Rice Krispy Treat. Beautiful views of Ranrapalca and Ocshipalca.
Eric Holle - Aug 1, 2008 6:33 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2008
Normal Route
Tim, Jim, Ben and I climbed Vallunaraju as an acclimatization peak on my first trip to the Cordillera Blanca. What an amazing introduction to international climbing. The views from the summit were absolutely amazing.
hhsilleck - Jul 22, 2008 6:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2007
Route climbed: normal route
Our first summit in the Cordillera Blanca, with my friends Derek, Maggie, Oscar, and Carlos. My poor wife Sonya got quite sick from the altitude the night before and couldn't join us on this one.
mpcohen - Oct 18, 2007 2:17 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1975
East Face : June, 1975
In June, 1975, Rod Brooks and I did the East Face of Vallunaraju, and came down the North ridge.
We started well after dawn, and reached the top at dark (OK, so we're not very fast), dug a snow cave for the night, and walked down in glorious sunshine the next morning. Since it took a day to walk up to our camp (at the lake, I think), it was a three-day trip in all.
It was a fun climb, mixed snow and rock. We started directly below the notch between the 2 summits, and just zig-zagged our way up following snow benches when we could, and climbing rock between them when we had to. The final pitch was a 50-foot couloir of snow and snow-covered rock that ends up at the notch. We were roped the whole way up, since it's pretty exposed, and I remember putting in some protection on a few pitches, but it was mostly a Class 4 climb.
I'm pretty sure that this was the first ascent of this side of Vallunaraju.
This is a most enjoyable mountain no matter which way you go up, the views are terrific, and it's a great training climb once you've acclimated to Huaraz. Enjoy it!
Boriss Andean - Sep 20, 2007 10:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2006
Route Climbed: Normal Route.
Started at midnight from Laguna Llaca. Easy climb on a compacted glacier with few deep snow-covered crevasses.
Great weather and views of the other mountains. We got to the corniced summit 5,680 m (18,650 ft) by noon sooooooo happy of being up there.
A few pictures of us: Cristian Rivera (Chikidracula) and I with the sponsor's flags on the summit and we headed down safely.
I reached the summit on a beautiful and sunny day and I was the only person climbing valluna that day. From the col between the two peaks I skied down to the end of the glacier.
Skiing in the Cordillera Blanca means a lot of cariing work (trabajo de burros) but also a beatiful experience!
kabernicola - Aug 17, 2006 10:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2006
Normal Route
After a cloudy afternoon with some snowfall, it get cleared by the evening. Five hours from morraine camp and one hour and a half for getting down. Perfectly clear on the top. I did it with my wife and my very good partner Tobias.
MichaelJ - Mar 27, 2006 11:14 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2004
Normal route
Waist deep snow made trailbreaking a chore but great weather and an awesome view were worth the effort.
Two other climbers from the US whom I met in Peru joined me in climbing this peak. We camped below and then hiked up to the glacier, where we put on our crampons just before daybreak. We made the climb in reasonably good weather and returned to our camp before dark. We were well acclimitized and it was not a difficult climb.
Route Climbed: Normal from Huaraz Date Climbed: Late June, 1971
In two days, I climbed Vallunaraju from Huaraz in the Callejon de Huaylas to its top, camping at about 15,000 feet. My companion's name I have forgotten. He was six feet six inches tall and from Alaska. Locally he was known as "Senor Dos Metros."
This was a warm-up mountain for Huascaran where I subsequently went about a week later. Failing to reach Huascaran's summit because of equipment failure and lack of resolve, I must consider Vallunaraju my major mountaineering accomplishment in the Cordillera Blanca. I was thirty-eight years old at that time. After Huascaran, I decided that that any mountain above 15,000 feet was more pain than gain. Two months later, I returned to the States and wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the Callejon de Huaylas. This proved to be a far more significant achievement. I haven't climbed anything very significant ever since.
Climbed the very easy normal route to acclimatize to the altitude. Unfortunalty, didn't reach the summit because my partner was very sick! That's life!
