Cuzco

"Your emperor may be a great prince; I do not doubt it, seeing that he has sent his subjects so far across the waters; and I am willing to treat him as a brother. As for your pope of whom you speak, he must be mad to speak of giving away countries that do not belong to him. As for my faith, I will not change it. Your own God, as you tell me, was put to death by the very men he created. But my God still looks down on His children."
~Atahualpa, Inca Chief (On hearing Pope Alexander VI had declared Peru to be a possession of Spain.)

I arrived to the ancient Inca capital early on the morning of the Jewish new year´s eve. It was after my third night without proper sleep and at 6:00am the city haven`t properly woke up yet. As I wandered in the impressive Plaza de Armes waiting for the hostels to open their doors I was approached by an Hebrew speaking man who tried to convince me to try his hotel. I kindly refused but the Hebrew the man spoke was a clear sign on how big and influential is the Israeli tourist movment around the town, soon after when I started to see the signs in Hebrew and the Israeli flags I started to understand why they call Cuzco "The Israeli capital of South America". Since it was new year´s eve the city was packed with more Israelis than usual who came to spend the holidays in the city so finding a decent hostel proved to be a difficult task. After more than half a day I settled for a bad room with a very good shower and decided to find a better place as soon as I´ll find the time. All the wondering around got me a good understanding of the area around the central plaza where I will spend most of my time.After a decent dinner I decided to skip the traditional new year´s meal and catch a badly needed sleep instead. I slept for 14 hours through all the noise of people coming and going from the different parties.

In the next morning I moved to a better room at the same hotel and start talking with the other tenants. Almost immediately I found out that Cuzco is not Huaraz. Where in Huaraz people were always on a trek, organizing for one or out for one day activities - in Cuzco it seem that most people were content with just hanging around the city. Since the Cuzco area has so much to offer I found this a little bit surprising but after a while I realized that it just that since Huaraz biggest attraction was the treks people came there to trek while in Cuzco I met the rest of the Israeli crowd, many of whom were interested only in clubbing, cheap dining and perhaps some thrills that didn´t required too much hard work. The trekking crowd was here as well - it was just a minority. The lazy environment and the fact that the end of the season was fast approaching worried me a little at first as I didn´t want to get stuck - but all well that ends well and I found a good group to hang around with and got to enjoy the city and rest a little more than I got to up to this point - which was a good thing since I needed the rest after a very hectic month.

In the end I found that Cuzco is a great town. while not as comfortable as Huaraz, it has a lot more to offer between activities such as Salsa clubs (I even participated in a Salsa lesson), Museums and big markets all easily and readily accessible. I found two great places for breakfast or a light lunch - which were very useful since I often woke up late and hungry, at least 3-4 good restaurants for dinner and a good deal on Ice cream at the local McDonald's.. I also got to enjoy a variety of advantures outside the city from snowy mountains to jungles and lost Inca cities and one memorable afternoon on a hill at the outskirts...

Arequipa and Colca canyon

"The early bird gets the worm."
~American Proverb

Saturday, September 27th to Sunday, September 28th 2008

We arrived to Arequipa on an early Saturday morning after an exhausting night bus ride from Ica. We had a list of recommended hotels but they were all full so we settled for one who was recommended by our taxi driver which looked good, was near the Plaza and came with a reasonable price tag - we didn't plan to stay long so we settled for the "good enough". After a short rest we went to find some breakfast and see what there is to do around town. Arequipa is not considered a safe place so we didn't plan to wander away from the Plaza de Armes or try any independent activities. We found a good cheap breakfast right next to our hotel but finding something to do proved to be a lot more challenging. It turns out that all the local museums are closed on the weekend and as luck would have it - it was Saturday all day long... The only thing to do in the city itself was to hang around the beautiful central Plaza.

We came to Arequipa for two reasons: it was the sane way to get to Cuzco and to see Colca canyon and the condors that inhibit it. We pondered what will be the best way to see the canyon: a 3 day trek, using the local transportation or an organized one day tour. After seeing some pictures from the Canyon trek and checking the local buses timetable we decided to go for the organized tour. We checked around several agencies and finally closed a deal with the first one we visited. We also bought a bus ticket to Cuzco for the night including transportation to the bus terminal through the same agency. Since Colca canyon is almost 6 hours drive away from Arequipa the pickup from the hotel was planned to around 2am so I went to work on this blog and got to bed early after having a bad pizza for dinner.

We all woke up at 1:30 and half asleep climbed to the small van that picked us up and proceeded through the sleeping city to gather all the other participants: a Danish family, a French couple and an elderly lady from Argentina. We silently drove though the night trying to catch some sleep despite the shaky ride through the mountains until we finally stopped for breakfast at around 6:00am in the town of Chivay which while not much more than a big village, is the capital city of the Colca district. The breakfast was very simple: hot tea with bread, butter and marmalade but at this early hour the bread came straight from the bakery making it a very good breakfast indeed. After the breakfast we left the paved road and drove along the south edge of the canyon, one of the deepest in the world, stopping in small towns and good viewpoints along the way and getting some explanations on the region. We got to the main attraction the Mirador Cruz del Condor at about 8:00. Just a little further down the road from the tiny village of Pinchollo, the mirador is the most popular point for looking into the depths of the canyon – it's around 1200m deep there – and where you can almost guarantee seeing several condors circling up from the depths against breathtaking scenery. We read on the Internet the the condors usually show up around 9:00 and amazingly enough as if performing on a clock the first condor show up at exactly that time. We show 4 condors circling the canyon on the hot air that rose from the ground in the hot morning sun but unfortunately none were close enough to see in full majesty. It was an impressive view and I was lucky to catch a few glimpses through a binocular. At around 10:00 we returned to the van and just as we got in - the driver pointed out to a magnificent condor rising from the canyon just a few meters from where we stood 2 minutes before. We followed the lonely condor as he soared up above us and became a black dot in the clear blue morning sky.

