Summiting a 5000m Peak in Huaraz
At the summit of Nevado Mateo (5150m.a.s.l)
We arrived in Huaraz with a plan, and that plan did not include summiting a 5000m peak.
But a week later there we were, at the top of Nevado Mateo after a 3 hour climb. How did we get there?
Back to the Mountains & Acclimatising
Our journey from Trujillo back into the mountains was long (8 hours) but relatively uneventful. After a quick dinner we got our rest, ready for the next day… of doing absolutely nothing.
We had travelled from sea level to Huaraz, which sits at just over 3000m higher. The higher you climb, the less oxygen there is in the air, and the body can start feeling the effects of this above 2500m. Altitude sickness can include headaches and nausea - and can develop into much more serious symptoms if you try and climb too high too fast. So, we had a day of complete rest to let our bodies get used to the altitude.
I love being in the mountains, just the sight of the snowy peaks visible from Huaraz had me itching to get out there! We’ve had some lovely times on the beach in Tayrona, Cartagena and Mancora, but the further we get through this trip the more I realise that I’m not really a sun and beach person: nothing beats the mountains for me.
Huaraz reminded us a little of El Chalten, a town we stayed in on our trip to Patagonia, but much bigger. The similarity being that it’s a hikers paradise: a fairly accessible place with hundreds of options of trails and day trips into the mountain wilderness. The nearby Cordillera Blanca, encompassed by Huascaran National Park, is one of the highest mountain ranges in the world outside of the Himalayas. It had 18 peaks above 6000m, including Huascaran itself. The area offers travelers an opportunity to experience breathtaking landscapes, pristine lakes, and challenging hiking trails through its incredible natural beauty.
Changing Plans
We used our day off to arrange our transport for the following three days, where we would hike steadily higher each day: Laguna Parón, Laguna Churup and Laguna 69. The first agency we went to check out transport prices threw that out the window. They were specialist climbers, so once they had run through our transport options they offered us climbing tours… including summiting Nevado Mateo which is, apparently, perfect for total beginners. The seed was planted!
Every other agency we went to for costs we also enquired about Mateo, and we ended up having to go for a coffee to decide what to do - we had 4 options but only 3 days.
We couldn’t miss the chance to summit a mountain, or to climb above 5000m, that was clear from the start. The choice of Laguna Churup over Laguna 69 was also easy for us to make - Churup is less popular and can be done independently by getting a public bus, so was better for the budget. Plan made, we downed our coffees and went to book before I changed my mind… it was 3 days away and I was already terrified of the mountain!
Laguna Parón
There’s no doubting Laguna Parón is beautiful - many say the most beautiful lake in the region. But we found it a little anticlimactic as a start to our time in Huaraz.
The reason for this is the journey. We were told it was about 3 hours each way in the van, which we were happy to do. In reality though, there are so many stops it actually took about 4.5 hours each way… 9 hours in a bus for 2 hours at the lake? It was a bit much for us.
After leaving Huaraz at 8am and stopping an hour for an unnecessary ice cream at 9am, then travelling along a very bumpy road, we arrived at Laguna Parón at 12.30pm.
There’s no doubting that the lake's serene beauty is truly a sight to behold. The rain was coming down quite heavily when we arrived, so we took a few moments to soak in the tranquil atmosphere and take pictures at the lakeside.
There are a few options for activities around the lake, including kayaking and paddle boarding, but we wanted to properly stretch our legs and get some mountain air in our lungs, so we opted for the one hour hike up to the Mirador, or viewpoint.
The steep trail was short but not easy for our bodies, which were still adjusting to the thinner mountain air - the lake side is 4200m above sea level. The last part in particular was tricky, as the trail ends and we had to scramble over large boulders whilst dodging oblivious posers trying to get the perfect Insta-shot and blocking the way. We waited patiently behind 2 girls for about 10 minutes whilst they took the same photos over and over again…Everyone wants to take pictures - and rightly so - but don’t be that person!
Finally with a bit of space to ourselves we took a few quick pictures of our own then sat down to admire the view. It is quite spectacular, an azure jewel crowned by a ring of mountains.
A quick meal of homemade sandwiches later we scrambled back down and were in the bus for 2.30pm for the long journey back… which included an hour stop at a roadside restaurant, plus another stop where some passengers got out to buy souvenirs from a store (we aren’t sure what, our brains weren’t switched on enough to translate the Spanish driver’s speech after such a long day!). It was 7pm by the time we were back in our hostel cooking dinner.
There’s no doubting Laguna Parón is an incredible sight, we just don’t think it’s a great day trip from Huaraz because of the distance. Many travellers opt to stay in Caraz, another mountain town at slightly lower altitude, from where Parón is a much better option and reachable in half the time.
Laguna Churup: A Test of Tenacity
If our day trip to Parón was a bit of a slow start to our time in the mountains, our trip to Churup exceeded all our expectations.
We started the day in a colectivo to Pitec, a tiny mountain village from where the trail to Laguna Churup begins. We arrived at 9.30am and arranged with our driver to be back at the car park for between 2pm and 2.30pm, although as all 5 passengers in the van were hikers doing the trail he assured us he wouldn’t leave until we were all back. Always a relief!
The 7km round trip was truly stunning. It was a fairly challenging trail that took us through the natural beauty of the area and left us with the rewarding feeling of achievement at the end.
From the starting point in Pitec at 3700m, the trail ascended up through meadowed mountainside. As we slowly climbed we took in the panoramic vistas that left us breathless – both from the elevation and the beauty.
The path meandered around the grassy mountainside to more rocky terrain, which is where the challenge began. There were three sections where chains had been bolted into the rock face for hikers to haul themselves up the almost vertical rock. They got steadily longer, higher and harder to climb!
