Overview
This pyramid-like mountain is a very aesthetic climb. The ``nose mountain`` is a classic, but it is not crowded. It's intermediate level (AD) makes this 3-4 day climb very rewarding. This area of the Cordillera is very suited for acclimatisation as there are 4 mountains in reach of the same base camp. Urus (5450 meters) and Ishinca (5530 meters) are both one day climb from BC.
Getting There and General Information about Cordillera Blanca and Huascaran National Park
See extra page "Cordillera Blanca"
Approach and Camps
From Huaraz take a shuttle or taxi to Collon. Hire arrieros ($10/day) and mules ($5/day) for the 5h-trek to Quebrada Ishinca BC (13k). To improve your fitness it's as well possible to hike to the BC without mules.
Ishinca Valley (Quebrada Ishinca) offers a wide area to put up your BC at about 4350m. It can serve for climbing Urus, Tocllaraju and even Ranrapalca. There is also a refugio with sleeping places for rent and a small regional cantine.
From the BC follow the track (cairns) ascending a steep moraine crest to gain the glacier W of Tocllaraju. There is a camp site for the ABC at about 5200m (nearby some rocks) and another at about 5300m on a the glacier.
Routes
NW Ridge: AD. 4-5h
Gain the NW Ridge from the 5300m camp negotiating through a crevasse zone. Follow the ridge until you reach the steep summit tower (bergschrund) at about 5950m. Get to the summit in 3 pitches (45°-60°, varying conditions: styro-foam snow and water-ice). Snow stakes for abseiling sometimes in situ.
W-SW-Face: D- 6h
Traverse under W face and climb a line which gains the S ridge 100m from the summit. Pass the upper serac barrier on the R.
(According to J Biggar)
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Cordillera Blanca - RANGE
