Set at the eastern end of the Quebrada Ishinca, the mountain offers a classic introduction to Andean glacier climbing. From base camp a trail climbs past the turquoise Laguna Ishinca to a moraine camp, and from there the normal route crosses the glacier on moderate slopes to a short steeper step just below the summit.
Crevasses are present and the route changes from year to year, so the climb is always done roped as a team; this is exactly what makes it such a good training ground. The summit slopes rarely exceed 35 to 40 degrees, which allows most fit newcomers to reach the top in five to seven hours from moraine camp.
From the summit the view opens across the Ranrapalca massif and the entire Ishinca cirque. Combined with Urus Este in the same trip, it provides a progressive acclimatisation schedule that many guides consider the best five-day programme in the range.
