+51 942 646 424 info@grupoalpamayo.com.pe
+51 942 646 424 info@grupoalpamayo.com.pe
The Nevado Mateo is a mountain located in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, with an altitude of 5,150 meters. It is considered a popular mountain among beginner mountaineers because it is a friendly, short mountain with easy access to reach five thousand meters. We tell you important aspects to consider before undertaking the climb of this mountain, Nevado Mateo, with children and how to hire services with local companies.
We are going to tell you in detail important aspects for this ascent, interesting and necessary information since this mountain is ideal for starting in the world of high altitudes in the Andes.
We also tell you that this mountain, Nevado Mateo, was first climbed in November 2015 by Quique Apolinario, a native of Amashca, Carhuaz; he is a professional mountain guide and member of the Association of Mountain Guides of Peru (AGMP) along with a client.
Quique had climbed in Europe and saw the philosophy of ascending mountains in a day, being back home early. This is how he wanted to transfer that philosophy to the mountains of Peru, to his beloved Cordillera Blanca. As a great connoisseur of the area, having located this mountain years ago, together with a friend, Luigi Pallet, who had a car, they set out with the intention of attempting the summit. They made several attempts on various occasions, but bad weather or not finding the best route prevented them from reaching the summit, having to give up on several occasions.
In 2015, they completed the ascent of Nevado Mateo 5,150. This mountain, which is part of the Contrahierbas massif, did not have a name, and Quique asked his client to name it. He said: “It will be called Mateo, like my son.”
This story was told to us by its protagonist, Quique Apolinario, whom we have the pleasure of knowing and with whom we stayed in the Quebrada Ishinca. Don’t miss both the article and the video of the ascent to Nevado Ishinca where Quique gave us a “push”—a good one—to reach the summit of Nevado Ishinca at 5,530 m.
By paving the road that goes up to Punta Olímpica, Quique was able to fulfill something that many fans and people appreciate: being able to ascend a five-thousand-meter peak in a day, serving as the prelude to greater challenges.
From here, many thanks Quique for your kind company and friendship.
The best time of year to climb Nevado Mateo is during the dry season, which runs from May to September. During this time, the weather in the Highlands is generally clear and stable, which improves climbing conditions. However, it is important to keep in mind that weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains, so it is always best to check the forecast before undertaking a climb; do not forget the complex environment in which we will be moving.
To ascend Nevado Mateo in the Cordillera Blanca, it is advisable and we understand it as necessary to have previous experience in general routes, hikes, and ascents on rock and snow terrain; it is not a simple ascent to a lagoon or nearby summit without environmental knowledge requirements or specific material; it is something more. It is not necessary to have previous technical climbing experience.
Many companies or agencies offer this ascent insisting very much that no previous experience of any kind is required to climb this mountain, and it may be true in part if you have the physical condition and proper acclimatization, since if you go with a good professional, they will take care of everything, help you with the technical material and the ascent, making it possible for you to reach the summit.
Nevertheless, we disagree, as we should not take these issues lightly and it is always, always advisable to perform mountain activities beforehand, not only to have good physical shape but also a basic experience—first to know ourselves both physically and mentally, then to know the gear that suits us best, and not encounter complicated situations that we did not expect and that could be a real problem for us or the rest of the rope team (route components).
Several tour companies offer guided tours to climb Nevado Mateo. These tours usually include transport from Huaraz to the base of the mountain, a certified mountain guide, and technical mountaineering equipment such as harnesses, crampons, helmets, ropes, and ice axes. They also include an ascent via moraine, which is a rocky and vertical path, and a glacier ascent. The ascent to the summit takes approximately 2 to 4 hours depending on the person, while the descent takes approximately 2.5 hours. (Total time; below we leave our times, analysis, track, etc.)
The cost of the tour varies depending on the tourism company and whether it is a private or group tour. It can be booked up to 96 hours in advance, but it is recommended to book as soon as possible due to high demand. A prior acclimatization program with other ascents in the Cordillera Blanca is also recommended, such as a lagoon, Wilcacocha Lagoon, Churup Lagoon, Churupita Lagoon, Lagoon 69, etc.