We drove back to Chivay stopping at one or two more viewpoints for another 2 hours. It was noon and time for lunch. Our guide took us to a local restaurant who featured an all you can eat local cuisine including Alpaca meat and we couldn´t resist the temptation to try it. It turned out that the local food is not that good (other than the Alpaca ribs that got to the table too late to change our opinion) next time we´ll take a sandwich... We drove back to Arequipa stopping for a brief time in the freezing Mirador del Volcanoes where we got a good view of the snowy mountains around us and got back to the Plaza and around 17:00 where we had about 2 and a half hours to spent before being picked up to the bus station. We hanged around the Plaza some more (museums still closed...) and read a little until the agency owner came to pick us up. We immediately saw that we have a problem: the tiny cab already had the driver and the agency owner inside and the 3 of us with our big backpacks still outside... Let´s just say that we had to open the windows and keep part of the backpack outside the cab for the short ride to the bus terminal. We were very tired after two nights with very little sleep when we boarded the night bus to Cuzco.

Nazca

"You win some, you lose some.."
~English proverb

Friday, September 26th 2008

This is the story about how I almost got to see the famous Nazca lines. I assume that you all heard about those drawings that were carved into the desert ground by a mysterious culture long ago and if you didn´t than they are featured in the last Indiana Johns movie. The thing is that you can only see those lines from the air and I hate small planes taking tight turns - a lesson I learned during my army service. I did however got to Nazca, I did get to see the desert plain that was used as canvas for the ancient Nazcans and I did get to see the Chauchilla cemetery so it was not a complete loss. After I got back from Paracas I bought a bus ticket to Areqipa for the next day at 20:30 and arranged through the hotel a transportation to Nazca and back, flight ticket for Oded and a tour with an English speaking guide of the Nazca cemetery. I was not sure if I want to fly or not and I was promised that I could get a ticket at the airport. I was also promised that we will get back in time to catch the bus.

We woke up at a comfortable hour, ate breakfast and a taxi waited to take us to the bus terminal where we boarded a local bus to Nazca. The bus was not as comfortable as the one we got used to in our long rides across Peru but we were told that it´s a 2 hours drive so we didn´t mind. The bus trip took more than 2 and a half hours which should have made us a little worried but we met our local contact, a women named Ruth as we disembarked which made us feel a little better. Ruth crammed us into a small taxi and drove around town for a while. She than stopped an announced that we will go to the cemetery now and fly later. The guide she tried to set us up with didn´t knew English though so with disappointed face she reversed the plans and took us to the small airport. I felt a little quizzy after the bus ride and the heavy drinking two days ago and after taking one look at the small Cessna plans I decided that flying is out of the question. Ruth went inside with us, handed Oded to one of the local flight agencies and told us she will be back later. We sat down on the wooden benches and waited. And waited. And waited... I spend almost 3 hours on the uncomfortable bench only 45 minutes of which Oded was on the plane. Luckily there was a small information center in the airport who screened a collection of the discovery channel specials on the Nazca area who were very interesting and helped me pass the time.

When Oded finally landed it was already late and we were starting to get worried since Ruth was no were in sight. We were finally approached by a local driver who told us that he will take us to a local restaurant where we will eat lunch and wait for our cemetery guide. It took another 35 minutes before we left the airport (the driver waited to other passengers) and we found ourselves in a restaurant that we didn´t feel like eating in so we waited outside nervously looking at our watches. A small van picked us up after a nerve racking wait. The guide spoke excellent English and stopped on few locations on the way to the cemetery explaining us about the region around us - it was the best guidance I got in Peru so far. We finally left the main road for the long, lonely dirt road that steers off the highway from Nazca to Chauchilla heading straight into low hills, crossing a vacant, almost lunar landscape. It is difficult to imagine even an isolated farm thriving amidst this inhospitable desolation.

Located about 30 kilometers from the small town of Nazca, the Chauchilla Cemetery, features bones, textiles, hair, and even some skin that were preserved in underground vaults constructed of mud bricks and buried for over 1000 years. The Nazca people wrapped their deceased in finely embroidered cotton cloths before coating them with a resin and placing them into tombs in crouched positions. Grave offerings were stored beside them, possibly in anticipation of their protection in the next realm.Centuries later, bleached white skeletons, some still with dreadlocks, crouch upright on the floors of their ancient tombs, favoring visitors with creepy grins. We stood by silently, mystified. The mummies stared back, appearing just as amazed at the passage of time that has brought them together with us. We finished the tour and our guide took us to the bus terminal just in time to meet Ruth again and board the last bus that could bring us back in time for our planned night trip to Areqipa.

