Great Peaks of Peru Planning

Paperwork

Please return the requested paperwork as soon as possible.

Application
Flight itinerary
Passport Copy

Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage

We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. Even with the best planning, unexpected circumstances — such as an injury or family emergency — may prevent you from joining your trip.

Trip Insurance Info

Meet Times & Transport

Note that trip dates include travel time from your home country. A day-to-day itinerary can be found with your confirmation letter.

Flight reservations for your expedition should be made as soon as possible. Please forward a copy of your flight itinerary before final purchase so we can review departure and arrival dates.

Alpine Ascents can make pick-up, hotel, and transport arrangements to meet individual itineraries.

Flying to Lima, Peru

Arrival: Fly to Lima, Peru, arriving on Day 2 of your itinerary. Those arriving on the scheduled date will be met at the airport by an Alpine Ascents guide or representative and taken to the hotel. Please look for an Alpine Ascents sign upon leaving customs.

Departure: You may fly out any time on the last day of your itinerary.

Early Arrival/Late Departure: We are happy to arrange an airport pick up for you if arriving early. For those arriving early or departing after the scheduled itinerary, we can make hotel and transport arrangements at an additional cost. Please contact our office in advance if you would like us to make additional reservations.

Missed Flights: If you miss your flight or if your flight is significantly delayed, please contact Gordon Janow by calling our Seattle office (206) 378-1927 and follow the prompt for 24-hour contact.

Visas & Passports

To enter Peru you must have a valid passport that does not expire for at least 6 months past the end date of your journey. US citizens do not require a visa.

Climbers are responsible to determine and satisfy entry requirements for your passport/nationality. Alpine Ascents is happy to help in this process. US citizens can consult US State department website here: Peru International Travel Information

Hotels

For climbers who prefer single room accommodations, these arrangements can be made for an additional fee. Be aware that private rooms are available at hotels during our trip, but not on the mountain.

For climbers choosing double room accommodations every effort will be made to pair you with another climber. A Single Room Supplement Fee will apply if a match cannot be made or there is a last minute cancellation. This will help keep our overall program pricing down since unlike other companies we do not charge more for smaller groups.

In Lima

Manto Hotel Lima
Calle los Libertadores 490
San Isidro – Lima 27 – Peru
Phone: (51) (1) 630 0000
Website: Manto Hotel Lima

In Huaraz

Andino Club Hotel
Jr. Pedro Cochachin 357
Huaraz, Peru
Phone: (51) 43-421662
Wesbite: hotelandino.com

Gear List

Please refer to your Gear List:
Great Peaks of Peru Gear List (opens in new tab)

You are required to bring every item on this list as described, so be as precise as possible when packing. We are happy to work closely with you on finding the proper gear.

If you plan to rent gear, your rental form must be submitted at least a month prior to expedition start date. Please call our office or e-mail [email protected] with any questions.

Gear Lexicon

If you’re confused by items and/or language on the Gear List, we encourage you to refer to our Gear Guide for explanations on layering systems, differences between boots, etc.

Gear Guide

Other Resources

Below are articles written by veteran Alpine Ascents guides that you may find helpful in preparing and packing for your expedition.

Medications & Prescriptions for Mountain Climbing

Women’s-Specific Tips

Not on the Gear List, but in our Backpacks

Packing Tips

People generally take too much “stuff” rather than too little. Study each item before you pack it. Eliminate redundant items, extra changes of clothing, and excessive“nice to have” luxuries. You will benefit from traveling light because of the costs of excess baggage and because of the frequent loading and unloading of bags. Remember to review your airline’s weight limits and pack accordingly. Traveling light may be your key to summit success. Take everything on the required equipment list and little else.

Luggage

This expedition is logistics-heavy. The best way to have a comfortable, smooth trip is to understand ahead of time how you’ll pack and move your gear around Peru. You need four different types of luggage for this trip:

Expedition Backpack – big, comfortable, and ready to hold all of your gear on the upper mountain.
Expedition Duffel Bag – the biggest, burliest duffel available. Think 150-liters in size.
Trekking Backpack – 30-40 liters, enough to carry light snacks, layers, and water.
Small Duffel – carry-on luggage of any kind that isn’t hard-sided nor wheeled.