Currently, many climb without any experience and guided by a professional. Make sure that the guide knows the terrain and the techniques to be used and is trained for such a function, and that the company you hire provides high-quality material, size, and guarantees required for this type of activity.
The ratio of participants must be appropriate; it is not enough for a guide to go with you if there are a dozen participants; the risk is extremely high under these circumstances. Group ascents are lower cost but higher risk for everyone.
Climbing Nevado Mateo is advisable for beginners who want to attempt a mountain of more than five thousand meters for the first time. Its normal ascent route is short and with little vertical gain, being an easy and comfortable option with hardly any approach since we start from the same road where we leave the car to begin the climb.
Nevertheless, we must take into account the changing conditions in these mountains, as we will climb on rocky terrain, which can present ice, be wet, and have exposed steps with serious consequences, in addition to glacier terrain, so we must be attentive to slides, rockfalls, avalanches, etc.—the usual in high-mountain environments.
Nevado Mateo is also a very good option for alpinists or andinists with experience who want to carry out a deeper acclimatization process, ascending this mountain as a starting point for the ascent of other higher peaks.
The climb is technically easy and can be done in one day with the help of a local certified guide. The difficulty level of climbing Nevado Mateo during the recommended season is moderate.
YES, it can be done and it is such a rewarding and enriching activity that it will surely please both adults and children… Nevado Mateo with children is possible, but we must insist on what was stated above: to carry out this activity, one must be prepared, equipped, and have the capabilities and desire to face the ascent of this mountain of more than five thousand meters.
There are ascents made by children in backpacks carried by their parents or guides, helped to reach the summit; very small children who have been taken up to the summit. This is different from climbing and descending by their own means, but if the entire appropriate acclimatization process is done, it is feasible.
In our case, Vega and Saúl, aged 10 and 8, carried out the ascent without problems and very capably, as you can see in the video on our YouTube channel along with other ascents and peaks.
To ascend Nevado Mateo in the Cordillera Blanca, it is necessary to have safety and technical mountain gear.
We have prepared a video and article detailing the specific material that we used for this activity; it will surely be interesting to you. Here we summarize a few points:
The price of the tour to ascend Nevado Mateo can vary depending on the company providing the service and the type of expedition. On the Nevado Mateo VIP service tour website, it is mentioned that tour rates can change according to booking lead time or number of people, so it is recommended to contact them for more information. There are many agencies, companies, guides—call them what you will—that offer this service. We insist: ensure quality services to be covered; this is very serious and it is your life that is at stake.
Based on our experience, we carried out the activity on our own; we are also going to tell you what it cost us.
Information on what is included in the tour price varies depending on the company. Some include a brief visit, for example, to Cancará Lagoon, but it does not include trekking poles, park entrance, travel insurance, etc.
The entrance cost to Nevado Mateo as such does not exist, but we must pay to access the Huascarán National Park where access is regulated. In the Churup Lagoon video and the article, we tell you more about this matter.
Nevado Mateo (5,150 m) is within the Huascarán National Park, so we must register access and pay.
Depending on the company you contact, they will be able to guide you better according to their availability and group organization. It will always be better to contact them ahead of time and adjust everything in anticipation, although in active season it is common to have daily mountain departures; it’s better to be sure.
We had been in Peru, Huaraz for about 4 or 5 days and had arrived, settled in, and climbed to Wilcacocha Lagoon, Churup and Churupita Lagoon, and Lagoon 69, so our acclimatization process was going very well.
We decided to go to Nevado Mateo seeing our progression; this mountain seemed ideal to us for what we have already mentioned regarding accessibility and technical difficulty, being able to carry out the ascent in one day. In our case, we did not take a guide as we have the experience and luckily it is possible to carry out the ascent without the obligation to take a guide.
The local guides work this mountain a lot. We must not underestimate the terrain on which we have to move and the environment in which this peak is located, so when in doubt, always rely on professionals.
We agreed to hire a taxi in Huaraz; we looked for transport options by combi or a tour but there was nothing at the moment we decided, and the best and fastest option for us was that: a taxi… we stopped several taxis in the streets of Huaraz, presented the need, and some gave us a price while others declined saying it was too far. In the end, we hired Kevin, a young taxi driver, who would charge us just under 250 Peruvian soles for the trip from Huaraz to Punta Olímpica, waiting for us while we carried out the ascent and returning to Huaraz.
