| Report Type | Full |
| Peak(s) |
Nevado Pisco (18,871) Nevado Copa (20,302) |
| Date Posted | 08/19/2022 |
| Modified | 08/24/2022 |
| Date Climbed | 07/21/2022 |
| Author | Col_Forbin |
| Additional Members | Posthole Pete |
| Peru 2022 - Nevado Pisco + Copa |
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Peru 2022 - Nevado Pisco + Copa The Cordillera Blanca. What a mountain range. It’s no wonder why Huaraz and its surrounding monoliths are so world renowned . I highly advise anyone reading this to make the journey to Peru at some point. The Andes truly are an inspiring place. After climbing in Ecuador during the summer of 2019, my climbing partner Peter and I planned on heading to Peru in 2020 to attempt Nevado Pisco and Chopicalqui. That spring, we had made a down payment to Andean Peaks to lock in our spot in order to climb both peaks. As we all know, COVID had other plans. Time flies. 2021 came and went, and somewhere near the start of this year, we decided it was time to put our plans back in motion. This time, we had a different objective. Over the last few years, splitboarding has become a main focus of my backcountry enjoyment. Peter has always been a great partner and we had boarded a number of 13ers/14ers together up to that point. Needless to say, we both wanted to take our boards down to South America for some turns. We already knew that Nevado Pisco was touted as a reasonable ski. After researching the surrounding area, I came across Nevado Copa, another mountain that was reputed to be another potential ski. So it was set, Pisco and Copa. I was psyched to potentially get above 6,000 meters again. 
I got back in touch with Octavio, the co-owner / founder of Andean Peaks via WhatsApp. He was prompt in his response and ensured us that they were happy to accommodate us (and our splitboards) for a trip that following July. (On a side note, which I will reiterate later, I cannot recommend Andean Peaks enough. They were highly communicative, professional, fun, and safe.) We settled on the following itinerary. Looking back on it, it would have been wise to build in more acclimatization time, and add more days in case of inclement weather - (a stupid lesson I should have remembered from Chimborazo).
(Again, I would have given us more time to acclimatize and account for poor weather/conditions) July 16 - Saturday - Flight to Lima We were both obviously psyched that our trip had arrived. Our day consisted of a 7 am departure to 10:45 am arrival in Mexico City followed by a 4 pm departure from Mexico to arrive in Lima around 9:30 pm. We somehow scored first class. That was nice. We arrived at La Quinta de Amat in downtown Lima at ~11:30 pm. July 17 - Sunday - Lima After a decent night's sleep, we toured around the heart of Lima. Like other capitals in South America, the architecture is quite something to behold. Many places were closed, it being a Sunday, but we were able to get some food and drinks. 
July 18 - Monday - Lima -> Huaraz We caught the 10:30 am Cruz Del Sur bus to Huaraz. Checking in was stressful after they told us they might not be able to fit our large amount of gear, and would have to send it on the following bus. Luckily that didn’t happen. Looking back, it wouldn’t have been a huge deal either way. We had front row seats on the upper deck of the bus, so we could take in all of the views. Around 6:30 pm we arrived in Huaraz and took our transport to Hotel Alpamayo Comfortable. July 19 - Tuesday - Laguna Churup Acclimatization Hike (~14,800) Don’t stay at Hotel Alpamayo Comfortable. It’s not comfortable. After a worthless night’s sleep, we were picked up around 8 am for our acclimatization hike to Laguna Curup (~14,850 ft). Vladimir accompanied us on this day. Awesome kid. The hike was straightforward and easy, but the air felt thin for sure. Strava put it at ~4.3 miles RT, 2,100 vert. The views of Nevado Churup from the laguna were fantastic. It felt great to finally be getting closer to the big mountains. 
