Rock Climbing in Peru

Rock Climbing in Peru – OKIDOKITRAVELPERU.COM

Born in the cold lands of the Scottish coast, rock climbing soon became one of the risky sports activities that gained the most followers during the last century in the old continent. The ultimate goal of the climbers was not simply in reaching the top of a mountain or high point, but in doing it in a certain way. The route, more than the destination, was always the ultimate goal of his efforts, and not just the means to overcome a challenge. Over the years and technological improvements, the safety equipment and accessories for this practice have undergone a drastic change that has allowed more
and better climbs.

Rock climbing in Peru began its meteoric rise to popularity in the 1960s, when California and its mountains of polished granite became a sort of Mecca for rock climbers. fans of adventure taken to the limit. Only a decade later this discipline arrived in Peru, a territory rich in ideal scenarios for rock climbing, particularly in the mountains of the departments of Lima, Cajamarca and Pasco.

Due to the number of variables that influence the complexity of a route (terrain, slope, length), it is difficult to outline a classification that unifies the different destinations. However, the system called YDS (Yosemite Decimal System) enjoys great international acceptance. This system classifies rock climbing routes taking into account different levels of difficulty in Peru, representing them in correlative tenths from 5.0 to 5.14. The classification adds letters (from A to D) to indicate increases in the levels of demand on routes with grades older than 5.10. The most difficult route in the world – a cliff in southern Germany – receives a score of 5.14 D, while in Peru, the Canchacalla route is marked with 5.12 D.

Additionally, risk levels are included in rock climbing: the routes indicated under the GP range are suitable for all audiences; those marked with R are considered restricted, that is, they imply the possibility of serious injuries; those marked with X are in danger of death; and the so-called XX imply a danger of death not only for the climber but also for his climbing and trekking companions. Many of the walls of the narrow Rímac canyon, in Lima, or the polished rocks of Tinajani, in Puno, constitute classic grade R and X routes, respectively – Tour Operator.

Points of Interest for Rock Climbing:

In addition to the artificial climbing routes or palestras (concrete walls built for purpose), increasingly abundant in pubs and climbing adventure sports festivals, there are some places in Peru with renowned conditions for practicing rock climbing. outdoors in different parts of Peru. The The surroundings of Lima, for example, are prodigal in ideal settings for practicing this sport.

Almost in the middle of the city are the walls of Camacho for rock climbing, in the district of La Molina. A little further east is Vichuya, in the Lurín valley, a rock climb. The Rímac river valley also has its own: Canchacalla, at kilometer 46 of the Central highway, has been the venue for climbing courses for several years; Infiernillo, at kilometer 67 of the same route, is perhaps one of the most accessible and demanding in the country in Peru Operator.

Following the south coast along the Panamericana Sur highway, there are the sedimentary rock cliffs of Bikini (kilometer 45), La Tiza rock (kilometer 60) and the rock in Paracas (kilometer 250), all facing the Pacific and on breakers that they add a touch of adventure to an already risky activity – Tour Operator.

The Andean region, for its part, has excellent rock formations suitable for rock climbing such as Cumbemayo, on the outskirts of Cajamarca; the stone forest of Tinajani, in Ayaviri, Puno; the walls of the Llanganuco glacier ravine, in Ancash; and the stone formations of the sanctuary of Huayllay, in Pasco.

Recommendations and useful information on your adventure trips:

Location and Climates of Peru:

Peru is located in the central region of South America, and its coasts are bathed by the extreme west of the Pacific Ocean. It houses a population of 24 million inhabitants and comprises an area of 1,285,215 km2 (comparable to the sum of the territories of Spain, France and Italy), which places it among the 20 largest countries on the planet. Due to its location, its coasts have always been a vital point of connection in the maritime and exchange routes in the subcontinental region.

Additionally, Peru holds sovereignty up to 200 nautical miles and has territorial rights over an area of 60 million hectares in Antarctica.

Rock Climbing on the Coast Operator:

Due to the effect of the cold Humboldt current and the presence of the Andes to the east, the coast presents the shape of an extensive and arid desert. It hardly ever rains here. The central and southern region of the Peruvian coast has two well-defined seasons: a winter one for rock climbing, between April and October; and a summer one for rock climbing, between November and March.

Rock climbing during the winter a dense layer of clouds covers the skies and light drizzles or “garúas” are frequent. Despite the sensation of intense cold, a product of the prevailing high humidity, the temperature rarely drops below 12°C. During the summer, on the other hand, the sun shines brightly and the temperature frequently reaches 30°C.

Rock climbing along the northern region of the coast, for its part, does not suffer the effect of cold waters, which translates into almost 300 sunny days and warm temperatures throughout the year (up to 35° C in the summer). Between November and March there are rains, which increase markedly with the presence of the El Niño climatic phenomenon every 4 or 5 years.

Rock Climbing in the Sierra Operator:

A trip to the sierra presents two climatic seasons well differentiated: a summer one for rock climbing, between April and October, characterized by sunny days, very cold nights (frost is frequent here) and absence of rain (the ideal time to go on a rock climbing trip); and a rainy season (wrongly called ‘winter’), between November and March, in which rainfall is abundant (usually over 1,000mm). A feature that characterizes this region is the marked temperature variation throughout the day. It is common to have temperatures of up to 24° C at noon and as low as -3° C at dawn. The sierra also has a dry, temperate and pleasant climate, ideal for the growth of a huge variety of crops.

