Entries from Peru Seminar
July 19, 2017
Posted by: Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 16,240'
The Alpamayo team is doing great! This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and began packing for our carry to Moraine Camp. We waved goodbye to Elias and his team as they started their descent to Casha Pompa and by mid morning we shouldered our packs and began hiking. The trail to Moraine Camp weaves through a boulder field as it ascends towards the glacier above. With blue skies overhead we all found ourselves pausing to taken on the spectacular views of the Cordillera Blanca. Once at Moraine Camp, 16,100 feet, we unload our equipment and relaxed for a bit before starting our descent back to BC. After rolling into base camp we enjoyed some delicious soup and spent the afternoon relaxing, reading, or napping. Tomorrow will be our first true rest day, and despite the fact that everyone is strong and healthy we need it more for acclimatization.
That's it for now.
Thanks for following along
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Alpamayo team
July 18, 2017
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 14,270'
Greetings from Alpamayo BC!
We initiated our descent this morning from high camp and retraced our steps back out of the kingdom of the ice and into the warm confines of base camp. We are excited to savor lower altitude air and the amazing food of our cook. Our plan is to head out tomorrow and get into town in the evening. We are all super proud of our climb, yet looking forward to telling our accounts in person to our loved ones, so stay tuned for our arrival tomorrow into town!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
July 18, 2017
Posted by: Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 14,270'
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Alpamayo team to Base Camp.
This morning we woke to a light wind and scattered clouds making for chilly start to the day. Lucky we had a hot breakfast and many cups of hot coffee and as we hit the trail we were quite happy with the cooler hiking weather. The team did great and as we climbed the switchbacks out of the Santa Cruz Valley we got our first glimpse of Alpamayo. By midday we had arrived to our Base Camp, unloaded the donkeys, and set up camp. This afternoon Elias and his team descended to BC after their successful summit yesterday, so we all hung out and told stories. We are all very happy to be settled into our new home for the next few days. Tomorrow we will carry a load of gear up to Moraine Camp in the morning and then rest and relax in the afternoon.
That's all for now.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the A Team
July 17, 2017
Posted by: Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 11,580'
After an early breakfast and some last minute packing we loaded up our shuttle and said good bye to Huaraz. We headed north out of town for over an hour before leaving the paved road for the washboard dirt road taking us east to the village of Casha Pampa. Here we unloaded our van and helped load the mules that will carry our mountain of gear into base camp for us. Now in the mid-morning sun we started our hike into the Santa Cruz Valley, the first hour and a half was dusty and hot but soon the dirt and rock gave way to beautiful rolling meadows. Beautiful streams trickled down from the surrounding hills and soon we began to see the tops of stunning snow-capped mountains emerging from above the valley walls. By late afternoon we reached our camp at Llama Coral where we set up tents, had a delicious dinner, and settled in for the night.
The team is doing very well and we are happy to be on the trail.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the A Team
July 17, 2017
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 19,512'
Hola from C2...
And we did it!!! We climbed and summited today what's arguably one of the most beautiful mountains on Earth. Brian, Tom and James climbed in style the super direct line that after nine pitches of consistent 75 degrees on hard névé and ice takes you to the airy top shy of 20,000ft. We woke up at midnight to a beautiful night, and after breaking trail for half hour to the bergschrund, we found ourselves doing what we came to do; swinging our tools into the frozen element of this wall that is the SW Face of Alpamayo. Right at dawn we were straddling the summit and while tired, the sense of accomplishment was as big as the effort we put forth. We earned every feet of the climb by swinging and kicking and pulling and pushing... Now we are in bed, after having enjoyed another meal prepared two days ago by our cook, which we carried up to reheat in our camp stoves; fried rice with beef and fries... At 18,000ft, that feels like cheating when we see other teams eat freeze-dried food. Did we say we care about style points?
That's all for now, we will update you tomorrow of our plans for the last couple days.
RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres Martos and team
July 17, 2017
Posted by: Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 14,600'
July 16, 2017
Today we all woke up feeling good, had a very nice breakfast and sipped coffee before heading out on our acclimatization hike. At 8:00 William met us and we loaded into a shuttle for a 40-minute ride bumping through small villages to the trail head at 12,300'. We were all eager to stretch the legs and started out of the gates a little fast. Within minutes we settled into a pace more suited for our altitude. After two hours we found ourselves over looking Laguna Churup at 14,600'. With perfect weather we lounged on the granite slabs around the alpine lake occasionally dozing off in the mid day sun. Shortly after noon we started our descent back to the shuttle and then back into Huaraz. After grabbing a quick lunch in town we did a gear check and got our duffle bags packed for our launch tomorrow and then strolled back into town for a casual dinner. Everyone is doing great and we are all excited to hit the trail tomorrow.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Alpamayo team
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Buenas tardes from Camp 2 on Alpamayo! We woke up with the sun today, and made the ascent to high camp in a mere three hours, leaving behind the maze that the east glacier of Alpamayo has become by now. Our porters came up sharp at 6 am to Camp 1 at the moraine from Base Camp, and brought us fresh banana pancakes cooked two hours prior by our cook Emilio. They helped us tear camp down, and clipped in to our ropes to head up. All of us together were happy to have beat the crowds and the sun that by our arrival before noon was already too hot. We are doing very well and we feel very positive about going for the summit tonight! The French Direct up the SW Face of Alpamayo awaits with it's 450m of steep ice. Stay tuned for our progress tomorrow.
RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres Martos
July 16, 2017
Posted by: Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 10,000'
July 15, 2017
Hello all,
The Alpamayo team met this morning in Lima and caught up over breakfast and lots of coffee. Afterwards we loaded our shuttle and began the long drive to Huaraz. As we fought through Lima traffic and broke away to the open roads heading north along the coast the jet lag caught up and we started napping. Soon we turned East and started up the winding roads to the high country. We managed to catch Robby, Steve and the Peru Seminar in a small town for a delicious roadside lunch. Back on the road we hit the switchbacks taking us high. Before too long we got our first glimpse of the Cordillera Blanca and stoped for photos before making our way into Huaraz.
Once we settled into our accommodations we met with William, our Peruvian guide, and wandered into town for dinner.
We are all feeling great and excited for our day hike tomorrow. Stay tuned for more up dates. Thanks for following along
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Team
July 15, 2017
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 16,240'
Good morning from Camp 1 on Alpamayo! There were several other teams at basecamp so we got an early start for our move uphill in order to get claim the prime real estate here at Moraine Camp (Camp 1). So here we are, all camped up, enjoying the views, and getting mentally ready for our move up to Camp 2 tomorrow. The weather continues to be perfect, our bodies are performing well, and all is pretty much lined up for us to have a good climb.
That's all for now. We'll check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team.
July 15, 2017
Posted by: Robby Young, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 10,000'
It's an evening for celebration! Our Expedition Skills Seminar - Peru team made it back down safely from Copa Base Camp to the bustling city of Huaraz after a successful climb of Nevada Copa yesterday. Tonight, we're winding down our program after an incredible two weeks here in the Cordillera Blanca. We've done a whole lot of moving through the mountains during that time, learned a ton about what it takes to climb in this great range, and successfully stood on top of three incredible summits.
This afternoon, we bid farewell to Coronel and Pablo, our incredible cook staff, who took excellent care of us over the last two weeks. Tonight, our dinner plates included a wild and wide range of local eats, including the classic Cuy (Guinea Pig), a Peruvian delicacy. With some local cervezas in accompaniment, we shared some stories, enjoyed each other's company for one more dinner, and reflected on our time here in this wonderful country. Tomorrow, it's back to sea level, where most of us will say goodbye to friends, new and old, and start the journey home to our families.
Thanks for following along for the last two weeks! Until next time!
RMI Guides Robby Young and Steve Gately, and your Expeditions Skills Seminar - Peru team
Robby, Steve and everyone in Peru and US who helped to make this adventure such an incredible success THANK YOU on behalf of Hilda’s family
Posted by: Martina Kalusova on 7/15/2017 at 8:46 am
Hello, Elias,
Once again, thank you for your posts and the beautiful photographs. Good luck to the team on your summit push! Please watch over each over.
George Mast
PS: Please tell Tom that Federer took Wimbledon.
Posted by: George Mast on 7/16/2017 at 9:11 pm
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