On our return to Huaraz, we stopped by the Andean Peaks headquarters to pay the rest of the money for their support. Octavio is the man, the process was quick, painless, and he gave us some pretty nice buffs to commemorate the trip.. He told us that his brother, Eloy, would be our guide for Pisco and Copa. Eloy is also the co-founder of Andean peaks, and a fantastic guide. One other thing - Andean Peaks will give you more snacks and food than you can handle, so just be ready. Hopefully you get Victor as your cook. Great guy. That night we toured around Huaraz a bit and grabbed some dinner. July 20 - Wednesday - Hike to Pisco Camp (~15,000) The following morning we were once again picked up around 8 am. The drive to Laguna Llanganuco was very enjoyable, and the views of N/S Huascaran, Copa, and Hualcan were super impressive. Copa looked brilliant. We arrived at the lake and unloaded our gear to be packed onto burros. After sorting our items out, Eloy, Peter and myself began our hike to establish our campsite just below Refugio Peru. As we gained elevation, the views became more and more satisfying. Looking upon Chacraraju, back on Chopicalqui and Huasaran across the valley, then finally the Huandoy group + Pisco had us reeling thanks to their intense presence and beauty. 
The hike to camp was short, around 2.5 miles and 2,500 feet of vert. As stated earlier, we set up around 15,200 - just below Refugio Peru. After a short while, our cook Victor and the mule drivers arrived with our supplies. After setting up camp, Peter and I hiked around to take pictures and soak in the area. We both felt great, but I definitely ended up underestimating the following day. After an 8/830 pm dinner, we set our alarms for a midnight wake up. July 21 - Thursday - Nevado Pisco Summit Day After a slight bit of rest, we gathered our gear and set off toward the initial moraine ridge at 1:30 am. I stupidly believed that the glacier would begin just over the initial ridge. Reaching the chain at the top, it was hard to tell how far it went down. I’d guess 40 feet or so? It was definitely steep, and super loose. Be sure to go one at a time here. Plenty of rocks came down. Near the bottom of the chain, we took a short break to delayer and hydrate. I couldn’t help myself from downing half a liter. I knew that it was a bad sign so early in the game. The moraine was a pain in the ass, and that’s an understatement. I would recommend using approach shoes on the approach to the glacier. Peter and I were not psyched to be wearing our splitboarding boots. I hadn’t carried my board since June 12th, due to a foot injury - which is still bothering me as I write this. A fairly inactive June definitely set me back, that is for sure. Shortly after passing Laguna Matacocha, you reach Moraine camp. There was one tent set up there, and it appeared that they had not yet awoke. _________________________ Numerous people that I talked to in Huaraz/around the mountain agreed that crossing the moraine during the day followed by spending the night at Moraine camp would be the best way to approach this mountain. 
__________________________ We finally reached the glacier around 3 or 3:30 am. It was nice to know that we had a good pace, and it was now time to use the sharp objects. Shortly thereafter, we were making our way up the glacier. We followed the track, weaving its way around crevasses in the direction of the col in between Huandoy Este and Pisco. As we made our way up the ridge, the sun began to rise. These are the moments we all savor. The Huandoy group was bathed in alpenglow - probably one of my favorite mountain(s) I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I wasn’t feeling the best. This was the hardest time I’d had with altitude out of my three ventures to South America. As the route became icier and more exposed to objective hazards, I decided it was time to ditch my board. With how I felt, it wouldn’t be wise for me to ride that terrain in the condition I was in. Eloy offered to carry my board, but I refused- I had no business taking it further. This was confirmed when I puked just shortly after dropping my board. We were currently at ~17,500 and despite feeling fairly sick, I knew I could still get to the summit without being a liability. We crossed a snow bridge, stepping over one melted out gap. The crevasse was massive. A short but steep climb got us up and over the rollover above the exposure. I was glad I didn’t carry my board further. The route continued through similar terrain, mostly involving short but steep traverses over and around crevasses. Soon enough, we were within sight of the summit. By this point the views opened up even more. The views were the best I’ve ever seen in my life. World renowned Alpamayo and Artresonraju were just across the way. Relief and excitement poured in as we walked the last few meters up the summit ridge and joined two other climbers . Pisco is known for its views. Situated in the heart of the range, it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Chacraraju was staring at us right in the face. The Huandoys had a massive cloud cap, visibility was good from our summit, so I was grateful for that. 