Paracas

"Birds of feather flock together."
~English proverb

Thursday, September 25th 2008

The Parker´s national reserve in Peru is also known as "Galapagos for the poor". I don´t feel poor for visiting the place- it was a great tour making me wonder how would a tour to Galapagos be. I closed the deal before I got wasted and Oded had enough sense to wake me up so I could undress and go to sleep inside the bad instead of on it and to set up the alarm clock to 5:30 since our transportation picked us up at 6:00. We rode for about an hour with another couple to the town of Paracas and than sat on the dock and drank coffee while we waited for the boat ride to the Ballestas islands. While waiting we were impressed by the sheer amount of pelicans and sea goals that flew above diving to get a fish from time to time. At about 8:30 we boarded a long speed boat with roughly 50 tourists and started to head off the bay. After 10 minutes we stopped and watched the famous three-pronged Candelabro (Candelabrum), carved into the sand with a similar technique to the Nazca Lines, although possibly of a different origin: theories range from pirates marking a treasure hiding place to soldiers fighting for Latin-American independence from Spain. The one that made most sense though is that it represent the San Pedro cactus and used for religious ceremonies - the true nature of the huge geoglyph, who made it and why will probably remain a mystery...

After taking some pictures we continued to the islands themselves. These islands are eroded by water and wind (Paracas means sand storm, Ballestas means Arc) creating surreal formations that are covered by sea birds and I mean covered! almost every horizontal piece of rock have some kind of bird sitting on it. As we got closer we got better and better view of the islands and the wildlife that inhibit it. Sea birds of all shape and size, Penguins, Sea lions and we even got a glimpse of a few dolphins who played around our boats. We sailed around the islands getting close enough to the rocks and the sea lions who sunbathed on them that we could touch them. While the sea lions seemed used to the commotion around them and even posed for some pictures, the sea birds did not pay us any attention and were more interested in flocking in huge groups or looking for fish, we did get however a very good show from 3 penguins who went for a morning swim. After about 2 hours we got back to the dock and took the taxi back to our hotel. I spent the rest of the day by the pool enjoying the hot sun after the weeks I spent in the cold mountains.

Sandboarding and getting wasted at Ica

"Let not the sands of time get in your lunch."
~National Lampoon, "Deteriorata"

Tuesday, September 23rd Wednesday, September 24th 2008

The night bus landed me in Lima at around 5:30 in the morning. I met Oded there and together we boarded another bus who took us to the coastal town of Ica. We immediately proceeded by taxi and foot to the Huacachina desert oasis and settled in a small hotel called "Casa de Arena". This was quite a change of scenery from Huaraz. The cold, business like atmosphere was replaced by girls in bikinis bathing by the poolside in the hot afternoon sun, when looking up instead of mountains all I saw were huge sand dunes and the general feeling was of an ocean resort. I read a little by the pool and put my head down when it got a little colder. When I woke up it was just in time to climb a huge sand dune to watch the sunset over the sea of sand surrounding us to the sound music performed by two friendly Kiwi girls. While it took almost 30 minutes to climb to the top of the dune I run down, or more accurately jumped down, in under two minutes feeling great with the soft sand under my feet and the wind in my hair. We ate at a very disappointing all-you-can-eat barbecue and played pool on a badly shaped table until it was time to say good night..

The next day started at 10:00 with a sandboarding tour. I boarded I weird buggy that once was some kind of Toyota truck and the driver took us for a roller coaster ride in the dunes around the small oasis. The ride was fun and the view of the seemingly endless sea of dunes was amazing. After about 20 minutes the buggy stopped at the top of a big dune and I was handed a sandboard and a candle to wax it. I took the first ride laying on my stomach enjoying the thrill of racing down the almost vertical slope on a thin plywood board. I tried the next one standing up, but it was not as fun since concentrating on keeping your balance took the edge from the ride. We continued like that for another two hours trying to survive taller and steeper dunes and enjoying the buggy roller coaster in between. When we returned to the hotel after 12:00 we still felt the adrenaline but we were also hungry as hell.

After launch I had some free time and decided to go on a winery tour instead of spending it by the pool, to learn how the local drink called Pisco is being made. In my time in Peru I learned to love their national cocktail "Pisco Sour" so I thought that this kind of education might be useful. A short round local driver called Tony picked Oded and myself up at around 16:30. We first drove to a more touristic location where an English speaking guide run us through the steps of making Pisco (basically it´s distilled young wine). The brewery itself was old but it does not look active - they probably moved to a more modern facility and kept the old one for the tourists. After the tour we were invited to try the local products of wine, Pisco and local delicacies. We tried everything and I was a little tipsy as I sat back in Tony´s BMW. We were than taken to anther location off the beaten path were our driver became our guide. Tony first run us through the facilities which were still active and than took us to the main attraction: the storage hall. Try to imagine a big stone room with no windows filled with big ceramic jars and all kinds of things you expect to find in a museum: weapons from pre and post colonial time, stuffed animals from the Amazons, mummies from Nazca and various other weird and eccentric stuff from around Peru. Tony concentrated on the ceramic jars though and ignored the rest. Every jar contained different kind of wine or Pisco and Tony handed us small plastic cups and started walking us through the room opening different jars and filling our cups with an hollow cane made specifically for that purpose. We tried between 20 to 30 different types of grape alcohol in different stages and tastes with Tony explaining us for what its good for and what is the correct way to taste it. Considering that Pisco is 43% alcohol it is quite understandable why I don´t remember a lot from the tour. I do remember that we got back to the hotel where I fell asleep still in my clothes...

