Altitude : 5,686 m. (18,195 ft.)
Route :
Normal route, Southwest
Level of Difficulty : Little difficulty (PD) traverse on show, with an average inclination of 30 to 50 degrees sustained.
Suggested climbing season : The best time for climbing is from the first week in May to the third week in November.
Duration : 3-day expedition
Description:
The normal Vallunaraju route is one of the best known in Cordillera Blanca. The Southwest route's level of difficulty changes as the season progresses. At the start of summer, it is not unusual to encounter deep snow accumulated on the way to approaching the wide ridge as well as on the steeper stretches. This makes progress more demanding. At this time of the year, the route is obviously still unexplored. As weeks go by, the snow and ice conditions begin to improve. They become more solid, thereby making the journey to the summit less strenuous.
First Day : Early in the morning, we will head to the eastern part of Cordillera Blanca. crossing two towns, Marian and Pashpa. The journey on the road leading to the Llaca Valley will last a few hours. As we enter the valley, we are rewarded with a panorama of abundant vegetation and quenual trees. The road zigzags in a certain stretch between the slopes of immense walls of virgin rock that rise on the sides of the narrow valley and the slopes of the lake's natural dam. We leave the beauty of these vertical walls behind and find ourselves before yet another scene of unparalleled splendor: the nearness of the glacial peaks surrounding the valley. Ranrapalca (6,162 m. , 19,718 ft. ), the largest and highest massif, the funneled, vertical Ocshapalca wall (5,888 m. , 18,840 ft. ), the ever-enticing Llanllaraju south face and Vallunaraju itself with its extensive glaciers, ridges and mixed terrain, become exciting objectives. Once we arrive at the Llaca base camp, we set up our first camp and later we take a short acclimatization hike in the surrounding areas of this attractive place. We are surrounded by majestic mountains that dazzle us with their beauty and steepness. Their reflections appear on the peaceful, clear Lake Llaca waters. Rock climbing on the equipped rock bases located very near the camp is also very enjoyable.
Second day : From the base camp, the porters and we will go up the slope following the right side of road. The beginning of the way is not very visible; although later it is possible to make out small zigzags that rise gradually among ichu shrubs and jutting granite rock formations which compel us to climb them. After having finished a prolonged, demanding uphill walk, we begin a long traverse which presents a moderate slope and some small hills combined with fallen rocks. We enjoy the ever-present view of majestic snowy peaks surrounding the area, which rise gradually from the depths of the valley to finally hover over us, radiating magic and beauty. The glacier's nearness becomes evident as well as that of a plain surrounded by rocks. It offers a pleasant view and an appropriate location for setting up our moraine camp.
Third Day : The start of the journey to the summit will lead us on an unavoidable granite rock ramp, which presents slight fifth degree difficulties. The entrance to the glacier offers a wide, snowy plain which gradually becomes steeper, forcing us to zigzag to make the walk uphill less demanding. Clearly, crevasses will sometimes complicate our progress depending on the severity of the winter season. We cross over snow and ice bridges realizing these crevasses tend to be rather large. These enormous openings are bluish at the entrance and completely dark at the end. A few meters further up, we can make out a flat area which refreshes our tired lungs, enabling us to continue a long journey filled with wonderful, exciting views, particularly the close proximity of the summits and col. The col is a marvelous window which opens up before us, stunning us with its charm emerging from the depths of the Llaca Valley and its majestic summits.
The route towards the highest summit gives us a perspective of this mountain's east wall, steep and rockyl, which presents a snow slope at the end, shortly before crowning the summit. We will have carry out a long traverse safely, carefully and confidently because the snow ramp is somewhat exposed and we need to open a route on loose snow to approach the summit. This is a simply impressive and beautiful, not only because of the magnificent panoramic view of the countless summits in Cordillera Blanca, but also because of the enormous walls on some of them; a well-deserved reward for our effort. In order to come down, some anchors will be placed on the same route. After the long walk back, we will arrive to the moraine camp from which all the loads will be transported by the porters following the same route taken at the beginning of our expedition. This time, however, the return will take us a few hours. On this last day, we start to leave behind the beautiful landscape and the numerous green ichu slopes which contrast with the magnificent granite rock pillars. At the end of the walk back, we will begin our trip to return to Huaraz.
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