Nevado Chumpe Climb

We collect you from your Cusco hotel at 8am and drive southeast out of the city into the Cordillera Vilcanota. After about 6 hours of driving, we'll arrive at the end of the road next to Laguna Sibinacocha. Sibinacocha is one of the largest high-altitude lakes on Earth—around 25 to 30 km² of water at roughly 4,860 m, over 90 m deep in places, and more than 15 km long. Few lakes of comparable size exist at this elevation. It is fed directly by the glaciers of Chumpe and Osqollo Anante.

We break camp after breakfast and continue on foot along the shore of Sibinacocha toward the mountain. Pack animals and arrieros carry the group equipment. After about 5 hours of walking, we'll arrive at base camp and eat lunch. We'll brief you on the route, fit your crampons and harnesses, and go over general prep for the climb. We'll have dinner and sleep early.

Wake up 1am for a light meal, then depart camp at 2am. The glacier is a quick 10 minute walk from camp. At the edge of the glacier, we'll put on our helmets and harnesses and rope up for glacier travel. The skirt of the glacier is typically consolidated snow on moderate angles with route-finding through crevassed sections. Conditions vary year to year and month to month. Once we reach the col, the summit is only about another 150 meters away. After summiting, we'll descend via the same route back to camp.

Rather than retracing our approach to base camp, we'll walk northeast through the heart of the Vilcanota mountain range. The environment we pass through is a pristine display of rugged beauty, characterized by the effects of glacier retreat. We'll pass closely by Nevados Jatunhuma (Tres Picos), Cayangate, and Colque Cruz. About 7 hours of walking leads us to our final campsite with views of Nevado Ausangate.

We will eat an early breakfast and walk about 2 hours to the road where our private transport will meet us for our return to Cusco.