My last day in Huaraz

¨Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.¨
~Dale Evans

Monday, September 22nd 2008

I didn´t plan anything special for my last day. In fact I had in mind a quiet day of hanging around the town and working on this blog. But as I woke up I found a note on the door from Orit that she and some friends are going horse riding in the area and if I´m interested I should meet them downstairs at 9:00am. since it was already 9:30 I thought I missed them but as I went down I found the small cheerful group still in the hotel... I should have remembered that I´m in Peru - not Switzerland... I joined the group and we set out for the last time to the small collectivo station where we boarded a small van to the small town of Yungar. In Yungar we met the horse master and the horses, I got a beautiful white mare named Penelope and we set out westwards towards the Cordillera Negra.

It turned out that me and Penelope got along great. She liked to calmly walk at the head of our small convoy but at the same time hated when some other horse tried to pass her biting the horses who tried and kicked them if horse or rider were too persistent. I ignored the calls to control my horse explaining that this is the way I like as well and that everyone should remain where they are: behind me.. We rode up westwards and up the Cordillera Negra gaining an incredible view of the Cordillera Blanca Who I learned to love so much rising to meet the sky to the east. As the view got better and better I thought to myself that this is a very good way to say goodbye. After 2 hours we stopped at an observation point for Coca tea and local ice cream. We than mounted our horses again and rode back with the sun at our backs.

We said goodbye to the friendly horse master and went back to the main road to catch a collectivo to Huaraz. Unfortunately a group of 7 big gringos are not a very appealing clients to the full vans who passed us by and preferred to cram more locals than to take us. As we debated what will be the best course of action to split up or stop a taxi and watched worriedly as the sky got darker - a police pickup truck stopped next to us noticing that we are standing for a long time next to the road it was patrolling. With the help of the Police we boarded a semi empty van and got back to Huaraz. I had very little time left so I went to see the Plaza de Armes one last time and ate a Spaghetti Bolognese at my favorite restaurant leaving a big tip. I than returned to ¨Casa Haimes¨ checked out, shouldered my mochila and walked to the bus station. I boarded the night bus to Lima and as I watched through the window the lights of Huaraz fading behind me I silently said goodbye to this unforgettable town.

Lake Churup

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."
~Henry David Thoreau

Sunday, September 21st 2008

You see one you see them all you probably think. You're wrong.
A beautiful lagoon always mesmerize me no matter how many I saw the week before, and the Churup lagoon is painfully beautiful. After trekking north of Huaraz (Santa Cruz) and then south (Huayhuash) I opted for something in the middle and the Churup lagoon located about 20km east of Huaraz was just perfect for that cause. Since it´s a short trek and so close to home it was also very easy to execute and can be done independently without an agency all you need is a photocopy of the route (obtainable at any reputable agency for free) water and some snacks.

On the morning of September 21st Oded and myself woke up around 8:00 ate breakfast at our favorite Cafe and set out to find a taxi. The trek starts near the small village of Pitec, but the local public transportation only takes you as far as Yupa which adds another hour of walking to the starting line. We felt a little lazy so we stopped a taxi and negotiated for a good price to the beginning of the trail. It took about one hour to get to the big wooden sign that mark the end of the drivable road and the beginning of the trek itself. We paid 5 soles entrance fee and set out on the very evident trail that climb a steep ridge above us.

After we felt we had enough we started descending back the way we came. We slowly and carefully found our way down the rock wall next to the waterfall and down the ridge to our starting point. This time there was no taxi to take so we headed for the trail to Yupa which took us another hour or so of very boring walking making us happy that we choose to pay a taxi rather than walking this route twice. We waited almost another hour before the public van picked us up at Yupa. Unfortunately for us the van engine died about halfway to Huaraz but fortunately to the van driver the road was downhill only so he had gravity on his side... We glided down the badly paved road to Huaraz, using the starter motor for the rare cases when gravity was not enough and made it to one block away from the collectivo station. We paid the driver and walked back to the hotel. Since we bought tickets to Ica the day before I said goodbye to Oded who wanted to spend another day in Lima and went to sleep knowing that this is my last night in the amazing town of Huaraz..

Chavin

"The mystery surrounding the ancient civilization of Chavin, a prosperous and mystifyingly unfortified civilization high in the Andes Mountains of Peru in 1,000 B.C., has plagued historians for thousands of years, but recently the veil that shrouded the truth for centuries has been removed and facts have come to light. One of the most surprising ancient civilizations this world has ever seen, historians have learned that Chavin was an intricate society which used methods of total control, manipulation, and religious ritual that have only recently been understood.."
~Digging for the Truth: The Real Temple of Doom

Saturday, September 20th 2008

How many times in your lifetime do you get a chance to see a god ?
housed in the central cruciform chamber of a labyrinthine series of underground passages in the ancient temple in Chavin you can find The Lanzón is the colloquial name for the most important statue of the central deity of the ancient Chavín culture of the central highlands of Peru. Thousands of years ago the most important devotees would be led into the maze of pitch-black tunnels, eventually coming face to face with the sculpture's snarling mouth and upturned eyes. The worshipers' disorientation, in addition to the hallucinogenic effects of the San Pedro cactus they were given before entering, only heightened the visual and psychological impact of the sculpture. Years passed, the temple was forgotten and sealed and the original statue once a god in those lands patiently awaited its rediscovery surviving the Spanish conquest and other countless rise and fall of cultures and religions..