Rock Climbing in the Jungle Operator:

Rock climbing through the jungle can be divided into high jungle or mountain range (above 700m) and low jungle (below 700m). The first has a subtropical and temperate climate, with abundant rainfall (around 3,000 mm per year) between November and March and sunny days between April and October. The nights are always cool. For its part, the low jungle offers two seasons well-marked climatic conditions, which are accentuated in direct relation to the distance from the equator.

The summer or empty season, between April and October (ideal time for tourism), is dominated by sunny days and high temperatures, often above 35°C. In these months the rivers decrease their flow and the roads are easily passable. The rainy season, between November and March, is characterized by frequent downpours (at least one a day) and a deterioration in land traffic. Humidity in the jungle is very high throughout the year.

In the southern region there are occasional “friajes” or “surazos”, cold fronts coming from the extreme south of the continent that occur between the months of May and August and in which the temperature usually drops to 8-12°C.

Climate in the Mountains – Tour Operator:

It is said that in tropical mountain ranges “there are no seasons throughout the year, but days that contain all four.” Thus, in the Andean cordilleras of Peru, the sun shines in the morning but the air is fresh, which is equivalent to spring weather. Until after noon the heat is reaching its greatest intensity and it is necessary to be in the shade, as in summer.

In the afternoons, the small cumulus clouds that have formed throughout the morning reach their maximum apogee, the sun falls obliquely, feeling an autumn climate. When the sun goes down, which happens very quickly in the tropics, it is really cold: it is the time of “winter”. This singular multiplicity of conditions climate has its origin in the location of the mountain range that, running from north to south, separates the warm and humid winds from the east of the cold air masses generated in the Pacific Ocean.

The tropical nature of the Peruvian Andes – due to its latitudinal location on the continent – refers us to the existence of two well-defined climatic seasons throughout the year: the dry and the rainy, with sudden changes from one to the other barely softened by faint intervening periods. Being located in the southern hemisphere, Peru is in winter when Europe and North America are in summer.

Trips from May to September:

The only time when you can do high mountain climbing. Dry season that coincides with winter, which implies, due to its proximity to the Equator, between 30 and 50 minutes less of light every day. Frosts at altitudes higher than 4,500 meters above sea level. July is the best month, since in August the strong winds from the north begin.

Trips from September to December:

Suitable time to ascend some minor snow-capped peaks and for trekking. It is equivalent to the northern spring. The rain begins to appear gradually, usually after the noon, product of the cumulus formed during the morning. Download in a few minutes – sometimes with thunderstorms – to quickly return to normal with clear skies and nights starry.

Trips from December to May:

Rainy season. Almost every day it rains torrentially in the afternoon for about two or three hours, although there can also be occasional small and prolonged drizzles. As in the previous season, most of the precipitation is in the form of storms. Time not suitable for mountaineering; only on the days When it doesn’t rain, it is possible to explore some ravines on foot, although the streams, almost dry in winter, are eventually impassable during this season.

Travel distances – Operator:

Always ask the local people about the state of the roads and the difficulty of the route. Avoid relying on the information of the inhabitants about times and distances since, frequently, they are usually based on subjective appreciations. The classic answer “just here” can mean long hours of walking in conditions of high altitude or slope.

Environment on trips:

Do not uproot or cut living plants from nature and the Peruvian jungle, or set fire inside the high altitude forests. Do not disturb the signs of the trekking and rock climbing trails. No hunting or fishing in the dry season (closed season for trout). Always communicate the entrance to the mountains to the local authorities or association of mountaineers in the area. Never do climbing or trekking without company. Always bring back waste materials; Leaving them in the mountains can cause serious pollution problems for nature and the jungle operator.

Snow conditions on trips:

The Andean mountain ranges also suffer glacial recession, palpable in the loss of two meters of snow each year, which causes continuous changes in the appearance of the mountains, their approximations and, consequently, in the way of dealing with them. Large masses of seracs (packed snow blocks) break off some mountains. Rainfall above 4500masl are usually in the form of snow. In general terms, Andean snow adheres very well on very steep slopes, and usually forms cornices on the edges near the summit to the leeward (opposite zone to the source of the wind).

Exceptionally, cornices can be found on both sides of an edge. Another of the characteristics of this region is the formation of snow-covered walls with a staggered or grooved structure (Tour Operator). Because they are located in the southern hemisphere, the consequences derived from the orientation of the different faces of the mountains change with respect to those of the northern region:

• North Faces: The sunniest. There is snow and ice transformed by the action of the sun and the cold. The best snow for climbing is found on these faces – Tour Operator.
• South Faces: The snow does not usually transform due to the little insolation and the fact that temperatures generally remain below 0º C. Abundance of soft snow at the beginning of the dry season (May to September) Tour Operator.
• East and West Faces: A mixture of both states. It is very common that, when moving along an edge facing east or west, there are radical changes in the state of the snow – Tour Operator.