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Published: June 15th 2009
Saturday marked the end of my first week in Peru, and what better way to end that first week than by attending a big concert in Huancayo Saturday night and then hiking Huaytapallana. Saturday morning we woke up and went to Es Salude (the insurance hospital) to hand out fliers about donating blood. It was a very beautiful morning and people were actually very receptive to our message. A couple of people actually came up to us and said that they were going to go and donate blood now. Sunday was Global Blood Donors Day. The rest of Saturday we hung around and rested for the concert on Saturday night. We went to the Movistar Expo Rock tour Peru 2009 at the Estadio Mariscal Castilla. we saw several bands. The line up was: Amen, Bareto, La Sarita, Daniel F. , Bizzarro, and the headliner Los Authenticos Dedadenites from Argentina. The concert was so much fun, good music for the most part, some Peruvian beer, and lots of dancing. We left the concert a little after 1 AM and headed for our beds so that we would be somewhat rested for our trip to the Mountain.
We left for Huaytapallana at 9 AM. Our group included Mayuri, Kelsey, Anna, Derek, Elena, Juan Carlos, Henry (our trusty driver), his daughter, myself, and Coco our trek leader. We stopped just outside of Huancayo for some cocoa leaves to help with the altitude sickness and headed off. The trip took around two hours to get to where we would start to hike. The change in altitude between Huancayo and Huayta Pallana is 3000 ft. the drive followed a beautiful mountain fed trout stream all the way to the base of the mountain. We had to cross the stream several times and the crosses were possibly the scariest part of the whole climb. The bridges were mostly made of wood and were very narrow. One was just two timbers for each wheel to go across on. The worst in my opinion was again all wooden, but in one big area on the side the wood had rotted through. As we crossed the whole van wobbled as if it were going to fall into the stream. I am not sure how Henry made it but he did and we were all very impressed with his driving skills. I honestly cannot trust anyone but him to drive me around Huancayo and the surrounding area safely except for Henry. After surviving the van ride we got out of the van and started our hike. Immediately it became apparent how thin the air was. We chewed cocoa leaves which helped some with the altitude sickness. Our initial ascent was scary with dust or pebbles for our footing on narrow paths with big drops next to them. It took us about one and a half to two hours to climb up the initial part of the mountain. Each step was strenuous and my heart was beating harder than it ever has. After a while your lungs start to hurt from trying to breath in as much oxygen as you can. I got a headache from the combined pounding of my breaths and heart. even small boulders that we had to climb up felt like mini mountains. High steps took all of your energy and the pace of a normal hike I
would have felt like what running a marathon. I felt like a snail crawling up the mountain step by step. When we finally reached the top of the first ascent we saw the glacier and it was beautiful. In the valley there were small lagoons. At this peak Coco had us participate in an offering to the protectors of the mountain because we were strangers to the area and did not want to disrupt the balance. We made an offering of cigarettes, alcohol, candy, and only the best of our coco leaves. I gave a small green coco leaf which apparently means that I will have a child soon. I hope for my sake that that is not true. Coco told us about the god that watches over the mountain He had a bird head a human middle and a serpent bottom. This god watches over not only the mountain but also the valley below it. From there we headed to a point where we could better see the glacier as well as a turquoise lake. Around this time I was starting to feel really sick due to the altitude, almost to the point of throwing up. We hiked for another forty minutes to get to the view. That is where I stopped and rested. Coco led Derek, Henry, Henry's daughter, Juan Carlos, Mayuri, Kelsey and Elena a little further. Due to time limitations only people who could basically run could head to the glacier, so only Juan Carlos, Henry and his daughter and Coco continued on. As I waited at my overlook I ate, meditated and then wrote this in my notebook:
"It is amazing here at Huaytapallana. 3,000 more feet above Huancayo the air is even thinner. The scenery is breathtaking if you have a breath to take. The mountain top is covered by snow and a glacier. In the middle of the mountain peaks there is a valley with a lake the color of turquoise almost like the Caribbean. It is this color due to the sulfur that is present. I couldn't finish the hike-didn't quite make it to the snow because I was feeling sick from the altitude. I am sitting here gazing out at both the snow covered peaks, glacier,and the turquoise lake. This hike has challenged all parts of me: my physical ability, my mental stamina, and my freight of steep edges on high narrow paths. There is no noise on the mountain except for the wind and the occasional fly. It is peaceful, tranquil, and cold. I am dressed in several layers of smartwool, two hats, a scarf, and a Helly Hanson coat and still chilled. At the same time the sun is brilliant and dangerous and if you sit in the right spot warm. We must be down off of the mountain before five, because a little after five the clouds descend into the mountain and the valley and cover everything, making it difficult to see."
Around three we headed down off of the mountain. The path was scary but after a long rest I felt rejuvenated and excited. I always have had more fear going down a mountain than up but my feet felt secure on most of the ground. We headed down the mountain on a slightly different path than we went up. At the bottom we walked next to the start of the stream that would become the much bigger trout stream that we drove next to. It was beautiful with funny plants in it that looked soft but when touched were spiky. We got down the mountain in an hour. On the hill next to the parking area there was a tame baby alpaca that I went up to and touched. The fur was so thick and soft. Up at the building the owner was feeding a baby pequeño, which is like an alpaca or llama but even smaller. I patted it too and it almost gave me a kiss before sneezing right into my face. What an amazing end to the hike that produced almost every possible emotion in me. The Huaytapallana hike was one of the most challenging and rewarding hikes of my life. As we headed home in the van and went over the shaky bridges we were all exhausted and incredibly grateful for such an amazing experience.
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BigSister
non-member comment
Wow!
That is an amazing adventure. Now you can come back and skip around Smith Rock like it's child's play. Please bring me back some coca leaves, because, I, um also have altitude sickness... Keep up the fabulous blogging! xoxo