Alan Arnette Attempting Alpamayo For Alzheimer’s

800px Alpamayo

Try saying that title three times fast!

Alan Arnette is about to embark on his next expedition, this time setting his sights on the 5947 meter (19,511 ft) Alpamayo in Peru. According to his blog, which has some great information about the peak and the logistics of climbing it, he’ll set out this week for Lima, where he’ll join a team guided by the Altitude Junkies.

Located in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes, Alpamayo is an iconic mountain for its shape and appearance. The peak features two very sharp summits that are connected by a precarious ridge with an ice cornice stretching between them. Alpamayo also has a unique fluted face that gives it a look unlike nearly any other peak and has earned it the distinction of being called “the most beautiful mountain in the world.”

It is also a challenging technical climb that will test the mountaineers. As Alan notes in his blog post, on summit day the team must negotiate a 457 meter (1500 ft), 6-pitch wall that is located directly below the summit itself. It is a steep final ascent and a dangerous one.

If you’re familiar with Alan’s blog posts and Everest coverage, you know he always does a great job of keeping us updated from the field and sharing his progress and thoughts on the climb. I expected that this will be a similar experience and even has a page dedicated to his Alpamayo updates. If you want to follow along, simply click here.

As usual, Alan is climbing to raise money and awareness for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, a cause that is very near and dear to his heart.

Good luck Alan and enjoy the climb!

Kraig Becker