But as usual I get ahead of myself. If you remember I finished my ice climbing experience with a hurt shoulder and a bad cold from hiking through a snow storm. One day of rest just won´t do... So I spent the day after mainly working on this blog and realizing that two consecutive days of doing nothing will drive me crazy. So together with Oded and Orit (who I met at the ice climbing and needed some time to adjust to the altitude) we decided to tour Chavin: a nearby archaeological site on which we knew almost nothing about. After a short inquiry we found that an organized tour will cost as much as a public transport, so we registered to one in one of the many small agencies.

After a good breakfast we went and boarded our bus finding out that the majority of our partners to the tour are a small class of 16 years old schoolgirls from Lima and their teacher. The road led us south of Huaraz and than east with the guide explaining various things in Spanish. We stopped for 15 minutes near the beautiful lake Querocoha for a photo opportunity with the lake and some local Llamas and Alpacas and it was than that we discovered that we are an attraction! the school girls stood in line to get their pictures taken with us almost completely ignoring the exotic animals.. The bus climbed up through the Kawish tunnel at 4555m at which point we gave the girls altitude sickness pills and got sweets in return. After a stop for lunch, we got to the main attraction of the day: the temple of Chavin.

We paid a little extra for an English speaking guide for our small group which was money well spent - the guide walked us through the site explaining in great details the things we saw such as the underground water tunnels the great plaza, the black and white portal and the importance of the number seven throughout the site. We than descended into the maze of tunnels once walked by secretive priests and tribes chieftains and finally got to meet face to face the once proud god of the realm still in in original stand after all those years. The tour took roughly two hours and was fascinating especially since the site is in such a good condition and the whole experience reminded me an Indiana Johns movie.

The experience ended with a tour in the small local museum and getting back to Huaraz at around 19:00.

Ice wall climbing

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice."
~Robert Frost

Thursday, September 18th 2008

As soon as I put on the gear our guide handed us near lake Llaca I knew I made a mistake.
My shoulder blade started to hurt during the last few days of the Huayuash and one day of rest was not enough to let it heal. However when during the afternoon on the day before I got invited to try this activity I could not say no. We started with a small group of 4 but by the time we boarded the van early in the morning there were ten of us. The small van jumped along the rough road to Llaca where we disembarked and got our climbing gear. The wall itself waited us at the end of an hour-hour and a half of uneven path at 4500 meters. As soon as I took the the first step with the heavy climbing equipment my shoulder started to bother me and I knew I made a mistake...

However one of the group was new to Huaraz and this was her first walk in those heights so we took the trail very slowly even stopping for coca tea on the way. The weather was hot making carrying the equipment even harder. We hiked along the small green lake and advanced to the glacier that feeds it - the landscape was filled with jagged rocks and pools with floating ice it didn´t look earthly or welcoming. When we got to the base of the grey ice of wall we could see that it was slowly melting in the hot afternoon sun. We sat below the wall as the guides setup the ropes and starting wearing the heavy ice boot and crampons. I was the first one who was ready and I confidentially went and stand beneath the harder route remembering my rock climbing experience.

Another mistake...

Turns out that I´m not as good in ice climbing as in rock climbing - the exact opposite - I suck at it! While rock climbing is about finding your way up across the rock face looking for handholds and footholds and keeping your balance, ice climbing is about kicking and hitting the ice with your crampons and axes into submission. And in my case, the ice didn´t yield.
My kicks and blows either weren´t deep enough to support my weight or I shattered the ice creating unusable shallow holes. I kept kicking and hacking but half way through I run out of air and got off from the wall defeated...

Others were not as bad as I was and on the easier route almost everyone got to the top. I felt a little better when I saw that only one other made it higher than me on the hard one (although he did made it all the way up). Although the sky turned grey and the guides were worried that it will start snowing - I wanted to try the other route to see if I can redeem myself. I didn´t. I did marginally better on that route and although I was determined to reach the top on muscle power and sheer will power alone, I tried too hard and the crampon broke from my boot under the force of my kicks - the ice wall has won again...

At this point the sky turned black and fearsome the exact opposite of the hot summer sun that followed us in. We quickly packed our bags and although my shoulder gave me hell, started walking back as fast as I could in the heavy snow that started falling. The snow turned into a storm when I was near the starting point, I almost run the last 500 meters slipping a few time on the icy rocks but I made it back in roughly half an hour. I put on my warm clothes and rested my shoulder while I waited close to an hour to last of the group to huddle through the storm.

All in all it was quite a memorable experience ;)

The Huayhuash circuit

"By its very nature the beautiful is isolated from everything else. From beauty no road leads to reality."
~Hannah Arendt

Tuesday, September 9th to Tuesday, September 16th 2008

The landscapes of the Huayhuash take your breath away.Magnificent black snow capped mountains who watch guard over impossibly blue lagoons who feed roaring waterfalls and fast flowing streams. Such beauty cannot be described in words, it can not be reproduced in a photograph, in fact the photos attached to this post are a mere shadow of the real thing and I can just hope that they will help me revive my memory from those wonderful moments, don´t think that you can understand the beauty of the place by looking at them - if you can come to Huaraz and experience them for yourself, you won´t regret that decision. However you should know that as always such beauty comes with a price.The Huayhuash trekking area is difficult. you need to be acclimatized to heights, fit and willing to suffer. you should also be prepared to huge range of temperatures change as in blistering sun, torrential rain and wind driven sleet and snow - all in the course of a single day. Almost the entire trek take place between 4000 and 5000 meters above sea level and you need to traverse a mountain pass almost every day and some days you´ll have two passes to overcome ! But still the feeling you get when you finally make it to the pass and the view opens before you is more than a fair reward for all the hard work you put in...