It was slightly scary, but we found the key was to find a secure place for each foot in the rock before moving and to hold onto the chains for dear life! Our hearts were definitely racing, and not only because we had ascended to over 4400m!
After hauling ourselves up the third of these sections, we crested the rock and got our monumental payoff: the vibrant blue waters of Laguna Churup, mirroring the sky above. Ahead of us loomed the snowy peak of Nevado Churup, a picture-perfect reward for our efforts.
We spent an hour at the lakeside, eating our lunch and soaking in the mountain sunshine. There were only a handful of other people around, all doing the same - it was the perfect antidote to the overly crowded path we had been on the day before. Below us, a brave (mad?) couple stripped off and took a swim in the glacial waters of the lake - they looked frozen after!
We opted for a different path on the way back, hiking up to a Mirador to get a view of the lake from above. Our path back avoided the 2 hardest chained sections - thank god as I don’t know how we would have got down! The third chain was relatively short and simple to do downhill, and we were soon back at our colectivo on our way back to Huaraz, with one final mountain left to climb.
Me vs. The Mountain: Summiting Nevado Mateo
The mountain had been on my mind for the last three days. I don’t think I’m really cut out for “extreme” activities - extreme being in quote marks because actual mountain climbers will laugh at me calling this climb extreme!
I worry too much about all the things that could go wrong! I don’t want to sound like I didn’t enjoy the experience - it was exhilarating and maybe one of the best things we’ve ever done. But, as with most things, it’s the thought of it that’s the scariest. When you are actually doing it, the concentration is so all consuming there’s not room for much else in your brain.
So I actually woke up that morning feeling calmer about it that I had the previous 2 days.
It was early start with a 3am pick-up and drive to the trailhead in Huscaran National Park. We arrived at Punte Olimipca, where we would start climbing, at sunrise. We put on helmets and a safety harness, and we’re given crampons and snow boots to put in our bags for further up the trail. We were already higher than we had been the previous 3 days, setting off at 6.30am from 4700m.
One of the less steep sections where we actually dared to get the GoPro out… the thumbs up does not match the look on my face!
The first 90mins we had to climb up a rocky trail… and when I say climb I mean it! This was probably the hardest part for me - I was terrified of falling! Graeme and I were at the front of the group of about 10 of us, including a brave 7-year-old boy with very brave parents! There were times when we were practically crawling up the rock, clinging on with our hands into tiny cracks and using our body weight to keep us attached to the mountain. Those chains at Laguna Churup turned out to be good training for our footwork on the rocks!
Being at the front meant we got good rest periods whilst we waited for others to catch up, but it wasn’t long before us and a French man called Olivier split off ahead of the rest of the group with Jean Marcos, our mountain guide.
When we got to the snow line we changed into our snow boots and Jean helped us get our crampons on. He tied a rope line through our harnesses so we were all attached together and gave us ice axes to help with the next section of the climb. Jean lead the way, followed by Olivier, me and Graeme at the back.
Then came 90mins of ice climbing on the glacier. Having walked in crampons twice before, in Iceland and Patagonia, we found the technical aspect of this part easier to get the hang of. The hard part? The climb was so steep, almost vertical up a wall of ice… and we were doing it at 5000m above sea level. It was so hard to catch a breath, every step was exhausting!
Weirdly, that time went quite quickly. It was hard to look up at where we were going, so my eyes were fixed on the ice and where I was putting my feet. It became a rhythm: left foot, right foot, axe, move rope, repeat.
Then suddenly, the ground levelled out…
…we had made it to the summit.
The feeling at the top is… indescribable. It’s incredible, it’s amazing, it’s overwhelming! Look closely at my face in some of the pictures and it says it all, it looks exactly half way between laughing and crying. I didn’t know what to do!
We stopped for around 20 minutes for some pictures and to take in the incredible 360 degree views around us. Jean pointed out all the peaks we could see, including the mighty Huascaran straight ahead.
Graeme, me, Olivier and Jean Marcos celebrating reaching the summit!
We had a snack before heading back down - Graeme forced me to eat a sandwich I had initially refused because I didn’t feel hungry, but I’m glad I had the energy for the descent!
I was worried the way down would be scarier - especially the final rocks - but it went smoothly. As we got back to the bottom of the snow line we saw the rest of our group setting off with their crampons, including the 7-year-old. I’m glad the little guy made the summit… what a story he will have to tell his mates after the school holidays!
Not all of the group made it up though. One man joined our group of three for the way down at the snow line as he was suffering with the altitude, and another couple had turned back early, not wanting to continue on the rocks.
The melting snow and ice in the morning sunshine added another thrilling dimension to our descent. Sure, there were a few times I shuffled down a section of rocks on my bum, but better be safe than look cool, right?! The way down was a lot harder on the calves and knees than anything we had previously done and my legs were suffering by the end.
About 2 hours later we were back on solid ground. Standing there, waiting for the rest of the group to return, it hit us: we had just climbed a goddamn mountain.
So, would I recommend it? Absolutely! Calling it a beginners trail is probably a bit generous - beginner mountaineers, yes, but beginner as in entry level activity, no. We made it up and down safely so beginner mountaineers can do it, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy! It’s hard work, kind of scary, requires total concentration, proper acclimatisation to the altitude and a lot mental strength to keep pushing on to the top. But when you make it… wow, it’s worth it!
Everyone, even experienced climbers, should go with a certified mountain guide, and we cannot thank Jean Marcos and the other guides with our group enough for keeping us safe.
They say do one thing every day that scares you, and my god we ticked it off that day.
Huaraz, you were incredible for the soul, and left us wanting more. Our only regret is not staying a little while longer!
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