August 10, 2012
Alpamayo on the hike out. (Viki Tracey)
IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that today the climbers successfully made the move up to Condoriri Base Camp at about 15,000 feet. This stunning area is marked by a number or gorgeous alpine lakes, surrounded by several 16,000 to 19,000 ft peaks. The plan will be to spend several night in this area. Tomorrow the team will climb Pico Austria, a nice practice climb for more acclimatization. After that, they will do a full day of technical training, followed by the ascent of Pequeno Alpamayo (17,482 ft).  After that, it is off to Huayna Potosi (nearly 20,000 ft)!
Eric Simonson