Huaraz, Chavín, y Santa Cruz Trek

---

Hello,

Well we have been in and around Huaraz for the last 8 days. Huaraz is the center for hiking in Northern Peru. It is next to the Cordillera Blanca which has the highest mountains in Perú and the largest concentration of glaciers in the tropics (most of which are receding). The town is full of tourists coming to do treks and climb mountains. We weren´t sure if we would go trekking when we got here, but peer pressure prevailed. Everyone else is doing it, so we also had to.

We are staying at a nice bed and breakfast called Olaza´s. It has an awesome rooftop terrace with great views of the peaks of the Cordillera Blanca. The owner, Tito, is super-friendly. The rooms are very well-maintained. And the breakfast is terrific. Huaraz is an OK town. The best thing so far has been the parade with school children carrying all sorts of paper lanterns. The town has something like a hundred tourist agencies, trying to get people to go trekking and climbing.

Last Sunday, we took a day trip to the Chavín ruins. We went on a tour that was quite good, and it took all day. The ruins are from the Chavín culture, one of the earliest of the Peruvian cultures (aka pre-Inca). It has two sunken plazas (one circular and the other rectangular), many underground galleries (tunnels and rooms), cabezas clavas (carved stone heads), and the famous lanzón.

After a lot of debate, we opted to go on the 4-day Santa Cruz Trek, the most popular trek in the Cordillera Blanca. We decided to go through an agency in order to maximize the laziness. We needed to rent all equipment anyway (no tent, sleeping bags, matts, or stove), so why not let someone else take care of transportation, food, donkeys, and the arriero (donkey driver)? That´s right, donkeys. Many of the hikes in Perú are at high altitude and donkeys and arrieros are readily available. Hiking in Perú is easy because one doesn´t have to do much except actually hike. We had a guide, Walter, who also doubled as the cook for all our meals. We also didn´t have to carry anything except our daypacks because we had donkeys to carry all gear. Backpacking in the Sierra´s will never be the same.

We signed up for the trek starting on Tuesday, June 28 (Happy B-day to Ethan!). We were surprised that morning when we realized that there was going to be 8 people on the trek. But it turned out just fine. There was us, two French-Canadians, Marco and Catherine, and four Brits, Laura, Lawrence, Rich and Mark.

Day 1 involved a 4+ hour bus ride to the trailhead that no one had mentioned beforehand. We weren´t expecting to be in the van that long. Fortunately, the ride had excellent views of Huascarán, the tallest mountain in Perú. We also made a few unscheduled stops due to a flat tire. When we got to the trailhead at Vaquería, we met Vicente (the arriero), and the 3 donkeys and 2 horses that were going to accompany our expedition. The days hike was short, only about 3 hours of walking, and relatively flat. We hiked past several small villages en route to our campsite at 3800m. We played hackysack around camp while Walter made dinner. Excellent soup plus rice, french fries and salad. That night, cows attacked the tent next to us. Laura and Lawrence (aka "Choque" or "accident") had a close call with a particularly "mad" cow who ripped their tent.

Day 2 was the big day. This was the day we went over the pass, Punta Unión, at 4750m (15584 ft). Despite the large amount of climbing we did, it didn´t feel that hard. We just walked real slow. Having no large packs on makes a world of difference. We arrived at camp (4200m) to find Vicente had put our tent. We lounged around again while Walter cooked soup and pasta. Yes, this type of backpacking can spoil one.

Day 3 was the longest distance-wise, but was fairly flat. We took a side trek to a small "laguna" and glacier. Nice, but nothing like Patagonia. This was also the day of the donkey carcass. We were walking along the trail, miles from the nearest town when we came upon a dog gnawing on the leg bone of a dead donkey. Not the type of thing one sees everyday. But I did get a video. Later on, again miles from the nearest town, we came upon a small shop selling sodas, water, beers, and cigarettes (among other merchandise). The Brits were happy. Especially the chainsmokers who had depleted their cigarettes the night before. That afternoon, we found our campsite right next to a stream and once again, our tent set up.

Day 4 was a quick 2.5 hour, mostly downhill, hike out of the mountains. We had some really good papas rellenas on the way back to Huaraz courtesy of the friendly, neighborhood street vendor. That night we had drinks and food with everyone from the trek (except Vicente and Dora who were heading back home). We didn´t make Walter cook that night, but instead treated him to dinner.

Today, we have another overnight bus. Heard that one before, huh? This time we´re moving on to Trujillo (farther north in Perú).
Today´s main tasks involve writing this blog, ckecking updates on the start of the Tour de France, and watching "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" at the local "cinema".

We hope everyone is doing well. Only about a month until we come home. Bye.

Ryan and Ana

---