Trek & Climb: Nevado Qampa (5,500m) & Percocaya (5,230m) Training

Duration

6 Day

Group Size

Max People : 15

Trek & Climb: Nevado Qampa (5,500m) & Percocaya (5,230m) Training – 6 or 7 Days

Overview

Trek & Climb: Trek & Climb: Nevado Qampa (5,500m) & Percocaya (5,230m) Training

The snow-capped nevado Qampa is one of the mountains of the Vilcanota mountain range; it’s located to the Southeast of the City of Cusco, in the province of Quisipicanchis. A great introduction climb for those without experience of glacial climbs.

Leaving from Cusco; in private transportation early in the morning, we’ll drive 3 hours south to the Ausangate region. Following our arrival we’ll take our time to check all of our equipment for the climb. We’ll meet up with our arrieros and their mules; the arrieros loading all of our equipment onto them before setting off on this epic Peru adventure.

Nevado Qampa (pronounced Jampa, also spelled Campa), is the easiest; and one of the most popular mountains in Cusco and may be climbed with limited experience in mountaineering. It requires a glacier hike and sometimes a small rock climbing pass depending on the season. Afterwards, on your arrival at the summit the effort offers you an incredible panoramic view; that reaches to Salkantay over 200km in a north western direction.

Nevado Percocaya is an intermediate level mountain with some steep 65° icewalls to climb before summiting. It is an excellent challenge for those looking to improve their climbing ability in mountaineering.

Afterall it is a majestic landscape where you can observe cultural diversity; along with biological diversity of the high Andean areas such as; Vicuña, Vizcacha, Andean fox, Andean face, Andean carpenter and other native species.

Highlights
Climb one of the famous mountains of the Cordillera Vilcanota, Ausangate region.
Trek across a glacier & complete a small rock climb to summit nevado Qampa.
Climb & ascend on one the easiest mountains for beginners to glacial climbing.
Train in ice wall climbing & rappelling.

Included
Breakfast x 5
Lunch x 6
Dinner x 5
Private Transport – collection & drop-off
Professional bilingual high-mountain guide
High-mountain Cook
Muleteer & Mules
All camping equipment (Sleeping bags to hire + Trekking Poles)

Not Included
International Airfare
Hotels before & after (can be organised as part of trip)
Tips for crew
Any additional extras
Domestic flights (can be organised as part of trip)
Crampons, Ice Axe, Harness, Helmet (can be hired as part of trip)
Machu Picchu Extension – Entrance Tickets, Transport & Guide (can be organised as part of trip)

Details

Itinerary

Early in the morning, at around 7am, you’ll be collected from your hotel in Cusco. Heading south-east by the Interoceanic highway that goes to Puerto Maldonado, passing through the city of Urcos and within about 3 hours arriving at Ocongate, where you’ll be able to purchase anything that is forgotten in Cusco. Then taking a detour to Pacchanta, 45 minutes from Ocongate, we’ll meet-up with the muleteers and mountain cook for the expedition. After lunch you’ll begin the trek, taking about 4 hours to reach the base camp, with impressive views of the main snow-capped Cusco nevadas such as: Ausangate (6384 masl), Cayangate (6110 masl) and others, always accompanied by llamas and alpacas of the region. Already at the base camp, your personal high mountain equipment (harnesses, crampons, ice axes, helmets, leggings, gloves) will have been delivered. Your mountain guide will teach you the correct way of using the equipment, how to act on a glacier and have them ready for use when required.

Dinner is at 6pm, allowing plenty of time for everyone to rest afterwards.

Masl – 4,850
Time – 7-9 hrs
Meals included - Lunch, Dinner
Campsite – Qampa Base Camp

From the basecamp of Mt Qampa, you'll head to the base of the glacier from the opposite of the summit climb. Trekking for approximately an hour and a half you'll cover rocky morraine before reaching the base of the glacier where we'll look for a good ice wall to utilise for practice. Putting on your ice climbing equipment (crampons, harness, helmet, ice axe) you'll trek on the glacier until we reach a good section to practice techniques for summiting. Adopting ropes for the ice walls you'll learn how to fix yourself to stakes, anchors and climb using rope and ice axe. Then following the climbs you'll learn how to rappel from the ice wall using varying techniques for rappel, such as prusik & klemheist knots, figure of 8's and learn how to belay yourself down to the foot of an icewall. Depending on your progress, there is the option to add an additional days training to learn more about anchors, ice screws and rope knots. This is all essential practice for your journey into beginner & intermediate level mountain climbing.

Masl – 4,900m
Time – 6-8 hrs
Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Campsite – Qampa Base Camp

Leaving base camp at 3am, you’ll have a light breakfast, it is essential to attack a mountain at dawn. In approximately 2 hours of ascent by moraine you’ll arrive at the glacier, where you’ll prepare yourselves with the mountain equipment to enter the glacier. After another 3 hours on the glacier, crossing penitentes and climbing a glacial wall of approximately 60° applying the techniques learnt in the day(s) previously, you’ll reach the summit of the Qampa mountain which is 5,500 meters above sea level. Taking half an hour on the summit to rest and enjoy the high Andean landscapes, surrounded by the snowy mountains of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The descent to the base camp will take a further 3 hours, where lunch awaits and you’ll have the whole afternoon free to rest after a long satisfying day.

Dinner will be prepared ready for 6pm.

Masl – 5,500
Time – 8.5-9 hrs
Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Campsite – Qampa Base Camp

Today is a rest day; which will be required after a few intensive days training at altitude, to allow your body to rest and recover.

Masl – 5,230
Time – 10 hrs
Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Campsite – Qampa Base Camp

Leaving base camp at 2am, you’ll have a light breakfast, it is essential to attack a mountain at dawn. In approximately 3 hours of ascent by mountain path & moraine you’ll arrive at the base of the glacier, where you’ll prepare yourselves with the mountain equipment to enter the glacier. After another 4 hours on the glacier, crossing penitentes and climbing a glacial wall of approximately 65° applying the techniques learnt in the day(s) previously, you’ll reach the summit of the Percocaya mountain which is 5,230 meters above sea level. Taking half an hour on the summit to rest and enjoy the high Andean landscapes, surrounded by the snowy mountains of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The descent to the base camp will take a further 3-4 hours, where a hearty pachamanca meal will await for you in Pacchanta.

Dinner will be prepared ready for 7pm.

Masl – 5,230
Time – 10 hrs
Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Campsite – Pacchanta Lodge

Leaving Pacchanta after breakfast and returning to the city of Cusco by around 12pm. You’ll be dropped to your hotels, and you can spend the evening relaxing and recalling an epic adventure! It's never goodbye, only until next time!