Mount Ancohuma or Janq’u Uma – 6427m (2012)

This was the Official Video Trailer of my South American Trip in July.

This is my account of the climbing trip of 5 days and 4 nights up Mount Ancohuma. (All of the pictures were not taken by me and I do not own these photos. It was taken by our climbing guide Juancho who is a very experienced and understanding guide who treats his clients well and provides an excellent climbing experience.) Only one of the pictures with my sponsor is taken by me and was taken using a Samsung Ace Phone Camera.

Ancohuma is the second highest mountain in Bolivia’s Cordillera Real; it offers some of the finest climbing in the Andes, with great snow and ice climbing on moderately steep lines.

The climb of Ancohuma was done in five days and we wanted something really challenging and expedition style rather than the typical Huayna Potosi.

The climb was tough and brought us from 3000 metres at Lapaz up to 5615 metres. Mount Ancohuma is at a height of 6400 metres and is usually for strong and tough climbers. We almost did it and Cloud went pretty high up, almost to the summit, only to encounter deep snow and dangerous conditions. Other than that, the weather was fantastic and did not pose too much of a problem.

This is a photo of us heading down from high camp and really dragging our feet through deep snow conditions.

On the way up to high camp

(Click on the photo for clearer and higher resolution.)

For the first time in my life, I felt that mountaineering is a serious activity. Issues like breathlessness is real and it does play on you mind quite a bit. No matter how prepared you think you are, the mountain always throws some hurdles at you, whether it is plain fatigue, hypoxia or just a blow to your motivation.

Whatever it is, I have taken some lessons from this trip to Ancohuma and will put this learning values to the test in my next trip in July. Humbling experience and looking for the next one!!!

Never Stop Climbing,
Jeremy Tong