We agreed that he would pick us up at 04:00 in the morning at our accommodation; he would drive to Punta Olímpica 4,736 m, the highest tunnel in the world for many years (2013 to 2019), currently the highest in Peru, which connects the province of Chacas Asunción with Carhuaz. The trip takes between 2 and a half and 3 hours approximately.
Be careful with the curves and terrain of some villages; they will fix it, but our two children arrived exhausted that day, vomiting three times one and once the other, even though they took motion sickness medication (biodramina).
Punta Olímpica at 4,736 m, located in the Ulta Massif in the provinces of Asunción and Carhuaz, Áncash region, within the Huascarán National Park, will be our arrival and departure point towards Nevado Mateo.
You arrive very high at the tunnel entrance, park in a large clearing, get ready, gear up, have breakfast (as was our case), recover from dizziness, and start walking. We were the last to start climbing since it took us a bit longer than expected to reach the Punta Olímpica tunnel.
You start downhill, then level out, and then enter the face through very steep terrain of rock, dirt, water, and some ice. Depending on the time or mountain conditions, you can run into problems because the rock is very “washed” (slippery). Mountain guides have installed some bolts in the area to secure it when conditions require it, ensuring the ascent or descent of their clients.
In the rock chaos, we will search for the best path; you can find some stone markers (cairns) or it looks more trodden as you reach the start of the glacier, which is increasingly receding. Here you can put on crampons and start ascending diagonally in search of the summit, which you can previously see from below if it’s clear or daylight.
The most demanding and technical part may be the rock section; slightly exposed areas and knowing the path to take well will be decisive to not complicate things… once on the glacier and equipped with the necessary material, we must go carefully, roped up for the ascent and glacier crossing. If it hasn’t snowed much before, you may find the track well-marked; this will greatly facilitate progress.
For us, it was the first time we went up to five thousand meters with the children; it was their first peak over five thousand meters, and even with the ordeal of feeling sick from the trip, they behaved like champions and went up and down very well, working for it but great… those coming down the mountain recorded us and took photos—many friends who wanted to have an image of the little ones in action, climbing Nevado Mateo with that strength and determination.
At the summit, those there congratulated us: mountain guides, clients, etc. The Family Ascent to Nevado Mateo had been a special and magnificent experience for us.
We enjoyed the summit alone after they began the descent; we ate something, took photos, filmed the summit of Pico Mateo with the drone, and enjoyed the impressive views of the Ulta Massif and Contrahierbas Massif, with peaks like Huascarán, Chopicalqui, Hualcán, Copa, Contrahierbas, and many other summits and the Callejón de Conchucos.
We began to descend with energy and much happiness after having a dance at the summit; you’ll have to see that in the video.
We overtook people who were descending more carefully and whom the Nevado Mateo mountain guides were protecting during their descent… Going up is hard due to the altitude and effort, but if everything goes well, you go down in a moment since it is not that much distance nor as much vertical gain as it might initially seem.
Following a scrupulous prior acclimatization process, we did not have any kind of problem carrying out the ascent to Nevado Mateo. In future articles, we will detail more about this process and the adaptation to altitude by children; the acclimatization process is critical if we want to carry out ascents.
Kilometers: 2.77 km
Vertical gain: 405 m
Starting point: Punta Olímpica Tunnel Parking – Carhuaz – Ancash – Peru.
Lowest point: 4,736 meters Highest point: 5,150 meters
Route: Linear route; the ascent and descent can be varied by two alternative paths.
Times: Total time 4 hours and 51 minutes; time in motion used 58 minutes. Stops to rest, eat, and play.
Difficulty: Moderate; requires experience and specific material, so if you go on your own, be careful.
Recommendations: Mountain clothing and Winter Clothing, appropriate footwear depending on the time of year (whether winter or summer), plus water, food, and suitable equipment for winter condition activities.
We encourage you, but we are not responsible for the misuse of the information we share with you.
OFERTA
Escalada Nevado Mateo
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