Coropuna (Peru’s 3rd highest peak) climbed! (Part 3)

It is never pleasant waking up at 0030 hours to start the day, but at 5400m in a frozen tent with significant wind chill it requires some sort of motivation – luckily the challenge of scaling Peru’s 3^rd highest mountain was just what was required! The climb from high camp immediately started on ice hard snow with just the glow of head torches and some moonlight to find sound foot placements. Shortly into the climb we donned crampons and moved onto steeper terrain to ascend through ice covered rock buttresses, it was probably just as well it was still dark. The team were doing really well at this stage with everyone doing well to stay warm and keeping moving. As we reached the end of the mixed snow and rock ridge the sun was begging to rise bringing much needed warm to the team struggling with the freezing temperatures – water bottles frozen solid, down jackets and even full balaclavas on, in the case of LCpl Bayliss. As the never ending convex snow down began to reduce in steepness we drew closer to the summit. By this stage movement was either at leopard (LCpl Eaves) or monkey (Cpl Berry) crawl pace. Alternatively for Spr Hill, getting to the next zig or zag was sufficient for a collapse and a regaining of breath session. However, perseverance and overcoming fatigue and hardship beyond the levels ever experienced by the soldiers paid off and the whole team (100% success) were standing on the summit of Coropuna – a truly incredible and hard won experience.

Moraine, snow slopes and rock ridges - the route to Coropuna.

Coropuna summit - 100% success! Down jackets a plenty - it was very cold.