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The best view for our lunch
Some unknown flying object over the Nevado Quitaraju(6036m). My guide told me it was an avion....I rather believe it was an UFO.... When Wolfy passed away a few weeks ago I realized that life is really (really) short and since doing a trek in Huaraz has always been in my list, I better take my chance now before I am sent back to Malaysia. I know I am not a trekking material and after Kinabalu I hardly did any trek, but the pictures of the snow peaks just mesmerized me and I decided not to bother too much!
Initially I was looking through the internet for quotations and all the prices I was offered were more than 250USD, which were ridiculous!! After being told by the Couch-surfing friend I realized that it can be done within 100USD and so I just took a bus to Huaraz without any reservation.
I have asked a few agencies and eventually decided to go with Enrique….not the cheapest one and not an honest one as well (he is a typical businessman and also one of the agency who offered me more than 250USD before I came to Huaraz), but when we chat I can feel the cliché, so we settled down for USD130 for the 4days trek. I was having another offer of 75USD
for the same package, but the underage tour operator just didn’t convince me anyway…..
Day 1 - After squeezing dozens of chocolate and energy bars in my backpack, and meeting with another (the one and only) group member - Sven from Switzerland, we set-off the trek from Cashapampa (2900m) with our guide Carlos. This is a small town about 2.5hours combi ride away from the Huiaraz. We were taking the clockwise direction which given us more time to acclimatize, but we were warned that the first day will have some moquistos attack. A ‘sakai’ like me already full equipped with repellent and Mobico anyway!
Our donkey driver eventually appeared and he has brought a horse with him. A donkey can take maximum 40kgs and 50kgs for a horse. Our guide Carlos does not speak much English, so I know this is gonna be the time to test all the Spanish I’ve learnt from the past four months whether is applicable…...and bloody Sven speaks Spanish like a Peruvian (he learnt from Spain)….so Spanish has become the official language along the trek……
The first two hours were nothing much, but the trail was physically demanding where we have to
My favourite camp site
Setting the tents under the majestic Nevada Taulliraju (5830m), what more I could ask for...... non-stop ascending. The surrounding greeneries made me felt like doing another Mt. Kinabalu or Guning Ledang trek. Carlos has prepared us some sandwiches with avocado for lunch. I realized that a walking stick was essential and started looking around the streamside for one. The trail was quiet where only two groups of trekkers on the same direction. As told by Carlos, during the peak season falls on June and July, the whole trail will be full of people and it will be like a pasar malam (market) at the campsite at night. I am glad that we have chosen the right timing. This was also the beginning of the summer / dry season….but even it’s summer, it was still bloody cold at night……
The first day was only 4hours non stop climbing and we have reached our first campsite at Llamacorral (3600m). When we reached the site the donkey driver (even though he was with a horse) has setup our tents and boiled us some hot water for Mate Coca. This really made us felt like living in a five star hotel…
Nevado Caraz is the first snow peak we saw. The campsite was beside a stream with
The Cathedral
Taulliraju also known as The Cathedral. Although not the highest we saw but it was the most beautiful peak throughout the trek. toilets / bathrooms operated by a local family. However, Carlos advised us better to do ‘everything’ behind the rocks rather than using the toilets, which have not been serviced or cleaned since the Inca era…….
Carlos was also our cook besides being a guide. The first night we have some delicious chicken rice and corn soup for dinner, plus a bonus - we went to watch DVD at the family’s house after dinner. A documentary based on the book
Touching the Void seems to be a hype among the people staying in this area….the story was happened in Cordillera Huayhuash and we were watching the second part of the documentary. The true story was really disturbing since we were in the middle of nowhere watching an Englishman trying to survive in the middle of nowhere as well. However, it was really a good one and the was a lot better than many Hollywood disaster movies. All 7 of us including two kids of our Amigo concentrated on the 14” black and white TV until the main character being rescued eventually. The small wooden house was powered with a generator and the family also selling some snacks and drinks to the campers.
Day 1: Starting Point - Cashapampa
After a three 2.5hours bus ride we finally started our trek. However, they only stay here during summer in order to make some money. As a return I have given their two kids some chocolate as an appreciation for giving us a chance to watch DVD in the mountain.
Day 2 - It was another 4hours trek and was my favorite day where the scenery along the trail was so dramatic.
Initially we passed by two lagoons, Laguna Icchicocha and Jatuncocha. Carlos was quite good in showing us plants along the trail and pointing out some peaks and telling us the altitude. The first two hours we were basically like walking in the Mongolia flatland and we can glimpse Nevado Quitaraju (6036m) and Caraz (6020m) behind the mountain.
It was relax at first until we started to climb the Zigzag slope. After one hour climbing slowly, we finally reached our lunch site, with a beautiful view of Nevado Quitaraju. Climbing was difficult but the higher I reached more of the Quitaraju was reviewed, which became my only motivation. The walking stick I found on the first day had been a great help too.
I was always the last one (because I was the oldest?) of the group
Day 1: Starting Point - Cashapampa
It started off like any other trek in Malayasia, sunny and windy, and no snow peak around.... and sometimes we were like 300 - 400m apart. I was almost got lost in the trail when intended to follow the trail to another campsite Alpamayo Base Camp going after the direction of the majestic Quitaraju. Luckily Carlos realized that I was on a wrong path and showed me back to the correct direction.
The trail led us to our second campsite Taullipampa (4250m) and it was the best campsite within our 4days trek. We got a panorama view of three peaks: Taulliraju (5830m), Artesonraju (6025m) and Paron (5600m). We reached the campsite around 2pm and there was plenty of time to enjoy the site before the sun starting to set around 6pm. As usual, we have popcorns and Mate Coca for our tea break.
A group of Israelis arrived around 4pm. They were taking the anticlockwise direction and had to pass the highest point at Punta Union (4750m) on their second day. After 2 hours later there were three girls from their group still have not arrived at the campsite. The group members started to get worried but still thought that the girls will be coming down later.
However, once it was getting dark around
Day 1 - Ascending
The first two hours were physically demanding, and I realised that I was getting a bit too old for this..... 7pm, when the three girls have not appeared, everybody realized that it was serious where the girls have no jackets, food or water, and not to mention torchlight to show their trail. Their guides, who didn’t speak English at all started going back to the trail to look for the girls, but after a while they came back empty-handed.
Later their guides went back to the trail and searched for the girls again. We at the campsite can’t really help anything and the only thing to do was to stand outside the camp to show some lights, in case the girls were on their way to the campsite can see the signal…one of the Israelis guy also went back to the trail to look for the missing girls. The temperature fell drastically to negative. Even though I was wearing five layers of shirt I still felt shivering and non-stop shaking, which led me back to the tent to warm myself and got to sleep. I was not sure whether they have found the girls that night, heard some scream and shout in my sleep…. Sven and Carlos were also asleep, but I was sure our Israelis friends were still
Day 1 - Ascending
Our guide told us a donkey can carry max 40kg, and a horse can carry max 50kg. And he got us a horse...... waiting outside the tents showing some lights and hoping that their friends can get their way to the campsite……
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Lizzie
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What do you think?
I enjoyed reading your entry about your trek, especially as I am planning to do one myself in Huraz...it sounds very physically demanding, and I am a 19 year old girl on her own with not very much trekking experience apart from a couple of weeks in the Himalayas two years ago. Did you enjoy yourself, and would you recommend it? And more importantly, were those girls ever found?! Would love some feedback if you can - thanks, and have a good time on your travels! www.travelblog/bloggers/lizzie-and-spud