24/06/2026
Time to climb! And strategize. With the recent unfortunate avalanche on Tocllaraju, many people were spooked. Our original plan had been Pisco then Chopicalqui. This then became Pisco and Inshinca. But I knew that this was a poor substitute to satisfy the “proper” climbing fix my members were after. Enter: Yanapaccha.
With climate impacts varying across the Cordillera Blanca, and while stalwarts such as Ishinca are deteriorating (not in safety, just in overall joy), others are rising to the challenge and providing a solid alternative. After chatting with my appointed IFMGA guide, we settled on Yanapaccha (5420m).
Back into Huascarán National Park, up the hairpin bends to the trailhead. The b***o driver positioned there is not short of work, with the route to BC now bustling. We and Alpenglow were the largest parties, with a few others scattered around the pleasant lake-side base camp, some 2 - 2.5 hours from the drop-off point.
The next day was training day. And this is where Yanapaccha shines: a mere 30-minute scramble down to the toe of the glacier, and the team had an opportunity to test their ice tools and crampon skills.
The following day was the alpine start - departing at 2am for the climb. In normal years, the route is direct: up the glacier, across the icefall, and up a chute to the summit ridge. But this route had avalanched a few weeks previously. Our alternative route was much longer but probably more stunning: first, the glacier ice wall, then the long, circuitous snow hike through crevasses, then up onto the summit ridge, where nerves of steel were required on the traverse, before joining the old route at the top of the chutes.
I looked at the descent from the summit dome and knew my mind wasn’t in the game - still having issues from a prior large fall (note to self: need to work on this, yet it’s totally okay to acknowledge limits and prioritise safety on the day); so I waited for the rest of the rope team to bag their summit and return. We then all abseiled the two pitches back to the snowfields, retracing our steps to Base Camp.
I’m so stoked that all members summited Yanapaccha, our IFMGA guides were solid and safe, and it was a great day out on a very solid objective (PD+).
