Page 16 - 2013 AMA Winter

EX ALPACA EMU MOUNTAINEERING – PERU 2013
Maj Tolan’s Rope team on Gully to Copa High Camp 1
In August a team of nine OCdts led by 2Lt Sam Potts RE set out on an ambitious expedition to climb Huascaran Sur 6746m - Peru’s highest mountain. In addition to AML’s Major John Tolan
and Captain David Stanley, the team also hired two local UIAGM guides – William Cordero and Cesar Vargas for the duration of the mountain phases. We have worked with these guides on three previous successful 6000m+ expeditions. Prior to deployment, the team undertook winter skills training in Scotland under the supervi- sion of Major Tolan.
The expedition began to acclimatise with a trek along the Salkantay Trail, which crossed the Salkantay Pass at 4600m on the way to Macchu Picchu. This route concluded with a road move to the rail- way and a 10km final walk to Agua Calientes at the foot of Macchu Picchu. Here the team took in the sights of the Inca City and then returned to Cusco. The team then moved by bus north to Huaraz, a large town surrounded by the peaks of the Cordillera Blanca and Peru’s mountaineering capital.
Having checked climbing conditions and reviewed the itinerary, the team switched their first peak from Pisco to Ishinca (5500m). This was a three day climb based at the Don Bosco Refugio. From the hut we set off at 4am walking on good trails to the glacier. Once on the glacier, the route was a gentle meander to the narrow sum- mit which had a steep finish with some large crevasses under very fragile snow bridges. The team achieved 14 out of 15 members
14 ARMY MOUNTAINEER
on the summit and were rewarded with spectacular views of the higher surrounding peaks.
Elated at the success on Ishinca, we then focussed on Copa at 6189m - a huge mountain with a large glacier on its table like top. This was a four day climb using a base camp at 4500m and a high camp at 5300m. The route to base camp took about six hours on good paths with the camp being good with good pitches and a clean river.
The route from base camp to Copa high camp looked improb- able with a steep gully and headwall to climb. Setting off at 0730, the team followed good track well into the gully. As it steepened, the teams roped up and climbed quickly to avoid stone fall to the snow headwall. This consisted of a short snow/ice pitch, which the teams negotiated in good style. Thereafter, it was a gentle ris- ing walk to the glacial plateaux and high camp. The team dug tent platforms in the snow and settled in for the night. An alpine start climbing through penitentes and a series of steep rising ramps, which the teams protected thus slowing progress. As the steep- ness eased, we followed a broad ridge leading simply to the sum- mit, again with 14 out of 15 climbers on the summit. The views here were dominated by the Huascaran massif just a few kilome- tres away. In descent, extra care was taken and we arrived at high camp in the late afternoon. The team then returned to Huaraz to prepare for Huascaran.