After taking a number of summit pictures and videos, it was time for Peter to strap in to his board. He dropped in and made his initial turns down the mellow ridge line. Eloy and I were both so psyched for him, getting that summit descent was exactly what he came for. 
When we reached my board, I was so excited to finally be able to get in some turns for myself. The snow conditions were not bad at all for riding. Plenty of pockets of soft snow, but also plenty of hardpack. 
There were a number of larger parties making their way up the mountain at this point, something to be mindful of as we arrived at each rollover. Getting those turns in was all I could ask for, but I was completely wasted by the time we reached the terminus of the glacier. We took a nice break and packed away all of our equipment. Then we began the long slog back across the moraine. Within a short period of time passing the moraine camp, we met two female climbers from Colorado. They bailed from Moraine camp, after one was dealing with altitude sickness the night before. I felt like I recognized one from teaching in DPS, so I asked. She wasn’t, but her partner was in-fact a DPS teacher. Small world. We joked about being gluttons for punishment. I was dry heaving every few hundred meters and could not wait to get back to camp and take off my board and pack. Running low and conserving water is never fun either, especially when you feel like shit. 
Eloy was nice enough to toss down the rope to belay us back up the chain. A request I made due to my wobbly state. After I struggled back up the chain, voila, camp was within sight. The other two climbers were grateful to utilize his support as well. 
Arriving back at camp is always a relief. I usually take off and sort out all of my gear to dry immediately, that way I can relax and not have to think about anything. 
We were back at camp by 12:30 and Strava estimated the day at ~6.3 miles RT and 4,000 ft. Not the longest day by any means, but ~4 of those miles were on the nasty moraine. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, hydrating, and trying to get my heartrate down. It took a few hours to finally feel like I caught my breath. Again, I would have greatly benefited from more acclimatization time. We hit the sack early, and were looking forward to hiking to Laguna 69, then back to our transportation to Huaraz the following day. July 22 - Friday - Pisco Camp -> Laguna 69 -> Huaraz We arose at 8 am and took down camp after eating yet another delicious breakfast prepared by Victor. There isn’t much I love more than a hot coffee in camp. I can’t remember if we set off for Laguna 69 before or after the mule drivers arrived to take the bulk of our gear back down to Llanganuco. Either way, the hike to the Laguna was super enjoyable and flew by. Gaining new perspectives of Pisco and the surrounding mountains gave us energy as we passed a number of blue frozen lakes. 
After gaining ~1,000 feet of elevation, we reached a place where Chacraraju dominated our view with Laguna 69 a few hundred feet below our current position. We relished in having the privacy of the bird's eye view of such a popular lake that is constantly swarmed by tourists. As we descended towards the lake, the views didn’t quit. 
The brief time we spent at the lake was enjoyable. After snapping a number of photos, we began the hike back to Llanganuco. We descended past hordes of trekkers and tourists making their way up to the lake. The day ended up being around 6.5 miles, with ~1k of vert and ~3.5k of elevation loss. Upon arriving back at the trailhead, we promptly loaded our gear into the van, and made our way back to Huaraz to check into our private AirBnB. July 23 - Saturday - Huaraz Rest Day Our rest day was spent doing what most would expect, reloading carbs and touring around the various plazas, shops, and restaurants. Huaraz is a hopping place. We tried our best to minimize our alcohol consumption as we experienced a taste of their weekend. Unbeknownst to us, we would be back in Huaraz for Peru’s National Holiday the following weekend on July 28. 
