Day 1: Arequipa - Cabanaconde
We take an early morning bus and we head towards the Colca Canyon. We spend our first night in Cabanaconde, in a hotel, in order to begin our trek the next day in a great shape. We'll have plenty of time during the day to enjoy some breathtaking views of the canyon and surrounding volcanoes.

 

Day 2: Trek!
We begin our hike through beautiful old Inca terraces. The climb will be steep and off the beaten track. We will start at 3200 m to reach the base camp at 4600 m, 7 or 8 hours later (1400 m positive elevation). We will have beautiful views of the "pyramid" Hualca Hualca, the volcano Seprigina and the Colca Canyon. We camp in a beautiful green valley, surrounded by waterfalls, hot springs and small rivers. We will deserve it after this long and difficult day of hiking.

 

Day 3: We continue
Today we'll climb up to 5000m pass, then get down to the other side of the valley and Hualca Hualca. We will have 7-8 hours of intense hike before arriving at the next camp. Depending on our physical condition, we'll sleep in the first camp at 4600m if we are "slow", or in the second one at 5000m which is way much closer to the top of the volcano. To reach this second camp we'll have to be strong, because it goes up and down constantly and is rather approaching 10 hours of hike in the day.

 

Day 4: Let's get to the top!
If we spent the night at 4600m, we have to climb 1400m today to reach the top, otherwise "only" 1000m. Around 5800m, we will certainly need the crampons, the piolet and the ropes. Once up there, you will see one of the most beautiful panoramas of your life, this is guaranteed! The descent is a lot of fun. We first walk down an impressive ridge, fairly steep, before jumping and sliding on the steep hills of the volcano. We'll arrive late in the day at camp 4600m and will surely have a good night after this long and tough hike today.

 

Day 5: Final Descent !
We'll finally go down into 2-3 hours of hike to the village of Pinchollo located at 3600m altitude. We will take a bus to Arequipa at noon and we should arrive around 5pm. You will finally lie in your bed, in your hotel, and all the memories of this trek will run through your mind with this special sensation: the pride of having climbed a 6000m mountain !!!

 

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Price per person, based on a tour for at least 2 persons

 

Included:

-Experienced guide
-Tents, mattresses, cooking equipment, etc.
-Crampons, ice pick, rope (if you don't have your own)
-Pick up and drop off to your hotel and transport to and from the base of the mountain in 4WD vehicle
-All meals while on the mountain

 

Not Included:

-Standard equipment such as sleeping bag, jacket, etc (these items can be hired in Arequipa at an additional cost)
-Breakfast in Arequipa before leaving for the mountain
-Water, chocolate, snacks etc.

 

What to Bring:

-Specialist trekking or climbing pack
-Synthetic or leather boots with strong sole, suitable for wearing with crampons
-Crampons and ice pick (if you have them)
-Sleeping bag rated to at least -10 degrees Celsius
-Layers of synthetic thermal or merino wool, lightweight and midweight, at least some long-sleeved
-Fleece or soft shell jacket
-Gore-tex or equivalent jacket
-Down or synthetic fill jacket (for wearing around camp and possibly at rest stops or the summit)
-Thermal or merino long underwear
-Trekking pants, preferably wind resistant (eg, soft shell pants)
-Gore-tex or equivalent pants
-Thick socks, preferably wool (liner socks are useful to help avoid blisters)
-Woolly hat
-Liner gloves and outer gloves or mittens (should be Gore-tex with thermal fill)
-Cap or hat, preferably broad - brimmed, and suncream
-Glacier glasses with side protectors
-Headlamp with spare batteries
-First - aid kit including blister plasters, bandage, scissors, altitude sickness pills (consult a travel medicine specialist about these)
-At least 4 litres of water, chocolates, sweets, snacks, etc (something salty is good for replacing minerals lost through sweating, and loose sweets are good fpr maintaing energy while climbing)