Before the trek started we had some last minutes changes: First we were informed that our Santa Cruz guide we asked for will join us again, second another couple of friends will join us setting our final number to 11 and lastly, Alex found a driver willing to drive us to the base camp saving up half a day walking. The sunny morning who met us outside the hotel as we loaded the van lifted our spirit a little as well. The good weather lasted almost through the entire ride, however as the van slowly progressed through the rough road to our first camping site near Matacancha, dark clouds covered the sun and as we disembark we got greeted by torrential rain and hail storm in which we setup our tents. We huddled inside the main tent and passed the time talking and playing cards, hot tea and popcorn did wonders to our moral. After a good hot meal we retired to our tents getting some rest for the hard day that awaited us.

We woke up early and almost immediately started climbing the steep accent that led to the Cacananpunte pass, the trail zigzaged along the green mountain side and disappeared somewhere between the glaciers above us. There were still signs for the rain and sleet that continued all through the night, but it was a fine weather for climbing. When we got to the pass we were treated with a wonderful view of a wide green grass valley that reminded me the land of Rohan from the "Lord of the Rings" movie. As we descended we knew that there is still one more pass to traverse today and felt sorry for every hard gained meter of altitude lost... we at our launch on the shores of lake Mitucocha and headed for the Carhuac pass. The Carhuac was a mean pass. It did not seem hard at first with the relatively easy incline but as you gain altitude every step is hard and the pass itself was nowhere to be seen.. 10-15 we climbed up a small hill thinking that this is the pass - and every time we were disappointed to find out that the pass eluded us once again... by the time I got to the pass itself I was already exhausted and didn´t even noticed that finally the pass was under my feet. We got to our camping site on the shores of the beautiful lake Carhuacocha at sunset just in the right moment to see the last rays of sun bounce off the huge glacier that hanged over the mirror smooth lagoon.

We got up early again to a frosty morning, still a bit tired from yesterday´s work but as we circumvented the lagoon the majestic view of the Yerupaja mountain lifted our spirits. We know that today´s trail was especially steep and that the emergency horse will not be following us. We walked for 2 hours and rested near the Quesillacocha lagoons also known as the "Mother and Daughter" as we rested we could see the trail up ahead - an almost vertical decent to the mighty Silla pass... Fortunately, at least for me, the climb was the easiest one so far and the spectacular view of the lagoons from above which got better and better as I climbed higher was a nice bonus. I felt a little sad as two thirds through the climb, the trail twisted into a small ravine blocking the view of the lagoons below. before making the last turn I stopped for a moment and tried to etch every detail into my mind. When we got to the pass itself it was snowing hard. Our cook, who walked with us, opened his backpack and started to make guacamole sandwiches, so we sat down on the ground and enjoyed the food and the view while snow started to pile on the ground. We walked through a weird valley of shallow rivers and shallow lakes for 2-3 hours before getting to our camp at Huayhuash. We´ve seen torrential rail fall on the mountains on both sides but luckily we only had to walk through a light drizzle.

As we woke up and started walking we all felt a little excited - not only was this going to be an easy day, but we had a special treat waiting for us at the end - natural hot springs! we were so anxious to get a bath after 4 days that we tackled the nasty Portachuelo pass without a single complaint and as we descended to to Viconga lake thorough herds of llamas and Alpacas we had an extra bounce in our steps. We got to the campsite around noon, ate our lunch, packed towels and change of clothes and rushed to the springs. The springs were everything we expected to be and more.. a clear round pool with 40 degrees hot water that soothed our muscles and weary feet. We stayed for a couple of hours, showered in the smaller hotter pool and got to the camp slowly not wanting sweat in our fresh clothes.We all had a very good night sleep that day...

Our fifth morning on the trail was the coldest one yet. As we started to walk in the harsh cold morning we hoped that the climb to the Punta Cuyoc pass, the highest pass on the circuit at 5000 meters, will warm us. However the wind was relentless and moral started to drop. Suddenly out of nowhere, the two friends who joined us in the last day started to sing. It was hard to sing while you climb and struggle for air so the songs came out a little funny and people had to stop in mid sentence to breath from time to time, but the singing did the trick and the Cuyoc was later remembered as the easiest pass on the trek. By the time we got up, the small ponds were still frozen but the sun has come out and we were all in a very good mood. The amazing views at the pass lifted our spirits even further. It was with high spirit that we descended from the pass and sat down to eat and rest in the meadow below. We each had a decision to make - climb to the San Antonio pass to see the view or rest for half a day at the camp just one hour away. With the exception of two, we almost all decided to test ourselves in the climb - and what a climb it was! almost 700 meters of a trail so steep that on some parts I found myself crawling on all four limbs.. The last part was hard in particular consisting of fine brown gravel that sent you back one step down for every two steps up. I also managed to execute a spectacular fall into a 3 meter deep crevice - but other than my pride and a hole in pants I got off easy - in fact I got so pissed off from the fall that I almost run the remaining part. The pass did gave us a magnificent view for our efforts and we stayed for almost an hour enjoying it before we carefully returned the way we came and hiked to the camp.

