Fundraising Ends: October 15, 2026

DeTrash Expedition: October 23 - November 2, 2026

The peaks of Peru's Cordillera Huayhuash are pristine ice pyramids. Yet the valleys have developed a trash problem. Locals have taken the lead on preventing the problem from getting worse. But it's going to take an expeditionary force to clean up decades worth of dumping.

Simon Yates, the legend from the Touching the Void epic, donated --- so can you!

I've been visiting the Huayhuash for 26 years and along the way wrote a guidebook about it, discovered the Alpine Circuit, and created the Alpine Circuit website. I hope to leave the Huayhuash as beautiful and pristine as how I found it.

Relations with the local communities of the Huayhuash have, at times, been strained in recent years. Part of the concern from the communities is that trekking groups are leaving trash behind. This clean-up mission is about more than aesthetics. It's about showing respect and good will to the people who call the Huayhuash their home, and it's about expressing gratitude to them for allowing us to visit.

In collaboration with La Cima Logistics (Huaraz) and a local alpine institute (Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público), and led by Huaraz guide Joel Vargas, I am organizing a fundraiser to DeTrash the Huayhuash. The aim is to do the clean-up in November, 2026.

La Cima Logistics, the local alpine institute, Joel, and I are working 100% volunteer, pro bono. Joel will lead the team to do the clean-up, with a team of 21 students and 3 professors from the institute.

Raised funds will cover the following strictly operational field costs: