August 7, 2018
A couple team members summiting Illimani. (Luke Reilly)
The team just checked in from Illimani Base Camp after a successful summit day. The climb of Illimani is tough, there is no question about it. From High Camp, the route heads up a steep ridge for about 45 minutes before the team can find a rest area. From here, the route rolls up and down towards the Illimani headwall. The headwall, before the summit ridge, is steep and requires good footwork and attention to ice axe placement. All of this is done on the west side of the mountain and the sun does not warm you up until the summit ridge. The payoff is huge! After hitting the summit ridge, the team can drink, eat and warm up with the morning sun. A short time later, the team is on the beautiful summit of Illimani (21,200 ft)!
What a great day of climbing for the team!
Greg Vernovage