UKC

Just wondering what scope there is in Peru for getting up a snow plod or two (PDish) in approx 10 days. Time is limited as part of the pretext for going to Peru is to visit a friend in a non-mountainous part of the country. I know the ropes with glacier travel etc and have been over 6000m elsewhere but basically I'm just looking for a bit of a pech on the way up and a nice view, nothing too dramatic.
Is this a realistic time-frame to get up anything, including travel from Lima?

In reply to Lewis climber: Yeah you should be able to get up one at least one (barring illness, bad weather, llama attack, poor acclimatisation),

Day:
1) Bus from Lima to Huaraz
2) Night in Huaraz (>3000m)
3) Night in Huaraz (>3000m)
4) Acclimatisation walk to Laguna Churup (4400 -4800m)
5) Taxi to Ishinca Valley - donkeys and 4 hours walk in to BC (4400m)
6) Climb Ishinca (5420m) easy snow plod PD-
7) Rest
8) Climb Urus (5530m) a bit of very easy scrambling rock at the top (sub grade 1 scramble)
9) Donkeys back down - taxi to Huaraz
10) Bus back to Lima

Obviously you need to acclimatise pretty well and fast to fit this lot in, it goes beyond the standard recommended rate of ascent and not everyone will be able to cope with going up that fast.

Escher

In reply to Lewis climber:

Will drop you a mail with some suggestions and contacts in Huaraz.

In reply to Escher: Cheers, that's all good stuff. I don't particularly enjoy altitude but have never suffered anything beyond the usual so I should be able to get up something anyway.

In reply to Lewis climber:

Hauaraz to Pisco (5800m) and back is doable in 10 days if you acclimatise reasonably quickly.

John

In reply to Lewis climber: pisco would be good and spectacular, but acclimatisation would be a struggle friends and i attempted a similar schedule for our first peaks and made it urus not pretty and they (i went back to bed feeling dreadful) did it after about 10 days. you may have a chance to get highish in other parts of peru?

In reply to Moacs:
Bloody fine view from up there as well. Ach those were the days....

In reply to Lewis climber:

Bit of a thread hi-jack, but when's the best time of year to visit the Cordillera Blanca? And can anyone recommend any guidebooks.

M

In reply to Mucco: Best time June/July - Best book "Selected classic climbs in the Cordillera Blanca - Brad Johnson."

Keep an eye on the proposed rule changes (mandatory guides, permits and only certain peaks/routes allowed to be climbed) before you decide on definitely going.