We had a terrible experience on the Best of the Andes tour: Ausangate to Aconcagua. During our Peru tour, we faced...
Thank you for your comments; we're very pleased you enjoyed your expedition with our guides & team who took great care of you.
We delivered your plan in full, and the changes were described below before you left.
You are correct, it is rainy season in Perú from November through to February, but there are always good weather windows to climb, and that is true for the whole year not just the off-season. The reason you didn't encounter many others in the area is that it's a remote region with little tourism.
There was never any issue with safety because our guides are very well-trained high-mountain guides who never take safety lightly. Additionally, the mountain we took you to is for complete beginners, so there was no safety issue that you were claiming.
The administration was very well taken care of and there was no mis-spelling of anyone's names. Unfortunately, there was one change of hotel in Cusco which was due to an enforced closure which we weren't aware of until the day of your return. We transferred all of your equipment at our own expense.
Our guide, Carlos, made me aware of what transpired during your expedition in Aconcagua.
The issue of acclimatization is unique to each individual, there is no hard and fast rule. You had 6 days in Cusco at altitude (3,300m @ Cusco - 4,200m @ Pacchanta - Rainbow Mountain @ 5,200m - Qampa @ 5,500m) and also 3 days on the route to Aconcagua to acclimatize. Normally most people require 3-4 days at altitude to adapt. You also failed to disclose a respiratory illness your wife had before your arrival; this would have had a very strong impact on her ability to acclimatize properly.
I know it is disappointing to go as far as you did (6,600m - Aconcagua) and not make the summit, I understand that both you & Jake were in a condition to continue but Yasaman was struggling. Our guide made the right decision to bring you back down at that point so Yasaman could get help. The subject of acclimatization is something unique to everyone, and some people, no matter how long they spend at altitude, physiologically just don't adapt to it. Given that both you & Jake were in a condition to continue and Yasaman had problems with her health, this can't be singled out as an issue of lack of acclimatization.
Confirmed changes to your trip:
1. 4-Days trekking in Ausangate Region, Perú vs 5-day trekking in the original plan. An additional day was added to the plan for Aconcagua to compensate, but also to give you a chance at a better weather window for the summit of Aconcagua. Overall, we delivered the plan as agreed in full (14 days).
2. Difficult weather conditions this season resulted in us taking action to change the plan to the Aconcagua section to accommodate the best weather window, 70-75km/h+ winds forecast on Aconcagua for February 3rd & 4th, back to 10-20km/h winds from the 4th/5th/6th onwards (summit window). This season in Aconcagua has been difficult as I'm sure you will have heard on your arrival; I believe we made the right decision to get you there earlier to give you the best chance to make a summit.
3. Rising costs this season in the Aconcagua Region mean we've overinvested in your trip rather than underinvested, giving you a greater chance to make the summit.
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