Pompey - Eastern Blanca - Peru 08

In 2006, Paul Hudson made a solo reconnaissance trip (MEF 06/14) into the Eastern Cordillera Blanca of Peru which proved that there was still much left to explore: as a direct result, this team hoped to make the first ascent of the south ridge of Nevado Copa (6188m) from a base camp at Lago Allicocha, but only reached 5000m. Late one night while Findlay and Swales were on the mountain, two masked bandits entered BC and attacked the cook: they slashed his hand and hit him on the head with the butt of a rifle before being disturbed by the other climbers but escaped with a load of money.