On our sixth day we had no pass to conquer and we started descending right off the bat for a change. The trail eased us down along a small river for almost 5 hours before we got to a small village called Huayllapa. Huayllapa who is reachable on foot and horses only was a very small village and the only one we saw during the trek. It was an opportunity to get some supplies, drink a cold coke and tend to our horse who needed a horseshoe replaced. Although not officially a pass, the climb back from the village proved to be a long and tiring affair. Gaining almost 1000 meters of altitude, it was easy to begin with and we enjoyed the oxygen filled air, but as we got higher and higher our legs needed rest and we struggled to breath again in the thin mountains air. By the time we got to our camp we all dropped like sacks of potatoes and drank our coca tea and eat our popcorn where we dropped.

Our seventh day was one of the hardest but also one of the best in terms of views. We started with the Tapush pass who gave us a nice view of both the Huayhuash and Cordillera Blanca and than descended into a forested valley (very rare at those altitudes) and up again to the Punta Yauche pass which was steep and hard but also showed us the Yerupaja mountain from a good angle. As we descended down to camp near lake Jahuacocha, we had a magnificent view of the lake, Yerupaja above it and two hawks soaring up beneath us. We were also able to catch a mighty snow avalanche which roared and thundered for almost five minutes from the mountains to the lake below. We all felt a twinge of sorrow as we got ready to spend our last night on the road.

On our eighth and final day we got up early than usual. It was still dark outside when we ate and we started our hike with the first rays of sunlight. The day startd off easy walking an almost straight path along a water pipe that was laid deep into the mountain side, but as the hours progressed the sun and monotonous walk started to take their toil and we all wished that the trail will end and we´ll finally board the bus back to Huaraz. However the trail had one last surprise waiting for us and we found ourselves after 5 hours of walking 1000 meter above the bus station which awaited to us in Llamac. It was a harsh decend for our knees and legs. Needless to say that we were all very tired when we finally got on the bus... After settling in "Casa Jaimes" again and a very good shower, we all met for a very good dinner at a place called "Chilli Heaven" where I celebrated over a big dish of Chilli con Carne. It wasn´t even needed to be said that tomorrow will be dedicated to rest alone...

Back in Huaraz: getting ready to Huayhuash and canyoning

"You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time."
~Charles F. Kettering

Sunday, September 7th 2008

I got back from the Santa Cruz trek with a taste for more of the same. I was not the only one.
Six out of our original group of eight wanted to put more miles on our trekking boots.
We had a hard choice to make. The trek in question was the Huayhuash circuit known to be one of the most beautiful but also one of the toughest trails in the world. The experience of the Santa Cruz pass was still etched in our brains and Huayhuash had 8-9 of those in the course of eight grueling days... However this was a once in a lifetime chance to see one of the world´s greatest landscapes - something that if you miss you may regret the rest of your life...

So with a little trepidation and over a good meal in Huaraz we all agreed to test ourselves in the trails and passes of the mighty Huayhuash circuit. We found another three brave souls to join us and together we went back to Alex from "Andes explora" and closed a deal for the trek starting Tuesday morning. This time we used our experience from the Santa Cruz and asked for a couple of extra things that will make our lives a little better on the road. We also asked for our Santa Cruz guide again. It was almost dark by now and we wanted to try something fun and relaxing for the day we had left before the trek, the choice fell on Canyoning also know and waterfall rappelling. I was still a tired from the Santa Cruz and went to bed early.

Monday, September 8th 2008

I woke up early and packed all the thing I needed in a small bag: a change of socks, a towel and a dry shirt.
As I went outside clouds still covered the sun, I hoped that the day will warm up later.
We boarded a small van for a 20 minutes ride outside of Huaraz. The van stopped on a small bridge and we all disembarked. I looked up at the sky trying to find a window in the grey blanket of clouds above up but to no avail. We climb the hill above the road and stood above the first waterfall - a 20 meter drop of ice cold water in the chilling morning wind. The guides tied the ropes and we started descending one by one, the screams for below were a clear indication for times when a poor soul could not avoid the ice cold water..
As we stood shivering below the fall the guides moved the ropes to next waterfall and the process repeated itself.
Descending down the rope was an
enjoyable experience made better by the futile attempt to avoid getting wet and the laughter of the people below when the inevitable happened... We rappelled down a third waterfall which was a bit taller and narrower than the previous one and rushed to our towels and dry clothes by the bridge. While we tried to get the blood flowing again through our frozen limbs the guides setup the rope for one more decent, this time it was a free rappel from the bridge to the river below - no walls to support you just you and rope, but also no freezing water to avoid - it was the best descend of the day for me.

As we took the van back to Huaraz it started to rain.
While I was happy that I managed to avoid the rain during the canyoning, I was not happy with the prospect of trekking in pouring rain.
I spent the rest of the day looking for better rain protection and some extra aids to keep me warm in the cold nights like a hot water bottle and a warm blanket to help my sleeping bag drive away the harsh cold when I sleep. It rained all through the day and the Internet weather forecast promised us more rain for the coming week. This was not a good beginning for such a hard trek but still we didn´t cancelled. Huayhuash here I come !

