Alpamayo, 19,411 ft.
Kitaraju, 19,817 ft.

Alpamayo is in many people's minds the most beautiful mountain in the world, and the goal of this expedition is to climb the peak's elegant Southwest Face. After a meeting in Lima and repacking expedition gear in Huaras, we drive north to the Santa Cruz Valley where we begin our trek into base camp. With the bulk of our gear on animals, we gradually acclimatize as we ascend the valley beneath some of the famous peaks of the Cordillera Blanca - the enormous Santa Cruz, Artesonraju, and the very imposing pyramid of Kitaraju.

We establish a base camp in a small valley right beneath Kitaraju and 19,411-foot Alpamayo, and then spend several days establishing an advanced base camp on the col between the two peaks. On our climb of the great Southwest Face of Alpamayo we traverse a gentle glacier to the base of the route, soon reach 45-degree slopes, cross a bergschrund, and then ascend this sharply fluted snow and ice face directly to the summit. We enjoy 1200 feet of challenging ground, much of it at a sustained 60 degrees. The final pitches are even steeper and provide an exciting finish to one of the world's finest ice face routes.

After successfully climbing our main goal of Alpamayo, we turn our attention to the West Ridge of Kitaraju. From our same high camp on the col between the two peaks, we traverse under the imposing North Face (which offers a second more challenging route option) and climb 60 degree slopes through seracs on the north slope to gain the west ridge. Once on the ridge, the climbing eases as we traverse toward the 19,817 foot summit.

On their approach to Alpamayo, climbers take a break in
Quebrada Santa Cruz with the immense Southwest Face of
Taulliraju (19,128') in the distance. Tim Connelly

Flight arrangements should be scheduled so that you arrive in Lima the evening before the first scheduled day of the trip. The morning of the trip's first day, you will take a bus from Lima to Huaraz. Please schedule your departure so that you leave the day after the last scheduled day of the trip. Please contact our Travel Coordinator if you need assistance with travel arrangements.