Route Climbed: South Slopes Date Climbed: July 13, 2003
Climbed solo to the col between the two summits and then roped up with two Americans I met at the refuge (Kip and Nate) to tackle the severely corniced ridge to the summit. We stopped about 5m below the summit since the cornice was just too scary. The climb took me about 5.5 hours from the refuge to the summit, 2.5 hours to descend. Very nice climb and very interesting glacier (lots of big seracs and crevasses near the route).
Route Climbed: Normal (south ridge) Date Climbed: June, 2002
Summited with Micah Lambeth after having already climbed Urus Este & Ishinca. Off-route on rock slabs just below the glacier, but were able to get on the glacier and rejoin normal route. The glacier portion of the route was very moderate and nice, with an exposed section on top of the ridge and a couple relatively steep, maybe 40 degrees, and exposed stretches just right of the north summit ridge. Summit schrund just barely evident. Lower part of the trail was a pain to descend since wet and slick by that time of day - frozen mud during the night was fine.
iechegar - Jan 4, 2010 5:59 pm Date Climbed: Nov 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal : November 11-12 2009First summit involving glacier traveling for me! Nice and "easy" introduction for a hiker who wants to transition to mountaineering. Nice views of Ranrapalca and Ocshapalca. Completely doable when most other peaks are off season. An option is to do an ice climbing course at the nearby glacier before going for the summit as part of acclimatization
bledl - Sep 1, 2009 6:18 pm
normal routeNice, easy climb. Reached the summit with Timm Fischer and descended fast to have some Pasta at BC. My first climb in the Cordillera Blanca.
ChrisHunley - Mar 27, 2009 5:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2008
SW Slope Ski DescentSkinned up the glacier and after reaching the North summit, skied back down to the morraine. Incredible summit views.
TrevorMarrs - Nov 3, 2008 4:58 pm Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2008
5 day alpine training course5 day alpine climbing course utilising the Ice wall and crevases fantastic experience spending 5 days at 5000m + had a great guide in Wilder and Peruvianandes really looked after me!! Loads of snow made for interesting conditions didn´t summit as was more intersted in additional tuition did do crevasse and self rescue at approx 5400m which I thought more than adequate!
Timothy Pearl - Aug 15, 2008 10:57 am Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2008
New HeightsWith Jim, Ben and Eric. This was our acclimatization climb after a little stay at Quebrada Llaca 14,000ft, and a night at 16,000 Moraine Camp. Climbed with full effects of AMS on one Rice Krispy Treat. Beautiful views of Ranrapalca and Ocshipalca.
Eric Holle - Aug 1, 2008 6:33 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2008
Normal RouteTim, Jim, Ben and I climbed Vallunaraju as an acclimatization peak on my first trip to the Cordillera Blanca. What an amazing introduction to international climbing. The views from the summit were absolutely amazing.
hhsilleck - Jul 22, 2008 6:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2007
Route climbed: normal routeOur first summit in the Cordillera Blanca, with my friends Derek, Maggie, Oscar, and Carlos. My poor wife Sonya got quite sick from the altitude the night before and couldn't join us on this one.
mpcohen - Oct 18, 2007 2:17 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1975
East Face : June, 1975In June, 1975, Rod Brooks and I did the East Face of Vallunaraju, and came down the North ridge.
We started well after dawn, and reached the top at dark (OK, so we're not very fast), dug a snow cave for the night, and walked down in glorious sunshine the next morning. Since it took a day to walk up to our camp (at the lake, I think), it was a three-day trip in all.
It was a fun climb, mixed snow and rock. We started directly below the notch between the 2 summits, and just zig-zagged our way up following snow benches when we could, and climbing rock between them when we had to. The final pitch was a 50-foot couloir of snow and snow-covered rock that ends up at the notch. We were roped the whole way up, since it's pretty exposed, and I remember putting in some protection on a few pitches, but it was mostly a Class 4 climb.
I'm pretty sure that this was the first ascent of this side of Vallunaraju.
This is a most enjoyable mountain no matter which way you go up, the views are terrific, and it's a great training climb once you've acclimated to Huaraz. Enjoy it!
Boriss Andean - Sep 20, 2007 10:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2006
Route Climbed: Normal Route.Started at midnight from Laguna Llaca. Easy climb on a compacted glacier with few deep snow-covered crevasses.