The Santa Cruz trek

Life is brought down to the basics: if you are warm, regular, healthy, not thirsty or hungry, then you are not on a mountain... Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop."
~Chris Darwin.
Wednesday, September 3rd to Saturday September 6th 2008



Air. I need air. The mountain pass looms up above me guarded by snow caped mountains, but at 4750 meters above sea level - every step is an effort. Snow is starting to fall, I don't care. There is only one thought in my mind - reaching the V shape crack in the seemingly impassable cliffs above me. But to do so I need air. I'm panting like crazy, slowly slowly with small steps I climb up the trail. The last few steps are done on sheer will power alone. climbing an almost vertical wall to the pass itself I finally stand on the small rock shelf and again find it hard to breath - but this time it's because of the breath taking view of the Santa river valley that opens before me with it's green meadows, waterfalls and sky-blue lagoons.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

The trek started early Wednesday morning with a four and a half hours long bus trip to a small town called Vaqueria deep in the Cordillera Blanca. The ride itself was beautiful passing through the mountains and next to two lagoons giving us a glimpse of things to come. We met our donkey drivers, tied the camp and unnecessary equipment to the donkeys and with only water and a light lunch in our day packs started walking to our first campsite.

The road passes through few small villages first going down to the river bed and than slowly up along the river. The scenery changes from wide meadows with horses and cattle to narrow trails in the local dense vegetation. Although it's not a hard walk, this is my first encounter with the high altitude thin air and my head is throbbing. I feel a little better when I see the camp already set up and we all sit in the common tent for some hot tea and popcorn. Knowing that tomorrow will be a hard day I decide to call it a day early and retire to my tent to get some sleep - I'm later informed that I missed a very good hot meal..

The second day starts with a light decent up the river. We climb above the tree line and the terrain becomes more rocky and steep. I can see the mountains in the distance, but the pass itself is still not visible. The thin air and physical effort are starting to take their toll and the horse that walks behind us for emergencies looks inviting.. I make a decision that I will not ride the horse unless absolutely necessary, greet my teeth and carry on. The feeling when reaching the pass is pure bliss from the view, the sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that from now on the direction is down.

We reach the camp just before night fall tired but very satisfied. The camp is already set up again by our donkey drivers who rushed ahead of us and the smell of popcorn is in the air. We all eat a good hot meal and talk a little until the harsh cold drives us to our warm sleeping bags. The last two days are a leisurely walk through the Santa river valley passing the waterfalls and lagoons we saw from the pass and stopping from time to appreciate the impressive mountains towering high above us.

The trail ends in the small town of Cashapampa with it's impressive irrigation channels.
We take a local van back to Huaraz and after a good shower and a good meal I go to sleep in the same familiar bed at "Casa Jaimes" dreaming about my next trek..

Rock climbing

"Real Programmers don't play tennis, or any sport that requires you to change clothes. Mountain climbing is OK, and real programmers always wear their climbing boots to work in case a mountain should suddenly spring up in the middle of a machine room."

~From Real programmers don't write specs.

Tuesday, September 2nd 2008

The rock wall is a challenge.

It stands tall above you dares you to try and climb if, find nukes and crannies for your hands and feet, slowly pull yourself up secured by a line of rope anchored high above you.

I love a good challenge.

Turns out I have an affinity for climbing.

With very little previous experience I was able to easily pull off the hardest routes on the rock face near Chancos that 10 of us approached on a beautiful sunny morning. In fact I was the only one who climbed the negative accent and I did it without breaking a sweat..

Maybe I found my sport?

I should defiantly try and purse this activity in the future.

Base camp Huaraz

"No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning."
~Cyril Connolly

Sunday, August 31st 2008

The afternoon bus from Lima got me to Huaraz at around 19:00.
It was already dark and cold and I directed my weary fit to an Hostel called "El Tambo" which was highly recommended on the net. The place seem nice enough but the only available bed was in a shared room near the entrance.
It was not a good night.
People came in and out all through the night, the ceiling creaked horribly and worst of all the bed had a big dent in the middle which made a well needed good night sleep impossible.

Monday, September 1st 2008

The morning Finally came and the first order of the day was to find another place to stay and find my way around the city.
Fortunately the first mission was easy enough - just 2 blocks from away I found a cosy room with private bathroom at another recommended hostel called "Casa Jaimes" which is run by a nice local family. So I put my backpack down and went outside to explore the city. While nestled in the middle of the Peruvian Andes, Huaraz was nothing like the quiet red roof Swiss town I imagined it to be. It hit you hard as soon as you leave the comfort of your hotel. The narrow streets surrounded with 2-3 stories grey building look like an endless maze of people, activities and insane traffic. The streets are full with store fronts with all kind of shapes and the narrow sidewalks are partly obscured by merchandise and street paddlers.
The first impression is of a dirty disorienting unfriendly place.

But after a deeper look there are some order in the madness, the people are nice and welcoming, the food and lodging are cheep and every thing you need is a short walking distance away in one of the colorful stores. But the real attraction of Huaraz is not the city itself but the surrounding mountains and travel agencies who offer endless activities for passing adventurer. I choose a local agency call "Andes explora", found a few new friends (two of which I already met in my stay in Lima) and together we decided to get our hiking boots tested on the famous Santa Cruz trail. The trek was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, so I decided to try rock climbing and get organized for my first trek...