UKC

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of advice about the temperatures that I'm likely to encounter in the Cordilleras Real mid to late August and Blanca from late August until October. I've climbed Aconcagua and in the Puna but these aren't the same in terms of conditions so wondering what I'm going to need in terms of trousers and tops. I have an exped down coat that I used on Acon but which might be overkill in terms of warmth and weight and used a pair of merino leggings and shell trousers that were not that warm or versatile (at all!) so advice on a softshell for general use would be most welcome.

Hoping to do some routes up to D/TD- on peaks over 6,000m if that makes pinpointing the gear more helpful.

Cheers,

Iggy

In reply to squicky:

Ok not the Blanca, but was in the Cordillera Chila last month, up to 5500m, highest camp 5000m.

The vast majority of the time, I wore a short sleeved base layer and vapour rise top during the day. Down jacket (Neutrino Endurance) in the evenings, with a thin down vest if chilly. Again, most of the time I was fine with Marmot atv schoeller trousers with no baselayer. This was mostly camping at 4500m and climbing to 5400m ish. We were climbing from after sunrise to before sunset.
At our second camp it was colder with earlier starts. Coldest day we left camp at 4am. I wore an Arcteryx thermal top, thin fleece, vapour rise and duvet jacket. On legs, cheap Peter Storm leggings with Patagucci Winter Guide (same as the classic mixmaster) trousers. When the sun was out, it was fine. Actually at high camp in the afternoon it was so hot I was sunbathing in bra and knickers at 5000m. The second the sun went down, it was a matter of racing to put on every thermal and down item I possessed!!!

In reply to Caralynh: Thanks, sounds like it was pretty hot! Had a similar temperature change at Plaza de Mulas, it was about +15º in the sun and then as soon as it went behind the mountains in the evening it dropped to -25º!

In reply to squicky:
I wouldn't say the Cordillera Chila was "hot" but definitely warm and pleasant when in the sun!
You won't get as cold daytime conditions in the Cord. Real and Blanca as you did on Aconcagua and in the Puna. A big difference will be much less (or even no) wind. Unless you're planning to do Huascaran you'll mostly only be at 6000-6400m altitudes, that extra 500m to the top of Aconcagua is the coldest bit! It will warm up, and also get a bit wetter/stormier, as you go through from now till October
I usually climb in a pair of Paramo Aspira salopettes, with either thermals, north face fleece trousers or old Mountain Equipment fleece salopettes underneath. I would take a down jacket for evenings at camp and early morning starts, but it doesn't have to be super high rated, something like a Rab Neutrino.
John

In reply to Andes: thanks John, that's very helpful. Big fan of your work btw.