The Quilcayhuanca Valley and Climbing Nevado Vallunaraju

A quick bit of background: Matt Ellis is one of Michael’s best friends and his (and our) frequent climbing partner. He and Michael have been climbing together since they both discovered the sport at a YMCA camp over 10 years ago. Matt is now an engineer in the Seattle area and dating Kelsey McFarland, a physical therapist who has set her sights on learning to climb and was willing to jump off the deep end by learning the techniques on Mt. Rainier (her summit attempts were foiled by bad weather) and then heading straight into the Andes, the second-highest mountain range in the world.

When Michael and I were planning this last leg of our trip, Michael urged Matt and Kelsey to get as much time off as possible to come down to join us. They timed it perfectly to be here for the last two weeks of our trip, and I tip my hat to them both for working so hard to prepare, mentally and physically, for the inevitably exhausting two weeks of climbing peaks in the 18-21,000-ft range. They both showed up fit and ready, opening up our climbing possibilities.

Kelsey, sporting her usual smile

We didn´t waste any time getting started. After one day of logistics, shopping and organizing gear, the four of us were off for a 3-day acclimatizing (for Matt and Kelsey) backpack up the Quilcayhuanca Valley, aided by our cook, Juan (who would be with us for the whole two weeks), and burros carrying our gear.


Our camp in the Quilcayhuanca Valley

The hike in wove through a beautiful meadow - which is also used as a community cow pasture - with increasingly beautiful views of the surrounding mountains as we made our way deeper into the valley. We arrived before sunset, set up camp among a field of purple wildflowers, and sat down to popcorn and one of Juan’s now-famous three-course meals.

The moraine lake above the Quilcayhuanca Valley

The next day, we set out on our acclimatizing hike to a moraine lake and a mountain pass. This plan was more ambitious than we first thought. It started with a gradual ascent up a rocky valley, followed by steep switchbacks up to the lake. That took us until lunch. We then made our way to the pass by hiking cross-country on a rising traverse over grasses and loose rock, up and down the rolling flanks of a mountain. Eventually, we reached our destination and the highest point Matt and Kelsey had ever been (at that time) of around 16,800 feet, with outstanding views of both the Quilcayhuanca and Cojup Valleys, with dozens of peaks visible from this almost 360-degree view.

Michael and I at the pass with the Quilcayhuanca Valley in the background

Tired, but feeling pretty good, we made our way back to the comforts of Juan’s cooking tent. The next morning we hiked out, all with slightly blistered feet, and made our way back to Huaraz where we showered, re-packed, and prepared to leave the next day for our first climb.

Sunset from our camp in the Quilcayhuanca Valley

We chose Vallunaraju as our first mountain to climb together. Vallunaraju stands at 18,650 feet and is located just north of Huaraz – always visible from our hostel’s terraces. The glacier route is a popular climb, meaning there is often a visible trail weaving past crevasses all the way to the top. While summiting any 18,000 ft glaciated mountain is a demanding proposition, Vallunaraju is not very technically difficult or committing – should anyone need to turn around because of altitude sickness, they could do so fairly safely.


Vallunaraju at sunset (the summit is on the left)

While the mountain seemed so close, the road was incredibly terrible: it took about four hours of inching along in our taxi to get to the trailhead. We also ran into a snag in the form of an uptight, young and rule-bound National Park officer who was hell-bent on turning our taxi around because we didn’t have a paid guide or a permit from the government allowing us to climb without one. We had heard that this rule was officially on the books, but had been climbing in the National Park for over two weeks by ourselves without being bothered by it. Fortunately, luck was on our side. A car pulled up behind us with a climbing guide with whom Michael had previously shared route conditions of Ranrapalca and Shaqsha. So, kindly, the guide stepped in to vouch for our climbing abilities and, when the officer still wouldn’t budge, called his buddy at the National Park office in Huaraz who pulled rank on Mr. Uptight and gave us special clearance for that climb. We drove away very grateful – that could have really put a damper on the trip.

The approach to camp at the base of the mountain was brutally steep. I was so thankful that Kelsey was there so we could give each other encouragement as we fought the slippery rocks and dirt up the path. At a smooth rock slab, we found that the men had graciously set up a fixed rope so that we could safely haul ourselves up that part. I’m not sure I would have made it otherwise – at least it would not have been pretty.


Matt, Kelsey and I hangingout in our down jackets at camp with Juan making snacks in the background.

Finally, we made it to our high camp at roughly 15,800 feet, had dinner and quickly went to sleep.  Our alarms went off at 1:30 am and we crawled out of our tents for a breakfast of champions: peanut butter and jelly on stale bread with NesCafe instant coffee. It was painful, but the best power food we had.  Soon, we set off and began the hard work of climbing slabs of rock in plastic boots and heavy packs in the dark, the only obstacle between us and reaching the glacier.


Our camp below Vallunaraju

About half an hour into it, and after a particularly strenuous move, Kelsey’s breakfast decided it was done and she threw it up right there on the rocks. We weren’t sure if she could continue, but she said she felt better and no other factors pointed to a dangerous altitude-induced disease, so she carried on! We made it to the base of the glacier soon after, roped up, and went forward. The moon set early, leaving us with a dark, starry night for the next several hours as we marched our way up the slopes towards the summit. It was cold!!


The view at sunrise while climbing Vallunaraju

The incline dramatically increased as we neared the summit. Around 18,000 feet, both Kelsey and Matt started to really feel the altitude but pushed forward - Kelsey was especially hampered by the lack of food in her system. But, after some short rests, she kept enduring and never gave up. Michael and I were very impressed with her strength and willpower, and we were all ecstatic when she took those final steps to the summit, her first summit ever. That her very first summit was in the Cordillera Blanca at near 19,000 feet should give her bragging rights for a long time to come. Simply amazing.

Descending Vallunaraju after Kelsey's first summit!

We happily made our way back down to camp where we had some food and a short rest before heading back to the road via a slightly less painful trail than we had taken up. We endured the endless ride back to Huaraz, looking forward to a rest day (ultimately, the only one of our entire trip!).

Matt and Michael on the summit of Vallunaraju