Itinerary

The process of deciding what to do in Peru when we arrive in one month has been a bit tedious. My personal feeling is that procrastination will only add to the adventure, however Maggie reminds me that we should think of small provisions like emergency health insurance and hostel reservations. We are gradually coming up with an itinerary.
The first week will be spent getting away from Lima to the central highlands and seeing Machu Pichu. After that, ideally, we will go south to Arequipa, one of the largest city centers in Peru, to study at a language school for approximately two weeks. There I believe that I've found a climb that will not be too technical or ambitious. El Misti, a 19,000 ft. active volcano two days away from the city, is our goal. If things go according to plan we might try Huaynan Potosi, although this peak, located outside La Paz Bolivia, may be difficult.
We hiked Monarch's "backcountry" up at 12,000+ ft. to get an idea of high elevation hiking, but at 19,000 or 20,000 ft. - Maggie's not sure if any training can prepare one for that! This Wednesday we're going to try to hike Quandary Pk., at 14,000 ft. it will give us a good start.