One of the most popular itineraries in the range, the combination of Urus, Ishinca, and Tocllaraju makes for a phenomenal climbing itinerary with minimal approach time. The basecamp for all 3 routes lies at the head of the Ishinca valley, a 4-5 hour mellow hike from the trailhead in the small village of Pashpa. You’re first climb is Urus Este, ascending the east ridge to it’s 5420 meter summit. Urus is a fantastic peak for acclimatization as well as for refreshing and/or learning the skills you need for glacier travel. The route is relatively short, making for a laid-back day in which climbers can really focus on acclimatizing, getting comfortable with their gear and movement in the alpine environment, asking questions, and having fun instead of hurrying to climb and descend. Ishinca follows, offering a higher summit (5530 meters) and a slightly steeper climb. These two are great predecessors to Tocllaraju, the grand finale of the expedition. The northwest ridge of Tocllaraju offers a pleasant combination of rolling, non-technical terrain and sections of steep climbing where the skills you have practiced on the other two mountains will be called upon. It is a beautiful and dramatic peak, and a fabulous first (or second, third…) 6000 meter climb for anyone. Rest days are planned into the itinerary at basecamp, which can also be filled with rock climbing and skills review/practice for techniques you will use to get up and down Tocllaraju.
Difficulty: Urus – easy, non-technical. Ishinca – easy/moderate, non-technical. Tocllaraju – strenuous, partly technical.
Total nights in the mountains: 7 Itinerary length Lima to Lima: 14 days
