Summer in Peru with Luis Miguel López Soriano and Parvaneh Kazemi

ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN RANGES OF PERU

We have just returned from a long journey through the mountains of Peru. Together with my partner, Parvaneh, I spent a couple of months travelling and getting to know the different mountain ranges that cross this wonderful country a little better.

We began with the best known of them all: the Cordillera Blanca, located in the Áncash region in northern Peru. This range is home to some of the country’s most popular and frequently visited mountains. It is a place we already know well and one we always love returning to.

Every summer, together with Taranna Trekking, I organise a photography trip to a mountain range somewhere in the world that stands out for its particularly beautiful and distinctive landscapes. In recent years, our chosen destination has been the Karakoram in Pakistan. This year, however, I decided on a change and chose Peru. The route was a circular trek around one of the most beautiful mountains on Earth: Alpamayo. Nine days of walking and taking in magnificent snow-covered peaks, glaciers and valleys.

Parvaneh and I travelled a few days ahead of the group to finalise the details of the trek and make the most of the opportunity to climb a mountain on our own. As soon as we arrived in Huaraz, the capital of the Áncash region, we decided to head for Vallunaraju (5,686 m). It is an elegant peak with a beautiful ascent, allowing us to enjoy the spectacular surroundings of the Cordillera Blanca while also helping us acclimatise to the altitude.

Once our work in the Cordillera Blanca was finished, we accompanied the group back to Lima, where they began their journey home to Spain. From there, we travelled south towards Arequipa, Peru’s second-largest city, set beneath a mountain skyline completely different from that of the north. The landscape surrounding this historic and picturesque city is dominated by the silhouettes of three volcanoes: Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu, rising above the arid Altiplano. Much of the mountaineering activity in the area is concentrated on these three peaks, mainly because of their proximity to the city.

Our plans, however, were to head for more remote and far less frequently visited places. This led us to choose Coropuna as our next objective. At 6,435 metres, it is Peru’s third-highest mountain, the country’s highest volcano and home to one of the largest expanses of glacial ice in Peru.

Using local transport, we gradually made our way towards the foot of this remarkable mountain. Around us stretched a massif of snow-covered peaks and volcanoes blanketed by a thick layer of ice, rising from the barren Altiplano. The ochre tones of the landscape stood in striking contrast to the deep blue of the sky.

After several days in complete solitude, carrying our heavy rucksacks and managing the scarcity of water in the area as best we could, we finally reached the highest point of this very special mountain.

From Arequipa, our journey continued towards Puno and Cusco, the capital of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The region attracts huge numbers of visitors. Machu Picchu, considered one of the wonders of the world, the remarkable remains of Inca civilisation and the colonial period, together with the region’s spectacular natural environment, have made Cusco and its surroundings one of the world’s major tourist destinations.
Paradoxically, despite being home to two outstanding mountain ranges, Vilcabamba and Vilcanota, purely mountaineering activity is considerably more limited here than in areas such as the Cordillera Blanca.

On this occasion, our destination was Vilcanota, an extensive mountain range filled with magnificent snow-covered peaks and vast glacial landscapes. The relatively few visitors who venture into these mountains tend to focus on Ausangate, which, at 6,385 metres, is the highest summit in the range. Even so, the mountain sees very few ascents each season.

We were fortunate to have Luis Crispín as our host, a local guide and muleteer who grew up at the foot of these mountains and has completed major ascents of some of the country’s most prestigious peaks.
With him, I had the opportunity to climb Nevado Caracol, a striking and sharply defined mountain. Together with Parvaneh, I also reached the summit of Jampa, a privileged viewpoint overlooking the seemingly endless skyline of the Vilcanota range.

After our time in the mountains of Vilcanota, along with a few unavoidable sightseeing visits while in the region, we returned to Spain with our rucksacks full of wonderful memories and our heads full of new plans.

BESTARD BOOTS

As usual, throughout all the activities we undertook this summer, our footwear of choice was from the Mallorcan brand Bestard

TREKKING AND APPROACHES

For our multi-day trek through the Cordillera Blanca and the approaches to the different mountains we climbed, we used footwear that was lightweight yet durable. The terrain we covered during these stages was free from snow and glaciers.

Parvaneh wore the Mestral, a very versatile and lightweight shoe that performs well across different types of terrain. Highly recommended as an approach shoe.

I’ve used the Bengala model. They’re lightweight yet very robust shoes, capable of handling everything from mid-mountain trails to more technical, rocky terrain in the high mountains. They’ve accompanied me on many trips and demanding treks in places such as the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Andes.

ASCENTS

The ascents we have undertaken in the Andes have taken place at high altitude, between 5,500 and 6,500 metres. The routes and terrain have been very varied, but predominantly glacial. We have encountered everything from moderate snow slopes to more technical sections requiring crampon work on steep ice and across bergschrunds.

We have both used the Top Extreme Lite model. This boot is ideal for use at altitudes of up to around 7,000 metres. It features an inner bootie that provides additional protection in cold conditions. It performs extremely well on technical snow, ice and mixed terrain, making it an exceptionally versatile mountaineering boot.