Peruvian Adventure 5/18/2006-6/28/2006
Steamboat à Denver à Miami à Lima à Huaraz à Cordillera Blanca à Huaraz àLazy Dog and LlacaàCordillera Huayhuash à Huaraz à Lima à Miami and home
6/12/2006: Today we left Huaraz at 9 AM in a van and climbed 3,000 ft to a pass through the Cordillera Negra. From there we dropped about 5,000 ft on winding dirt roads passing valleys filled with terraced fields and small villages.
Terraced fields on the
way to the Huayhuash
Occasionally we would see a local herder or just a child standing in a field. The woman and girls would always be dressed in the bright colors of the hill people and the men would be dressed in off-brown or khaki shirts and pants with the farmers fedora blocking the sun.
A young girl tending
her chickens and pig or just curious about ou passing van
to the base of a valley, then climbed another 5,000 ft were we were deposited in beautiful meadow at Matconcha, the beginning of our Huayhuash trek. Tomorrow morning we will set off for a twelve day 100+ mile walk around the Cordillera Huayhuash, one of the two or three most beautiful treks on the planet.
Camp I at
Mataconcha. Afternoon clouds rising off
the Amazon, but sunny skies ahead.
6/13/2006: Laguna Mitochocha: 14,030 ft
|
|
Day |
Trek |
|
|
15,360 ft |
15,360 ft |
|
Ascent |
3,512 ft |
3,512 ft |
|
Descent |
3,259 ft |
3,259 ft |
½ mile down and 109.5
miles to go. Note the cows, an ever
present companion in
Left camp at 8 AM this morning. Yesterday afternoon clouds started to move in to the valley where we were camping and through the night there was a mix of snow and rain. We departed our day one camp on a clear morning with a few clouds. There was no warm up as we headed up Caccuna punta at 15,360 ft and then descended in to a small valley. We wandered over rolling hills past limestone cliffs that would make a sports climbers palms sweat, but had probably never been touched by man. Crossed a few small streams and after about 4-5 hours dropped in to a meadow just below Laguna Mitococha and our second nights camp spot. We had moved quickly and arrived about an hour before our burrows and gear. Mo and I laid back on our packs and enjoyed the afternoon warmth.
After the burrows, Zack (cook) and _____(burrow driver)
arrived we set up camp. Quicke (our
guide) and I then hiked up to Laguna Mitococha to check out the view. Once there Quicke suggested we hike up a near
by pass to get a better view of the Cordillera Huayhuash. The little hike turned in to a three hour
trek over another 15,000 ft pass before looping around and back to camp. The views were spectacular and we encountered
a lone baby burrow at the summit of
Cool down hike with
Quike. Laguna Mitacocha below and the
East face of Jerupaja above and beyond
Stuffed burro on
Yanayana Pass
Top of
On the hike we were able to look directly across the valley where Mitococha sits at some of the legendary peaks of the Huayhuash, Jirishinca, Jirishinca Chico (also called the Bull for it double peaks), Rondoy and Mituraju.
When we got back to
6/13/2006: Laguna Carhuacocha: 13,730 ft:
|
|
Day |
Trek |
|
|
15,170 ft |
15,360 ft |
|
Ascent |
2,152 ft |
5,664 ft |
|
Descent |
2,362 ft |
5624 ft |
Woke up to dense clouds hiding the peaks, but by the time
breakfast was done, the ski was deep blue and the sun was shining. Before breakfast had settled we were on the
trail and up over 2,000 ft to
We are looking at the east face of Siula Grande and
Yerapaja. Siula Grande is most famous
for providing the setting (west face) for Joe Simpson’s climbing epic Touching the Void. Yerapaja is the second highest peak in
Peru Adventure Part Two Chapter XI