5530m
The next morning after Urus, we awoke at 1am to climb another peak in the valley called Ishinca. This mountain was loads more interesting that Urus, although it was around the same elevation. The approach was pretty long through the dark in the morning, but we were rewarded with a direct ridge climb that gave us killer views of the surrounding peaks.
The climb itself wasn´t too difficult, but to ensure that things remained interesting I was paid a visit by a microscopic little buddy that embedded himself in my gut for the rest our time in the valley. Aside from not feeling 100%, the feeling of knowing that at any moment I may have to shed 3 layers, a rope and a harness on a glacier at 18,000 feet to do my business, was not amusing. I remember walking up the moraine to the glacier and wondering why I was so tired. The altitude? No, I was acclimatized. No rest from the previous day´s climb? Maybe, but bouncing back never seems much of a problem. Then all of a sudden the Bug knocked on the back door and I knew he meant business. Everything worked out fine, but it was not most ideal of situations. And if you´ve heard enough I will warn you know that it got a lot more interesting on the next climb.
Once on the glacier, the climb was very straightforward. We approached the ridge from a large fanning glacier and ascending the glaciated ridge to the summit. Only the last section was a little steep with a small snow bridge crossing. The views from the summit were outstanding. The best view afforded to us was of the mountain we were to climb in a few days called Tocllaraju. This mountain is a perfect pyramidal shape with a very interesting route made more interesting by rapid snow melt that caused an accident near the summit by a French team earlier in the week. This was the mountain we were acclimatizing for. Its ascent; with the use of a ladder, the lack of sturdy snow bridges and the return of my little buddy, made for an interesting and exhausting climb. More on Tocllaraju later.
Ridge leading away from Ishinca
Approach on moraine...
Route across glacier to ridge. Summit on left.
Final push to summit, middle climber passing over bridge
On the summit
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