July 24 - Sunday - Huaraz -> Vicos -> Copa Base Camp (~15,000) Nerves began to kick in as we reorganized our kit that morning. The forecast had become much less stable than the previous week, and summit day looked like it could go either way. Before we knew it, Eloy arrived and we were off to Vicos to begin the approach to Copa Base Camp. Copa is located much closer to Huaraz than Pisco, and we arrived in Vicos after an hour or so. As more mule drivers were gathered, we met Jorge, who would accompany us as a porter to high camp. I gave a couple local kids a pouch of gummy candy while our gear was loaded onto the mules. The main street of Vicos was under construction, so we began our approach hike from the heart of the small town. The approach through the eucalyptus forest was mostly low angled as it made its way to the steep hillsides guarding the basins below the higher peaks. We made our way to the switchbacks and then really began to gain elevation. As we were taking a break, Victor, Jorge, and the mules came marching straight up the mountain. The Huaraz locals never failed to impress me with their strong gate. Victor then provided us with a fantastic lunch of hard boiled eggs, chicken, and rice. We set off again, and passed another group of climbers on our way to base camp. They were planning on their summit bid the following day from basecamp. Copa’s summit was shrouded in and out of the clouds and bits of graupel rained down. 
Basecamp was located just above the headwall to get into the basin. Thanks to this, we had service not far from camp. The approach had clocked in at around 7.25 miles and 5,600 vert. After a relaxing evening at camp, we went to bed relatively early for what would be another restless night. July 25 - Monday - Copa Base Camp -> Copa High Camp (~17,000) I had been having issues with a stomach bug for a few days leading up to this night. Making trips outside the tent to use the restroom was a constant task. As I made yet another trip outside to the toilet tent, I saw the headlights of the other party making their way up the icy couloir to gain the upper glacier. Stars were in the sky, so that was promising. We had a casual morning due to the fact that we wouldn’t be setting off for high camp until that afternoon. I was pleased to know that we had all morning to relax, but before Peter and I knew it, we were both anxious to get on the way. Before setting off at 1:30 pm, we saw the other party making their way down the couloir. When they reached camp, they informed us of their unsuccessful bid. They said the visibility was terrible thanks to the blowing snow, and the crevasses were becoming difficult to negotiate in those conditions. We knew that the forecast for the following day was similar to the current day’s, so that was on the back of our minds as we left camp. We made quick work of the moraine in what felt like amazing weather. But in the Andes, conditions change constantly and quickly. A wet heavy snow came down as we roped up and got out our axes and tools. We simul-climbed up the low angled ice and made a steep traverse to gain the upper glacier. Peter and I were both impressed to see Victor and Jorge climbing without gloves, each using only a single old school ice-axe to ascend the vein of ice. 
High camp was around 17,000, and we were rightfully soaked by the time we arrived. But yet again, conditions changed and the sun was out. We made our way up some rock slabs to establish our high camp. Spirits were high as we watched the sun set behind the Cordillera Negra. A 2 am wake up was decided. 
That night sucked. A storm rolled back in, and all night our tent got hammered by strong winds and snow. Neither of us slept, and both discussed how we hoped that it would taper off. July 26 - Tuesday - Bail -> Base Camp Right around 2 am Victor showed up to our tent with hot coffee. Neither Peter nor I felt up for a summit bid in the current weather. Riding our boards felt out of the question. Eloy then came up to our tent and we shared our feelings with him. We agreed to reconvene around 6 am to see if conditions cleared at least enough for some turns on the adjacent glacier. By the time 6 am arrived, the precipitation had stopped, but visibility had not improved. It was the awful ping pong ball we all know about. We had breakfast and discussed our next step. Eloy seemed to be expecting us to ride our boards, but with the flat light, and the potential for freshly covered crevasses, we just decided it was time to just pack up and descend. We took our time packing up our gear and breaking down the tents. This was partially due to the fact that the rock slabs surrounding camp were covered in verglas. To avoid descending these slabs, we ascended further and traversed across to the glacier to make our way back down. 
Instead of descending the couloir we climbed the previous day, we ventured further west and made our way down a hanging snowfield, followed by some exposed slabs of rock. By this time some of the clouds had dissipated around our current elevation, and the sun began to cook everything. Our crampons were constantly balling up, and we knew that all of the previous night’s snow that plastered the rock towers would be melting in no time. This of course meant rockfall was around the corner. 
