Firsts and Innovations from Andes
A new page detailing some of our previous successful 'First Ascents' expeditions and other Innovative Itineraries that we have run through the years since we started business in 1992. See our Expeditions & Explorations page for details of the unusual and interesting expeditions we are offering this coming year.
See also our latest photos page for more pictures from the most recent expeditions.
Argentine Ski Mountaineer 2006
Patagonia Ski Mountaineer 2005
Ski Mountaineering in Chile 2003
Expeditions from Previous Years
First Ascents in Peru 2007
We'll have some pictures soon form our successful "First Ascents" trip to the Cordillera Vilcanota in August 2007.
A cold river crossing
Campsite beneath Yayamari
...and on the summit, Pere does his usual handstand.!
Argentine Ski Mountaineer 2006
Our first ski mountaineering trip based in Argentina was successful on Volcan Domuyo. Indeed we may well have made the first ever ski descent of this extinct volcano, which at 4709m is often considered the highest peak in Patagonia!
Skiing from just below the summit on Volcan Domuyo.
See our Latest Photos page for more pictures from this trip.
First Ascents in Peru 2006
Our 2006 First Ascents trip took us back to the remotest parts of the Cordillera Vilcanota where we attempted eight 5000m+ peaks and summitted on six of them. We did several major new routes and several minor ones, some preliminary pictures are posted below.We already have a half full "First Ascents" trip for 2007......see here for details
Pictured below is assistant leader Linda and seven times Andes client Barry nearing the summit of Alccachaya, 5780m on the south ridge (pictured above). This new route was on the highest peak we summited during the trip, though we may have climbed higher while attempting a new route on the remote and rarely climbed peak of Jatunao Punta. An Andes trip in 1999 made the first ascent of Jatunao from the south.
Pictured above is Linda on the first pitch of "Via de las Vizcachas" an excellent if easy c.150m rock route we did on the solid granite slabs of the north face of Quimsachata II, 5370m, in the southern Cordillera Vilcanota.
We already have a half full trip for 2007......see here for details
Patagonia Ski Mountaineer 2005
We've just recently returned from a great skiing trip to Chilean Patagonia. We had great luck with the weather and some superb snow conditions, and managed in total to ski 14 days out of a three week trip to Patagonia. Highlights were three great days around the Portezuelo Ibaņez, with superb skiing during the day and barbecues round the campfire every night, and also climbing and skiing on San Lorenzo towards the end of the trip. Pictured above is David skiing on Glaciar Alto, looking towards the high peaks of San Lorenzo. Pictured below the summit of point 1998 near Ibaez, looking towards Cerro Castillo.
See our latest photos page for more pictures from this expedition
First Ascents in Peru 2005
Our fourth 'First Ascents' expedition to Southern Peru in June 2005 was one of the most successful yet, with one client reaching nine summits from the ten 5000m+ peaks attempted. All our clients reached our highest summit, Chichicapac 5614m, the second highest peak of the Cordillera Carabaya, by what may be a new route (pictured above). On the other peaks we climbed at lest three were first ever ascents and several others were by new routes.
Allincapac, the highest peak of the Cordillera Carabaya, at sunset
Puna de Atacama 2005
Our return to the Puna de Atacama in February 2005 was blessed with generally good weather and was another very successful trip for us, with one client reaching four 6000m+ summits, including both Ojos del Salado and Pissis, the 2nd and 3rd highest in the Andes. All of our clients made at least one 6000m peak.
Volcan del Viento - we made the second ever ascent, and first British Ascent of this previously unrecorded 6000m peak
High camp on Pissis, February 2005
Mercedario 2004
Our first expedition to Mercedario (6700m) in early 2004 was a great success, with five out of six clients making the summit in good conditions on the 25th January. It's a very nice mountain, a much more interesting route than the normal walks up Aconcagua with great views from the final summit ridge. Below are some pictures from the mountain, summit photos to follow soon.
Mercedario from the Guanaquitos base camp.
....and about a week later, we have five happy clients (Tom, Tina, Gordon, Ray, Barry) on the summit. Aconcagua in the far distance
North Patagonian Ice-cap 2003
Sledging in to camp two on the North Patagonian ice-cap
Our trip to the North Patagonian ice-cap expedition in 2003 was badly affected by the weather. It was the worst weather we've ever seen in Patagonia and the worst Spring weather many locals had seen for many years. We had 48hours of torrential rain at camp one, after which any serious attempt to climb San Valentin in the time available was pretty much out of the question. We did however reach camp two after drying out at base and got in a days skiing on the edge of the ice-cap. We then made an early return to Coihaique and went to Cerro Castillo, where the weather was still not ideal but certainly a lot better. Still it was a great adventure and we saw some stunning scenery in the short spells of better weather.
Iceberg in Laguna San Rafael
Ski Mountaineering in Chile 2003
We've run many Ski Mountaineering trips to Chile since our first innovative expedition in 1999. Pictures from the latest Chilean Ski Mountaineer which ran in October 2003 with awesome spring snow conditions and great weather are shown here.
We warmed up by skinning to the summit and skiing and boarding back down some great snow on Volcan Lonquimay........
Then we drove to Llaima and skiied this big volcano on another great day.......
First Ascents in Peru 2003
Linda Biggar leading the first grade III icefall, Callumachaya Buttress, Cordillera Apolobamba, Peru
Our 2003 First Ascents trip went to the very remote Peruvian Apolobamba where we had the same bad weather (but much better snow conditions) as in 2002. Despite this we were successful on a number of peaks, some clients reaching a total of seven 5000m+ summits and everyone making at least a few peaks. We also made probable first ascents of the peak called Ritipata Oeste 5380m and Palomani Tranca Central c.5600m. We also made first ascents of the W ridge of Ritipata 5410m, and the S face of Palomani Grande 5723m, both giving some great ice and snow climbing at up to Scottish grade III
However our main objective, a new route on the E face of Callijon had to be dropped after we did the distance/time/speed sums and they didn't work out!
Ten More Years of Innovative Expeditions
2002 - First Ascents expedition to the Cordillera Apolobamba of Peru, where we made a number of first ascents despite poor weather.
2001 - Our first trip to Colombia, despite the bad press it's a really friendly destination with great 5000m peaks.
2000 - Our 'First Ascents' trip to the Puna de Atacama of Argentina climbed four 6000m + peaks in total, made a First British Ascent of Bonete 6759m, the fourth highest peak in the Andes and a first ever ascent of Baboso 6070m
2000 - Our First trip onto the South Patagonian Ice-cap and ascent of Volcan Lautaro 3580m, a very remote and rarely climbed peak.
1999 - Our first ski-mountaineering expedition to Chile.
1999 - Our first 'First Ascents' trip to southern Peru was successful on a number of high peaks in the Cordillera Vilcanota.
1998 - Pioneering trip to the Sierra Nevada of Venezuela, where we climbed Pico Bolivar
1997 - Another groundbreaking trip into the remote Puna de Atacama, this time to attempt Bonete
1996 - First British Ascent of Pissis 6795m, the third highest in the Andes.
1995 - Pioneering treks around the Huayhuash and Vilcanota including a number of peak ascents now in the 'standard' itineraries of all our competitors!
1994 - Our 'Monster Descent' bike trip, a pioneering descent form over 5800m to sea level by bike, way ahead of any other business!
1993 - First British Ascent of Llullaillaco 6739m, the seventh highest peak in the Andes
1993 - Expedition to Tupungato, a rarely climbed peak on the Chilean border.
