Peru/Cordillera Huayhuash

A couple months ago I heard of a trek in the middle of Peru. Stayed too long in Colombia and had fly through Ecuador to make it to the end of trekking season. The trek is the Cordillera Huayhuash. It was worth it.

Peru is a truly amazing place. Started the country at a backpacker resort of a hostel in northern Peru, got my surf on, saw a massive humpback whale and decided I was ready for the mountains. The Andes blew my socks off. I decided to join up with a group and take off on my first serious trek I have ever done; in the Peruvian Andes, during the "rainy season," for 8 days. Fluctuating temperatures and weather, high passes, and beautiful lakes pretty much sums up the Cordillera Huayhuash.

Our trek originated in the trekking capital Peru, Huaraz. Huaraz is a sweet little town that packs a lot of punch. We left on our hike on Monday, but the weekend before established this town in my memory forever.

The weekend was one of latin americas famous festivals (for some Saint I forget). As we were walking down from doing some hiking in the mountains near the town (hooray for acclimatizing!), a parade of locals came dancing by, band, the whole ordeal. They shouted and invited us to join in the festivities, which we did, and had one of the best times I have had this entire trip. They treated us like family, loooooved taking pictures with us (super rare with the indigenous folk) and really opened up to us. We left them that night (despite their begging) due to our inadequate amount of clothing for the mountain nights, promising to come back the next morning.

We went back to join them the next day and had a truly special time. Faulty pyrotechnic shows, unentertaining bullfights, big bands and lots of sharing beer and food with the locals was the norm. This was the kind of thing that you can travel in Peru for a long time and never be included in. It was amazing!!! The pictures should be on their way... (I didnt bring my camera). But anyways. Back to this trek.

So Monday morning we set out. A group of 12 gringos into the Andes with a 13 year old slave child, a guide/cook, and two arrieros (mule drivers), and about 8 donkeys and two horses to carry all of our stuff....Cordillera Huayhuash was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. Camping through snowstorms, seeing the sunrise from 4600m campsites, and the entire time the landscape was breathtaking. Intense.

Although all the days were amazing. I will save some boredom of going a day 1, day 2 monotonous thing and just tell you all about one my favorites; day 5.

So day 5. The normal routine of the trek. Wakey Wake at 6am, breakfast of bread and jam at 630 and hit the trail around 7am. Get us a nice little 5 hour hike up to the first pass of 5050 m (16564 ft). Did a handstand (try doing that lower 48... NOT POSSIBLE!!!). Ate a delicious avocado for lunch, and made the 800m plunge down to a valley far below.

The highest peak in the continental US is Mount Whitney at 4421m (14505 ft).

Ya, we had campsites higher than that.

From the valley we do the amazingly cool thing of filling our water bottles from the glacial runoff (never got tired of that...), and then instantly started a climb to another pass. This pass was sick. From the top you could see Siula Grande, the mountain from Joe Simpsons Book/now movie "Touching the Void." Did the essential group picture on top of the world stuff and just took in the serenity for a bit before heading down.

That altitude must have gotten to our heads.

We then decided to run down the 60% grade slope we just walked up (English cheese race style!!!). Not a smart move gringos. Mitch (Australian) lost control and crashed and burned. Thought he broke his leg and had to basically carry him down the mountain. Slow work and thank the Lord for the emergency horse at the bottom, but there was a lot of hiking before we got there. Kinda ironic something like that happens after seeing the Touching the Void mountain? Nice night time finish to a longggggggggg day or hiking to our standard favorite warm dinner of rice and tuna! He ended up being alright thanks to an ex-Israeli army medic in our group...

Cordillera Huayhuash is a must for any travelers in the region.

---

---