Climb Ishinca and Tocllaraju in the Cordillera Blanca

Things to know

• Covid measures in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

  57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

  We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, please refer to Peru’s official safe travel guidelines.

  Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

• What’s included?

  What you get in this adventure:

  • • An experienced, English-speaking mountain guide and a local Peruvian guide
    • Transportation from Lima to Huaraz and back
    • Three nights of hotel accommodations in Lima
    • Five nights of hotel accommodations in Huaraz
    • Two team dinners in Lima, a team breakfast and dinner in Huaraz
    • Eight days of mountaineering with two summit attempts
    • All meals while in the mountains
    • Donkey porters to Ishinca Base Camp
    • Team gear including mountaineering tents, cooking gear, a team medical kit, and radio equipment

  What’s not included:

  • • Technical climbing equipment
    • Personal backpacking equipment
    • Transportation to Lima
    • Other meals in Lima and Huaraz, snacks for the mountains
    • Mandatory personal rescue insurance
    • Optional medical and travel insurance
• How fit do I need to be?

  This tour is quite challenging and you need to be in very good physical condition to attempt it but it is a fantastic objective for the emerging high altitude expedition climbers. You will spend 8 days on your feet, trekking and traversing complex glaciated terrain at very high altitudes. The tour also includes two physically draining 8+ hour expedition-style summit attempts with alpine starts. To ensure you have a fun and safe tour, you should make sure that your cardio, physical strength, and uphill endurance are up to par.

• What if I’ve never mountaineered before?

  For this tour, no prior mountaineering experience is necessary. However, previous hiking experience is required, and previous backpacking experience is highly recommended. Newcomers will get to develop and solidify their glacier travel skills and gear usage on the Nevado Ishinca prior to getting into position to summit Tocclaraju. Tocllaraju is a challenging climb that includes both complicated glaciated terrain and several sections of steeper angle snow climbing.

• What equipment do I need to bring?

  When it comes to technical climbing equipment, you’ll need:

  • • Helmet
    • Two locking carabiners
    • Crampons
    • Ice ax
    • Climbing or mountaineering harness
    • Trekking poles

  Here’s a list of the equipment we suggest you bring:

  • • Mountaineering backpack (65-80L)
    • Sturdy waterproof duffle bag for all the equipment (e.g. XL or XXL Base Camp Duffel Bag from The North Face)
    • A small, lightweight duffel bag or carry-on suitcase
    • Buff and sun hat
    • Headlamp with extra batteries and/or charger
    • Beanie
    • Category 4 glacier glasses
    • Ski goggles
    • Lightweight liner gloves
    • Softshell gloves
    • Insulated mittens
    • Short underwear
    • Long base layer bottoms
    • Long sleeve sun shirt
    • Short sleeve base layer top
    • Midlayer top
    • Softshell pants
    • Waterproof hardshell pants
    • Softshell jacket
    • Waterproof hardshell jacket
    • Expedition-weight down jacket
    • Light hiking boots or trail shoes
    • Thick wool and trekking socks
    • Full-shank insulated leather or synthetic mountaineering boots
    • Mountaineering gaiters
    • Toiletries (sunscreen, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.)
    • Sunscreen and lip balm
    • Small personal first aid kit
    • Personal documents, rescue, travel, and medical insurance info
    • Solar charger and/or power pack for mobile phone
    • Foam pad and inflatable sleeping pad
    • Sleeping bag rated to 20F or 0F
    • Compression stuff sack
    • Spoon, Mug, and Bowl
    • 3L water capacity: nalgene bottles plus (optional) hydration pack
    • Disposable waste kits x2-3
    • Pee funnel or pee bottle — optional
    • Trash compactor bag
    • Camera — optional

  You should aim to bring as much of the required gear as possible with you to Peru. While there are rental options on location in Lima and Huaraz, they are quite limited. If you still want to rent equipment, talk to your guides. They will inform you about availability and pricing.
  Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season.

• Group sizes and age requirements

  Group sizes and pricing:

  • • For this tour, the max guest-to-guide ratio is 3:1.
    • A minimum of 3 participants is required for the tour to run, with a maximum of 8 participants per tour.
    • Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

  Mountaineering tours of Ishinca & Tocllaraju can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

  Min. age requirements:

  • • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
    • Minors may be permitted to join the tour on a case-by-case basis.

  If your group has mountaineers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Getting there and meeting location

  To get to the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, most people fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport 10 minutes away from Lima. From there, you can take a bus, taxi, or shuttle to Lima.

  Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, which will usually be over dinner at the Lima Hotel. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the mountaineering ability of the group.

• Deposits and cancellation policy

  Registration for an adventure with your guide requires a $500 USD deposit. The balance of program fees will generally be due 120 days prior to the starting date of the program. It is your responsibility to adhere to the fee payment schedule. Late payment will result in cancellation of program reservations and forfeiture of all fees paid.

  The $500 deposit is non-refundable. All other program fee payments are refundable upon request unless the expedition has already incurred costs on behalf of the applicant.
  In some cases, if you are required to forfeit your spot, you may find an acceptable replacement in which case your deposit and fees would transfer to your replacement without penalty.

  Participants agree that beginning on the first date of the program itinerary, there will be no refunds of program fees for any reason whatsoever.

  Though unlikely, an expedition may be canceled for any reason prior to departure. In that event, the deposit and expedition fees pay by the participants will be refunded. In circumstances where the expedition has already made payments to foreign agencies (climbing permits / logistics support) for a program, some portion of program fees may not be fully refundable.

  In the event of cancellation of a program and upon refund to participants of all program fee payments, the expedition organizer shall be released from any further liability to participants, including but not limited to liability for additional costs participants may have incurred.
  Expedition participants acknowledge that during the program, certain events may occur which may necessitate certain additional costs not contemplated at this time, including but not limited to the cost of evacuation during any part of the program, medical treatment, body recovery and/or repatriation, and other related matters. Participants agree that those additional costs are not the responsibility of the expedition organizer and that the participant is responsible for payment of those costs.