Stage 1 – Travel to Peru

Pack everything (except for a few items mentioned below) into your expedition duffel and check it in with your airline. Your expedition pack and trekking pack should be flat-packed inside of the duffel bag.

Pack your small duffel as your carry-on, being sure to include any usual comfort items for international air travel. Staying relaxed in the days prior to your expedition will contribute to your success in Peru! Pro tip: we typically fly with our high-altitude boots and our insulated pants in our carry-on baggage. These items are nearly impossible to replace locally, while other gear list items can be found in local shops.

Stage 2 – Trip Prep in Huaraz

After our gear check, we’ll pack as outlined below:

Stage 3 – Travel to Mountain

We travel to the first mountain.

Stage 4 – Climbing Chopicalqui

We climb the final mountain.

Expenses

We recommend using a combination of cash and credit cards for purchases and extra expenses in Peru. You will need to change US Dollars to Nuevos Soles, which you can do in country at exchange kiosks, banks, or at our hotel in Lima. Please make sure that you bring dollar bills in excellent condition, otherwise they will not be accepted. When exchanging money, request the change in small denominations as change for larger notes is scarce outside big cities.

Lunches and dinners in Lima and Huaraz are not included in the trip cost. Expect to spend about $200-$250 US for these meals.

Early Departure/Evacuation

If you need to leave the expedition early, you are responsible for all incurred expenses (evacuation fees, transport, extra hotel nights, etc). A comprehensive trip insurance plan is recommended, which can cover these costs in the event that they occur.

Tipping

Our guides make every effort to ensure your climb is risk aware, successful, and as enjoyable as possible. If you have a positive experience, gratuities are an excellent way to show your appreciation. It’s difficult to recommend a specific amount as we believe tips should be based on level and quality of services, as well as an amount that meets your budget. Please consider the information below to be a general recommendation.

7-10% of the total trip cost is a standard guideline for the whole guide team, including porters. Any contribution to the guides’ tip pool can be given directly to your lead guide and will be appreciated by the entire team.

On the Mountain

Physiology Of Mountaineering

Dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, and altitude illness are all important health conditions to be aware of while climbing. Please read our overview of these physical factors:
Physiology Of Mountaineering (opens in new tab)

Food & Water

We are aware of the potential monotony of expedition food and Alpine Ascents makes every effort to make meals a positive part of the climb. We take great care in our meal preparation, understanding the importance staying healthy, fueling effectively, and enjoying your food. Whenever possible, we use fresh ingredients from local markets in our pre-planned meals.

Tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. While in the city, use bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth. While climbing, Alpine Ascents guides will sterilize all water and climbers will fill water bottles at breakfast and dinner.

Health Tips

You may want to consult your physician for advice on treatments for gastrointestinal upsets that you may encounter on your trip. In the past, climbers have relied on antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin. Your doctor may recommend medications such as Lomotil or Imodium to stop diarrhea, and Compazine to prevent nausea.

Leave No Trace

Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Before your climb, please become familiar with Leave No Trace:

7 Principles of Leave No Trace

As guides, we spend time teaching the environmentally appropriate Leave No Trace principles and practices. There is nothing more rewarding than working hard to get high into the mountains, reaching a pristine campsite, witnessing incredible views, and having the feeling that no one has been there before.

Please read the seven LNT principles, and call the office if you have any questions about what you can do to plan ahead.

Cybercast

Our guides record audio updates from their sat phones, whether high on an exposed ridge or warm inside a tea house, and we upload those dispatches straight to our website as they come in. When they stumble onto a pocket of internet, they’ll also try to send photos and text updates, so keep an eye out for those extra glimpses from the field. Most teams post every 1 to 3 days, so don’t read anything into a quiet stretch. No news isn’t bad news; we just haven’t had the chance to get the dispatch up yet.

Behind the scenes, our guides stay in daily contact with our logistics team and Director. (Note: we don’t update the cybercast on weekends or holidays.)

Tune into the cybercast here!