Huaraz

We left Huanchaco at about 7, ready to climb to our next destination of Huaraz. Breakfast was cereals and toast and we left promptly making fast progress along the flat coastal roads. It wasn't until about midday when we started climbing, stopping for lunch in Pariacoto where I had the chicken. It was impossible to order food though and the people just basically have us the limited dishes they had available! We had a bit of time to look round Pariacoto too which has was about 1300m up, surrounded by hills in all directions.

We then climbed rapidly along winding mountain roads on what is known as the casma route. The scenery was just stunning and we climbed up to about 4200m, even stopping a few times for some natural toilet breaks as we were drinking so much water. When at the top we started decending and we treated to some views of Huaraz which is situated high up in the Andes, dominated by the highest tropical mountain range in the world, the Cordillera Blanca. Looming over the town is Peru's highest peak, the 6,768m mountain of Huascarán which was amongst the many snowcapped mountains in the skyline. Huaraz itself is about 3000m above sea level.

After checking into our hotel which we arrived at by 4, we had to chance to relax before dinner. For dinner we walked about 10 minutes through town to this curry house. I have to say Huaraz is probably the place that has felt most dangerous so far in South America and I would not feel safe walking down some of the backstreets alone. Lots of drug dealers and drunks everywhere and the place has a reputation for violent muggings. The restaurant we went to however had English owners and I had the fillet steak rogan josh with chapattis which was really good. It took ages to arrive though. We headed back together to the hotel and I had an early night ready for the morning.

Huaraz has many options for activities and we were given an array of options for the 2 days spent in the city. On the Monday I decided to go on a tour to the nearby Pastoruri Glacier. In the past you could go on ice climbing on this but due to global warming it's not as good as it used to be. What I effectively booked instead was a bus trip which included stops at viewpoints and a hike to the glacier itself. There were 8 of us from dragoman on this trip, joined by 4 other random people from other hotels in the city. Leaving at 9 we stopped en route at this cafe where we had some coco leaf tea stuff which apparently prevents altitude sickness.

After the cafe we soon left the tarmac and went off road on this very bumpy gravel track, stopping later at this viewpoint where we could see the snowcapped mountains. There were also two llamas here all dressed up, even wearing sunglasses! We then continued driving a short way, stopping at these large tree things which I can't remember the name of. They were weird. There was also these hot springs here as well. The next stop we saw some interesting rock paintings, before continuing to the point where we started our hike which was 4800m up. That is very high compared to what I've been to before for an extended period.

The hike itself wasn't challenging, being a 2.5km walk along a concrete path past lakes to the glacier itself. Once at the glacier I went over the 5000m mark for the first time but I felt fine, although a couple of others had to head back. The view of the glacier however was just stunning and my photos just didn't do it justice. We were able to go right up close and the surrounding lakes had perfect reflections inside them. The surrounding area was just snowcapped mountains too. We stayed here for quite a while getting pictures.

We the headed back the same way back to the bus where after having lunch we drove back down to Huaraz. It was a very bumpy ride going down the winding gravel track however! We arrived back in Huaraz at about 5 where I relaxed for a bit before dinner, where a few of us went out to this pizza restaurant. I had the calzone and chips, and my new favourite drink of inca kola which I discovered last week! We then headed back where I had another night with an early start planned for the morning.

On the Tuesday I opted to do a day hike to a lake called Laguna 69. This however required an early start and we met at 6 for breakfast which was eggs. The reason we left so early was because it was about a 2.5 hour drive to the start point. En route we stopped at this village where we bought coco leaves to try and prevent the altitude sickness. We arrived at the start point by half 9 and we were told to return by half 3.

The walk to Laguna 69 itself was a 7km walk each way, starting at about 3800m, and rising to 4600m. 800m height gain is challenging anyway but in altitude it is even harder and we were warned to take extra care. The 11 of us who opted to do the trek set off and we were allowed to go our own pace as the path was pretty obvious, with out guide at the back. The walk started off relatively flat following this fast flowing stream along grassland. There were amazing views of the snowcapped mountains surrounding us, including Peru's highest peak behind us.

After a while we began to climb, winding through bushes on a gradual zig zag path. The views were stunning with waterfalls cascading down the sides and the mountains. The final bit of the climb was quite tough however. To put it into context, the landscape reminded me of the lake district, but if you were to take away the oxygen as the air was so thin. After reaching the top we got to this small lake and the terrain levelled out, with cows grazing in this boggy grassland. It was difficult here as due to the glaciers above us melting so rapidly there were effectively streams in various places which were difficult to bypass.

Before long we began to climb again up another zig zag path, this one being far steeper. It was very difficult to breath but we took it nice and easy and eventually made it to the top where we were greeted with a breathtaking sight of laguna 69. With snowcapped mountains surrounding it and waterfalls cascading inside, it was just breathtaking. I even paddled in the water but it was freezing! Everyone arrived at different times, but after being told there was a 60% success rate of making the lake prior, all 11 of us made it. We had lunch up here and got lots of photos before heading off in clusters back down the same way. 

The walk down was quicker but felt longer. We could appreciate just how far we climbed, and actually breath properly when decending. This also gave us the opportunity for more amazing photos. We got back to the bus at half 3 on the dot although a few others were a little slower. We ended up heading back at like 4. The drive back took ages though due to traffic, not getting back until like 7. I then spent the evening relaxing as my head caned, probably altitude sickness, but it was fine after a while. I then had an early night.