Now it`s official!
The national park`s administration has launched a packet of restrictions regarding climbing/hiking etc. in the park. That means anybody going there has to go with a guide! But who the f..k wants to go on a climbing adventure with an obligatory guide? I think it`s okay to pay for the entrance, to check on equipment & abilities of climbing parties & to have strict rules on environmental tasks...but not to dictate everybody to go with guides!
You find more info on www.climbingperu.com (in Spanish) and email adresses where you can send protest mails to.
cheers.
Flo

Ouch!

See this thread - it looked hopeful for some time.

[url=http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22037]Nepal is going the same way.
[/url]

The situation sucks!
I'm pretty sure Peru and Nepal and all the countries trying to set these kind of rules will loose bit time in a long term sense.

I think for the well known peaks is something that it may work, but how many guides will want to work on ED climbs? What this means is, at least in paper, that climbing on the lesser known and more technical peaks is going to be illegal.
Most likely next season I will go to another country or I will wait to see how things develop.

Write to the guys that are on the first list. They are responsilble for what's going on!
Es urgente que los caminantes y andinistas se hacen escuchar su voz de
protesta: se puede llamar a la Intendencia de Areas Protegidas
a 225-1055, escribir al Intendente de Areas Protegidas, el Lic. Luis
Alfaro, a lalfaro@inrena.gob.pe, el nuevo jefe de Inrena, Ing. Roberto
Angeles Lazo, a rangeles@inrena.gob.pe (con copia a jbarrios@inrena.gob.pe), o al Jefe del Parque Nacional Huascarán,
Martín Salvador,a 043-422086 o mspoma14@yahoo.es
(Llame o escriba con firmeza pero con respeto. Es importante anotar la
forma en que el nuevo reglamento afectaría a los mismo
usuarios: nosotros.)

Cada mensaje vale…

Para más información (cartas enviadas en 2005, texto del Reglamento,
etc.), contactarse con:

Walter Lazo CastilloPresidente, Federación Peruana de Andinismo y Deportes de Invierno
9985-6904, fepadi@gmail.com

Jim Bartle
448-8513, jbartle@terra.com.pe

EEK! This is HORRIBLE news!!! I thought that they fired the park superintendant who's bright idea this was due to the HUGE international outcry. I guess "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

Hopefully there will again be an uproar sufficient to quash the new regulations again.

The good news is that the new superintendent is somebody that listens. I just received an email form him. so, write to him in a polite way and I think we will be heard.

Hello ElCapitan,

Thanks for all the information you have given us.
Maybe it would be worth writing an article that would be shown on SP main page so that the whole community could write to him (in a polite way of course).

For the time being, only people going on the South Amercia forum are aware of the situation...
I guess we would get more power if more of us write to him.
No ?

I hope things will sort it out.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but as far as I know, you've had to climb with a 'guide' in Nepal for quite some time now. At least, that was my experience there. Of course they're more of a partner, but good luck trying to solo peaks there without paying for the services. It may be done, but it's definitely against their law.

Annoying as this is, it's a trend I expect to see more of. Low income countries like Pakistan, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Nepal, etc. realizing that rich foreigners want to come climb their mountains - and starting to assign guides, fees, etc. to those that come. I don't like it personally but I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes far more common than it is now.

That's what they did on the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu a few years back.

EL CAPITAN : Do you know if they intend to impose a guide in Cordillera Huayhuash as well ?

I have seen that so many people are interested on the topic of Cordillera Blanca that's worth writing an article. I am going to work on this during the weekend. I need an expert on HTML at hand because I am a neophyte, so anyone interested drop me a line.

Cordillera Huayhuash is not part of Parque Nacional Huascaran, so these new regulations do not apply there.

What makes Cordillera Blanca different from Nepal is that there's a UIAA guide school in Huaraz. The UIAA does not support these type of policies and that's a big thing for the Peruvian guides. Because if they follow the new regulations they would be dropped form the UIAA.

Writing and article would be such a great idea !
I'm sure a lot of SP members would feel concerned about this topic.

To write an article you don't need any HTML knowledge.
All you have to do is :

1. click on "Create Page" (top of the window)
2. select "Article" on the following page
3. click "Contine" on the same page
4. All you have to do then, is to fill in the boxes with your comments and information

If you want to attach a picture in your article, you just have to :
5. click "Find Image" near the "Primary Image ID" box
6. In the small box that will open, select "My Image's Only" before clicking "Search"
7. Select the picture you want

I hope it will be helpful

Thanks for all the info ElCap. I think there are quite a few members here and non-members who would be very interested in an article.

I have written an e-mail to the president of the AAC alerting them to this situation but have not heard back yet.

One question, do you know if the new Park Superintendant reads English? My Spanish is very poor and I would not want to inadvertantly insult him or be rude due to my poor Spanish skills.

Thanks.

I think an article or letter written & send to the people in charge in the name of all the SP members would be really useful.
Even if I speak mainly "street" spanish & my "official" spanish is not too great I could help in writing/translating the text. I think it would be good to send it in Spanish or in two versions because a lot of the peruvian people i know have not too much english knowledge.
Anyone interested in cooperation just send me an email to Schnippiman@gmx.de (kapitankoolaid?)
Thanx, Flo.

More ideas. Actually, I speak Spanish and I can writye this letter on behalf of SP. I will post here a version of it and feedback would be welcome.
Also feel free to write a personal lettet even if it's in English to the above mentioned people. One of the guys in Peru that's very involved with this issue is Jim Bartle. He wrote several books about the Cordillera and lives in Peru. I think also making contacts with the AAC would be good.

I just heart that the AAC Prez is out till next week. I'll call him then and post what I learn.

I will also draft a personal letter to the folks in Peru (it'll be good practive for my Spanish class!!!) and have one of you folks proof it before I send.

I am totally OK if they want to charge more money to support the local economy, I just don't want to see restrictions on where we climb or who we have to climb with. I can't imagine that the local businesses, in general, would be in favor of this as I'm sure it will result in a significant fall-off in climber traffic.