Rising above the villages of Vicos and Marcará, Copa is a massive mountain with twin summits, and the southern top is the one normally climbed. The approach follows a trail past the Laguna Lejiacocha to a base camp around 4,400 m, then crosses moraine to a high camp at about 5,200 m at the edge of the glacier.
The normal route climbs a couloir onto a wide glacier plateau near 5,100 m, then ascends long moderate slopes toward the summit. The technical difficulty is low, but the glacier is heavily crevassed and the route changes each year, so careful rope-team travel is essential. The altitude and the length of the summit day are the true challenges.
With its sweeping views of Huascarán, Hualcán and the Callejón de Huaylas far below, Copa is an excellent choice for climbers who want their first 6,000 m summit without steep ice.