Great weather and views of the other mountains. We got to the corniced summit 5,680 m (18,650 ft) by noon sooooooo happy of being up there.
A few pictures of us: Cristian Rivera (Chikidracula) and I with the sponsor's flags on the summit and we headed down safely.
risch - Jan 17, 2007 11:35 am
Skiing VallunarajuI reached the summit on a beautiful and sunny day and I was the only person climbing valluna that day. From the col between the two peaks I skied down to the end of the glacier.
Skiing in the Cordillera Blanca means a lot of cariing work (trabajo de burros) but also a beatiful experience!
kabernicola - Aug 17, 2006 10:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2006
Normal RouteAfter a cloudy afternoon with some snowfall, it get cleared by the evening. Five hours from morraine camp and one hour and a half for getting down. Perfectly clear on the top. I did it with my wife and my very good partner Tobias.
MichaelJ - Mar 27, 2006 11:14 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2004
Normal routeWaist deep snow made trailbreaking a chore but great weather and an awesome view were worth the effort.
climberben - Dec 26, 2005 5:11 am
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: 1 July 2002An awesome day trip from Huaraz! The views from the summit were spectacular!
jstanley - Apr 8, 2004 12:11 pm
Route Climbed: normal Date Climbed: 18 July 1973Two other climbers from the US whom I met in Peru joined me in climbing this peak. We camped below and then hiked up to the glacier, where we put on our crampons just before daybreak. We made the climb in reasonably good weather and returned to our camp before dark. We were well acclimitized and it was not a difficult climb.
Nyle Walton - Nov 14, 2003 10:43 am
Route Climbed: Normal from Huaraz Date Climbed: Late June, 1971In two days, I climbed Vallunaraju from Huaraz in the Callejon de Huaylas to its top, camping at about 15,000 feet. My companion's name I have forgotten. He was six feet six inches tall and from Alaska. Locally he was known as "Senor Dos Metros."
This was a warm-up mountain for Huascaran where I subsequently went about a week later. Failing to reach Huascaran's summit because of equipment failure and lack of resolve, I must consider Vallunaraju my major mountaineering accomplishment in the Cordillera Blanca. I was thirty-eight years old at that time. After Huascaran, I decided that that any mountain above 15,000 feet was more pain than gain. Two months later, I returned to the States and wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the Callejon de Huaylas. This proved to be a far more significant achievement. I haven't climbed anything very significant ever since.
e_wire - Jul 25, 2003 9:53 am
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: June 2003Climbed the very easy normal route to acclimatize to the altitude. Unfortunalty, didn't reach the summit because my partner was very sick! That's life!
Tom Fralich - Jul 13, 2003 4:13 pm
Route Climbed: South Slopes Date Climbed: July 13, 2003Climbed solo to the col between the two summits and then roped up with two Americans I met at the refuge (Kip and Nate) to tackle the severely corniced ridge to the summit. We stopped about 5m below the summit since the cornice was just too scary. The climb took me about 5.5 hours from the refuge to the summit, 2.5 hours to descend. Very nice climb and very interesting glacier (lots of big seracs and crevasses near the route).
Peppeak - Oct 29, 2002 2:01 am
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: 28-29 August 2002A no problem mountain with exceptional views of Huascaran and Tocllaraju. For me a nice way of getting used to walking with crampons (first timer)
BicRungee - Jul 10, 2002 3:09 pm
Route Climbed: Normal (south ridge) Date Climbed: June, 2002Summited with Micah Lambeth after having already climbed Urus Este & Ishinca. Off-route on rock slabs just below the glacier, but were able to get on the glacier and rejoin normal route. The glacier portion of the route was very moderate and nice, with an exposed section on top of the ridge and a couple relatively steep, maybe 40 degrees, and exposed stretches just right of the north summit ridge. Summit schrund just barely evident. Lower part of the trail was a pain to descend since wet and slick by that time of day - frozen mud during the night was fine.
UlrichPrinz - Oct 25, 2001 2:10 pm
Route Climbed: The normal route Date Climbed: 4 August 2001This is just a 'walk' over grass, then glacier.
Nothing spectacular, but nicer than other
acclimatisation peaks there.