OverviewNevado Coropuna is an extinct volcano located in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes in Southern Peru. It is one of the easiest of the 20,000' peaks, however, it is prone to penitentes and this can make climbing difficult. See link to John Biggar's book "The Andes - A Guide for Climbers" for more information.
Coropuna was a major religious site of the Incas and was called Kjori Puna, golden mountain, by them. The Incas were probably the first to reach the summit and also probably performed human sacrifices on the mountain.
The first recorded ascent of Coropuna is widely credited to Hiram Bingham, the discover Machu Pichu, in 1911. I believe, however, that the famous American mountain climber Anne Smith Peck actually made the first ascent on July 16, 1911, three months earlier than Bingham. Anne Peck was also a noted Suffragette and planted the Woman Suffrage banner "Votes for Women" on the summit. In the early part of the last century Coropuna was thought to be the highest mountain in South America and possibly the world.
Getting ThereCoropuna is located about 95 miles NW of Arequipa the second largest city in Peru. Arequipa can be reached from Lima by air or by land via the Pan American Highway. Approach to Coropuna is by a road that runs within 3 miles of the western base of the mountain.
When To ClimbBest climbing months are May, June, July, August, and early September. Generally, the weather is nice from April to December with cloudless morning skies and clouds in the afternoon. Sometimes it rains or snows, or gets very windy for a short period. The rainy season is between January and April. This means that the sun shines morning and that it rains afternoons. However, it is possible to undertake comfortable climbs during these months.
Safety/SecurityPeru is a developing country and appropriate precautions should be taken to protect onself (see the US State Department's Current Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets link).
On June 23, 2001 a major earthquake whose epicenter was about 60 miles SW of Coropuna hit Peru (see USGS link). The magnatude 8.4 earthquake killed at least 102 people and caused major damage as far away as Arequipa (110 miles).
Nearby AttractionsSouthern Peru has many famous tourist attractions including Machu Picchu, Cusco, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, and Lake Titikaka.
Other Nearby MountainsThere are several mountains in the region of Coropuna including El Misti (5835 m) just outside of Arequipa, Ampato (6288 m), Solimana (6093 m), Chachani (6057 m), Hualca Hualca (6025 m). See link to John Biggar's book "The Andes - A Guide for Climbers" for more information.
External Links Images
|
Volcanoes of Arequipa
