Erik Weihenmayer Climbs Alpamayo

Alpamayo is a 19,511 foot tall, snow capped peak in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes. It is a very prominent peak in the area, and is widely considered one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. It was for all of those reasons, and more, that Erik Weihenmayer and his climbing partner Eric Alexander, recently made the trip to Peru to attempt the mountain. 


Erik shared the details of the climb on his blog, which included some great photos of the trip and the video below. The trip involved a 2-day trek to BC, which is located at 14,500 feet, and establishing an intermediary camp at 16,000 feet before going to the summit. The two men had to work in rain and snow, and some technical portions of the climb, but eventually they stood on top. The story of their climb is a good one though, with lots of challenges to overcome along the way.


This climb marks the first blind ascent of the mountain. As many of you know, Erik is the first person to climb Everest without the use of his sight, and has since added the rest of the Seven Summits, including Carstenz Pyramid. He's also scaled El Cap in Yosemite and Mt. Kenya in Africa, amongst plenty of other peaks. 

Inca Trail Shut Down Thru March

A few weeks back there was a story about how 1300 tourists were trapped at Machu Picchu following massive flooding in the area that destroyed the railway into the ancient mountain top fortress. At the time, we were told that more than 40 landslides covering the tracks and that it was damaged in multiple locations, which was preventing the famous tourist train from reaching those trapped on site.

Yesterday, I wrote an update on the situation for Gadling.com with news that the train is set to resume operation within the next three weeks, which is ahead of the eight weeks that were originally projected. Meanwhile, an alternate back route is being opened allowing travelers to visit Machu Picchu, although it requires a five hour car ride to get to the area.

Of course, many of us would prefer to make the hike to the monument via the famous Inca Trail, a four day trek through the Andes that culminates with a sunrise march into Machu Picchu. Traditionally, the trail is closed in February for repairs and maintenance, which means the current closure of the train is not effecting anyone who is currently out on that ancient road. But now we have word, via Detour Destinations Travel Blog, that the closure of the trail will extend through March thanks to the flooding in the area. The Instituto Nacional de Cultura, the agency in charge of the trail, is refunding all trail permits, and encouraging those planning on making the hike to seek alternative trekking options within the country.

This has to be really depressing news for anyone who had been planning on going to Peru to hike the Inca Trail next month. By most accounts, it is an amazing experience, and well worth the hike. I just hope that everyone who had plans will find alternatives that live up to their expectations.

Retouching The Void With Simon Yates

Here's another great opportunity to go trekking with a climbing legend. It seems that Simon Yates, of Touching the Void fame, is leading a trek back to Siula Grande, the mountain that made his, and Joe Simpson's story famous.

U.K. adventure travel company World Expeditions has put together a 19-day trekking expedition along the Huayhuash Circuit which will be guided by Simon himself. Along with the usual highlights of this trek, which includes Inca ruins, a visit to Huaraz and Lima, as well as 13-days of hiking in the Andes, trekkers will have the opportunity to visit base camp on Siula Grande.

This is a rare opportunity for mountaineers, both active and armchair, to get a first hand account of one of the most legendary climbing stories of the past three decades. Simon will obviously have some amazing insights into what happened there. I'm sure the journey will be an emotional one, as Simon has not trekked through the region since 1985, when the events of the book took place, although I'm pretty sure he was back on the mountain when the film was being made.

There will be two treks held this fall, and the first one, running from Sept. 4-22 has already sold out. As of this writing however, there are still some slots open on the second trip, which will take place from Sept. 25 - Oct. 13. So, if you want to make one of the best treks in the world, while getting a first hand account of a legendary story from one of the men who were there, be sure to sign up quickly.