Altitude : 6,768m. (22,200 ft.)
Route : Normal route, West Face
Level of Difficulty : SD (somewhat difficult), snow and ice climbing with a slope of a maximum of 30º to 45º.
Suggested Climbing Season : The best time for climbing is from the first week of June to the second week of October
Duration : 7-day expedition
Description : The normal Huascaran route is one of the most popular in Cordillera Blanca. The level of difficulty changes as the season progresses. At the beginning of summer, it is not unusual to find deep snow, which makes progress and the ascent much more demanding. Obviously, the route is free of anchors and footprints. As weeks go by, the snow conditions improve. It begins to solidify, thereby making the ascent less strenuous.
First Day : Early in the morning, we will leave Huaraz and head to the northern area of the Cordillera Blanca to a small town called Mancos, where we will find the detour to Musho, another small rural area. The trip will last a couple of hours. Once in Musho, the muleteers will use donkeys to transport all the loads to the Raimondi base camp, through eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and streams, while crossing a trail allowing us to ascend to the lower part of the mountain at 4,150 m .(13,612 ft.) after a few hours.
Second Day : This morning, we will continue our ascent towards the moraine camp, located over the base camp. We will find a rocky hill that must be climbed over a somewhat steep pass. It would be difficult to cross while carrying heavy baggage, so our porters will readily provide assistance at this point and during the following days. Most of the time, the route continues through a somewhat visible path along rocky, granite terrain. It is important to be very alert, since it is easy to become disoriented or go in the wrong direction. Having to change the path taken, might lead to having to climb small rock walls. Once in the upper parts of this rocky area, we continue on a short zigzagging trail that takes us to the moraine camp, located at approximately 4,750 m .(15,580 ft.) , a few hundreds of meters below the glacial line. This place offers a small area for placing tents. Getting water is never a problem since it can be obtained from the melting ice.
Third Day : We continue through the top area of the moraine camp, from which we can appreciate how close the glacier is. Following the route through the rocks, we approach the toe of the glacier, which begins at 4,900 m .(16,072 ft.). Usually, we can see a few crevasses and an enormous glacial plain. We continue eastward using the col located between Huascaran North and South as a point of reference. After traveling over a slight slope and a few hours of walking, we arrive to a flat area, appropriate for setting up Camp 1 at 5,200 m.a.s.l. (17,056 ft.).
Fourth Day : We head over rolling hills towards the northeast until an upward traverse becomes necessary. Certain neighboring areas have an inclination of 40º. We come to a spot called "La Canaleta", which depending on the season can present a large barrier of seracs. From this point, we look for a vulnerable side through which we can cross the channel. There is often a wall some meters high, which later becomes a huge passage with an inclination of 50º. Once this pass is overcome, now at 5,700 m. (18,696 ft.) , we traverse the exposed north face towards the col between the two Huascaran peaks, in search of Camp 2 at 5,900 m. (19,352 ft.). This point is somewhat exposed to falling ice seracs. This camp is located near a great crevasse found right at the col's west entrance between the North and South peaks. We stay at Camp 2 overnight so that we head for the summit early the following morning.
Fifth Day : We'll begin our ascent to the summit early in the morning. First, we'll cross the great crevasse and head west towards the col. Later, we'll go up the north face of the South peak, over enormous blocks of ice and crevasses in search of the road that will lead us to the summit. Among seemingly endless icy hills, we'll finally be able to watch as the glacier becomes flat and feel great satisfaction as we observe the summit in close proximity. There, the visual experience is truly gratifying and unforgettable and can only be fully understood once your have enjoyed it personally.
After having witnessed the greatness of Cordillera Blanca, we begin our return towards Camp 2 to take the tents down, continuing our descent to Camp 1, where we will once again spend the night.
Sixth Day : Feeling refreshed after a long day, we continue down a moderately sloped glacial area. After quite some time, we will be able to see the descent down the toe of the glacier, leading to the granite-filled moraine and the winding, rocky road to the base camp.
Seventh Day : We begin our last day of descent. All the baggage is transported by the muleteers and donkeys, down the same road we took at the beginning of our expedition. We watch as the immense glacial mass is left behind, but the landscape's beauty will join us all the way back to Musho, from where our transportation service will take us back to Huaraz.
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