As we reached the bottom of the snowfield, the route traversed across a highly exposed slab that was covered with rubble and fresh snow. Horrible for traction. Luckily there was a large boulder that could be slung. After setting the anchor, Eloy lowered each one of us down and over the slab one at a time. The rope was just long enough to get us to relatively safe ground. 
By this time, rockfall was pretty consistent. More than one microwave or larger sized rock came crashing down as we were finally getting out of the line of fire. All of us were quite happy when we reached the trail, and made our way across the moraine and the area where we had set up basecamp. After arriving, we unloaded our packs and strewed out our clothes, tents, boots, and other items to dry out. At this point the sun had come out over our location, but the upper mountain remained shrouded. We then re-established camp and spent the rest of the day relaxing, but constantly looking up towards Copa. 
July 27 - Wednesday - Copa Base Camp -> Vicos -> Huaraz Camp was completely frozen when we awoke, but within a couple hours, the sun and Copa were out in full splendor. Camp was then broken down, and we began the hike back down to Vicos. _________________________ Since then, Peter and I have both agreed that the summit would have been possible. This was a learning experience. High camp was the highest either of us had slept in a tent, and in foul weather. We were both mentally checked out by the time we were supposed to make our summit bid. Next time, thanks to this experience, I believe my mental game will be more on point to endure the suck and just persevere. _________________________ We took a direct line down to Vicos, avoiding the switchbacks as Eloy set a quick pace. When we arrived in the eucalyptus forest, Eloy noted it was time to take a break. Jorge, Victor and the mule drivers arrived shortly thereafter. 
After our break, we kept a quick pace and quickly arrived to our transportation. Peter and I made sure to generously tip everyone for their support, just as we did after Pisco. It was a bittersweet drive back to Huaraz. We stayed at Caroline Lodging for the remainder of our time in Huaraz. A place I highly recommend. The rooms aren’t bad at all, and they have a beautiful rooftop patio. Lots of trekkers and climbers were staying at this hostel, so it was enjoyable getting to meet other outdoor enthusiasts during the complimentary breakfasts. July 28 - Thursday - Llagunacocha July 28th is Peru’s independence day, and it was a total joy to be in the country for their celebration. That morning, we caught a local bus for two soles apiece to be dropped off near Santa Cruz, so we could make the hike to Llagunacocha. At the bottom of the road to the lake, we loaded up on beer and snacks from a local vendor, and both felt fairly tired as we hiked the 2,000 feet up to the lake. Llagunacocha isn’t an impressive lake by itself, but the views of the Cordillera Blanca are out of this world. Nestled in the Cordillera Negra, Llagunacocha sits directly across from Huantasan, and other 6,000 meter beasts. The views stretch all the way past Huasacaran. 
Near where we were sitting, some locals were playing music through a speaker and drinking their cervezas. They insisted on taking pictures with us and their flag, which was awesome. I am just enamored by Peruvian culture. Most people are so warm, and Huaraz feels like a different time period. After taking in the views for more than a couple hours, we made our way back down the road, and caught a bus back to Huaraz for more celebrating. July 29 - Friday -> Aug 2 -Tuesday We spent our final day in Huaraz doing average tourist things. That night we took an overnight bus back to Lima, but this time we stayed in the Miraflores district of Lima. Miraflores is gorgeous. Located right on the Pacific, Miraflores has access to surfing, nightlife, as well as amazing high end (but still cheap) restaurants. It was pretty cool to paddleboard in the ocean within a week of snowboarding above 5,000 meters. Below is a photo dump from our time spent in Miraflores/Barranco. 
Conclusion This trip was my favorite adventure to date. As much as I want to visit a new country next summer, I think I will have to return to Peru for Vallunaraju, Chopicalqui, and perhaps another crack at Copa. It would be easy to spend a month in Huaraz alone. Thanks for reading. If you have any interest in reading about previous trips to the Andes, check the links below: 
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow): 
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