South America in January- What's in Season?

Can anyone give some advice as to what would be in season in for South America in January (Alpine)?

please don't say Aconcagua...
Anything technically exciting in Ecuador?

nothing, eh?

Hi Devan-

I believe that the prime season for Peru/Ecuador/Bolivia is during Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Oct/Nov/Dec. That's not to say that there is nothing to climb during January, only that the weather is less stable and potentially wet.

I would suggest heading down to Argentina/Chile during January. It's the prime season down there. If you are interested in Alpine Rock, track down the guidebook "Escaladas en Mendoza: Mendoza rock climbing" by Mauricio Fernandez. The 'Refugio Portinari' and the 'Cajon de los arenales' areas look amazing. The approaches aren't bad and routes range from 5.8 - 5.hard on solid granite for 200 - 500 meters to summits at 3500 - 3800 meters.

Also there's always Bariloche for cragging ( mountainproject.com/v/inter…), Cochamo ( mountainproject.com/v/inter…) for huge adventure granite, and Los Glaciares and Torres Del Paine.

You should be able to track down all sorts of snow and AI climbs down there too. Try looking in the American Alpine Club Journals.

- Kellen

good place to start- thanks for the beta!

Actually, if you are up for "technically exciting", I think you would be hard pressed to outdo the Messner Route on the South Face of Aconcagua. I found it to be one of the most varied, objectively dangerous, and interesting routes I had the pleasure of completing during my alpine career. If you are up for the challenge, you won't be disappointed.

Stu

Let me know if you would like more beta on Arenales. I have been there and climbed many of the major routes in the central canyon. Highly recommended, but it ain't Patagonia. Maybe check out some of the more difficult routes in the Cordon del Plata, also near Mendoza. There is a route on Cerro Rincon which looks rad. Maybe out of season by January ( I was there early Jan this year and went for the direct east ridge instead. Lots of potential up there for motivated parties.

Awesome alpine rock climbing: Frey in Argentina should be in season about then.

What do you consider technically exciting?

Ecuador is good in January. Most routes are glacier slogs, and what rock there is is volcanic choss. El Altar would be an adventure, as would Antisana - never done either of them and don't know anyone who has either. Illiniza Sur has a nice semi-steep ice route.

January is best month for rock climbing / volcano hiking in Colombia.

rock: suesca
mountains: cocuy, tolima, ruiz

sorry to hijack the thread but does anyone have any beta about climbing in La Paz Bolivia, all i have found are sport crags and am wondering if there is any trad crags or easy access alpine stuff in the area. I will be down there for 4 months starting in Jan and am wondering if i should haul my trad rack down or not

ben

we are going to do Antisana in January. Along with Illiniza Sur and Cotopaxi. Chimborazo's sucess rate has fallen below 30% due to ash being spewed on it by a neighbooring volcano.

The E Ridge on Antisana is TD- at 85 degrees, 3000ft. gain.
You have to drop into a crevasse and lead up and out the other side as part of the route.

I am now looking to stay for some extra days after my partner leaves; I would like to try Cayambe, give Chimborazo a whirl just for the hel of it, and check out the climbing among the El Altar peaks (most technically challenging in all of Ecuador)
If anyone is going to be down there after January 7th, shoot me an email @ tobe945@gmail.com and maybe we can climb together...

Eric