Trip Reports

Huascaran 2004

Written by Leader, August 2004

If you were a betting person, you would not have put any money on any of the group getting through the Garganta, let alone summit Huascaran this season. As soon as we arrived in Huaraz, the news on the street was not good, with nobody having summitted Huascaran South this season. Not to be detered, the group focussed on Pisco East (5,752m) and having acclimatised on the Santa Cruz trek all eight team members successfully summited on 6 August. This popular peak proved to be much more 'interesting' than we were expecting and instead of a straightforward summit day, the group had to negotiate a 16 metre section of 55 degree ice - good practice for things to come.

With spirits high (and a few sore heads, which must have been due to the thicker air and had obviously nothing to do with a few too many beers) and two members from the successful Alpamayo expedition joining us in Yungay, the team started its assault on Huasacaran.

At this stage it was obvious that the South summit was not an option due to a 30 metre crevasse opening up on summit day but the north summit had been climbed. As we sat in base camp, we witnessed two separate groups return off the mountain - both having been unsucessful in getting through the Garganta. With mixed emotions, the group slowly headed up the mountain not knowing quite what to expect.

Through towering leaning seracs and with ice bridges to cross, climbing and down climbing, and after numerous psychological 'think light' sections, the group finally made it through the Garganta ice field to arrive at col camp. With the wind blowing at camp unforgivingly during the evening but with clear skies, the following morning eight team members, plus three local guides set off to attempt Huascaran North. Although we had slightly less distance to travel than the South summit, we were attempting a much steeper line and just after sunrise, on Friday 13 August, all eleven had successfully stood on the summit of Huascaran North (6,664m).

With success on both Pisco and Huascaran, three wedding anniversaries and a birthday celebrated, I suppose you could say that we had a fairly successful expedition!

Di Gilbert, expedition leader« Previous report | Next report »

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