Page 38 - 1995 Mountaineering Club Bulletin

AIMS OF THE EXPEDITION
Rest Period
Sunday 16 July. Rest day. Went to the thermal baths at Monterey.
Monday 17 July. Went by rickety and overloaded bus to some hot steam caves for a sauna type experience and dodgy meal at a one room shack.
Tuesday 18 July. Haggis and Chris arrive, with all their baggage. As we had had trouble acclimatising we decided to break them in gently by going on a trek before doing any climbing. We there­ fore bought stores for the 3 day trek to the ruined Inca temple at Chavin.
The Trek to Chavin
W ednesday 19 July. After a 1 hour truck journey to Olleros we yomped for 4-5 hours to camp on a huge grassy plain by a river. Haggis was feeling ill with the altitude (4000m). The grass on the plain was so dry that when we lit the stove a small prairie fire started and we only just got it under control.
Thursday 20 July. The pass from hell, 4700m and lots of false summits. It was a relief to reach a beautiful campsite after 7 hours. It was on the edge of a tiny hamlet and local children gathered round to watch as we cooked.
Friday 21 July. A downhill walk to Chavin through a deep gorge with impossibly steep terraced fields on either side. After find­ ing a “hotel” we did a quick tour of the ruins, crawling through the tunnels with our headtorches, before going to watch a bull­ fight. This was a bit of a farce as drunken locals kept leaping into the ring and completely stole the show from the Matadors. The highlight was when the bull jumped out of the ring into the crowd then chased the mayor. The bull wasn’t killed as the vil­ lage couldn’t afford it! That evening we gatecrashed a party where Andy tried to trap the Mayor's daughter.
Saturday 22 July. We spent all morning trying to get a lift back to Huaraz, nearly getting on a bus full of convent girls but end­ ing up on the back of a tipper truck for a bumpy but scenic 5 hour ride.
QUEBREDA SANTA CRUZ
Sunday 23 July. Spent all day buying 40 man days of stores.
Monday 24 July. Andy’s bad day. We spent more than 2 hours at the bank changing travellers cheques, then while loading our kit onto the bus to Caraz Andy had his pocket picked and about 250 soles disappear. In Caraz we spend ages sorting this out with the police before leaving for Cashapampa. A hair raising but ride not improved by the pissed local who sat next to Andy and cracked his head open.
Tuesday 25 July. Negotiate a deal with an Arrieros, he says he will be ready at 8am. At 10 am we leave. A beautiful 5 hour walk through a gorge then up the valley to camp by a lake.
W ednesday 26 July. After only 3 hours reach basecamp.
The aim of the expedition was to earn-out alpine style climbing in the Cordillera Blanca and to introduce Chris and Haggis to this t>-pe of climbing. Exact details of itinerary were left to develop as we got a feel for the style of climbing. The outline plan was for James and Andy to spend 10 days in the Ishinca valley, and then meet up with Chris and Haggis and climb in the Santa Cruz valley.
Thursday 6 July. Arrived Lima at 4.00 am. Andy barters with the taxi firm tat this point we realise that we have forgotten the Spanish phrasebook). Seven hours bus journey to Huaruz through incredible scenery, desert, scorched brown foothills and finally our first view of the Andes. On arriving we booked into Edwards Inn, which proved very good, clean and secure with helpful staff.
Friday 7 July. Our first experience of the market. Bought 9 days of provisions and negotiated a truck journey to Collon. Ate for the first time at the excellent Peruvian restaurant Las Puyas, very cheap and huge portions.
QUEBREDA ISHINCA
Saturday 8 July. Driver arrives at 5.15 am (1 hour early). Set off at 6.30am for the 1 hour journey to Collon. By 8 am the horses are loaded up, one with about 1501bs, the other with about 501bs!. A beautiful 5 hours walk to a sandy campsite right beneath the mountains.
Sunday 9 July. Up at 2.20am and away for Urus Este (5420m) at 3.15am. A big slog up moraine, then easy snow slopes. A good view from the top but feeling the altitude badly. Ascent took 3.3/4 hours.
Monday 10 July. Got up early again to climb Ishinca (5300m). I had a severe headache. We set off in totally the wrong direction and stumbled around on precipitous moraines in the dark for hours. I was feeling really rough. Eventually we emerged onto the snow and got to the top at about 9 am. We descended the way we should have come up.
Tuesday 11 July. Rest day. Lay around all day feeling ill, the basecamp is at 4500m and I am having problems with the alti­ tude. Andy feels fine.
Wednesday 12 July. Another rest day, still feeling rough. Small storm last night and another one this evening.
Thursday 13 July. Set off for Tocllaraju (6032m) massive 3_ hour slop up moraines to a glacier camp.
Friday 14 July. Got up at 12 am and set off at lam, the going soon got very difficult with deep fresh snow and dangerous avalanche conditions. Turned around just before 4am. We later discovered that two other parties failed on this route on successive days after use.
Saturday 15 July. Having run out of food we organised some burros (donkeys) and headed down to the road getting back to Huaraz in time for tea.
ANNUAL BULLETIN
THE ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
36