Aug 22, 2009 - Peru: Cordillera Blanca

(Apologies all for the slightly out-of-date journal updates!! Only a month behind but have been a little busy.) After 13 hours and two bus rides we arrived in Huaraz at6am, checked into our hostel and slept for a while. ... We had originally planned to do only a one day trip called Lago 69 to see ice covered mountains and glacial lakes in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range.(Apologies all for the slightly out-of-date journal updates!! Only a month behind but have been a little busy.) After 13 hours and two bus rides we arrived in Huaraz at6am, checked into our hostel and slept for a while. ... We had originally planned to do only a one day trip called Lago 69 to see ice covered mountains and glacial lakes in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range....

Aug 11, 2009 - Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca

Well it´s my turn to continue the story. So we decided to go back to Huaraz to be on the safe side. ... The last thing I wanted was to die from altitude sickness.Well it´s my turn to continue the story. So we decided to go back to Huaraz to be on the safe side. ... The last thing I wanted was to die from altitude sickness....

May 9, 2009 - Back in PERU

In Huaraz, Peru I ducked and stepped up onto the local collective taxi, a passenger van destined for Pitec in the highlands just north of the city and the start of the day-hike to Lake Churup. ... The impressive views of this range dominate the Huaraz skyline. ... Back in Huaraz the night before I just decided not to shop for food thinking I could put something together the next day. ...

Apr 7, 2009 - Huaraz

Apres une bonne semaine a Lima, nous reprenons la route cette fois-ci dans la montagne, a Huaraz. ... Nous sommes un peu deçus de ces quatre jours a Huaraz a cause du temps qui nous a pas permi d'admirer ce qui se dit etre les plus belles montagnes du monde, mais au moins la fraicheur de la montage nous aura fait du bien. ... Despues de pasar una linda semana en Lima, seguimos el viaje pero esta vez hacia la cordillera blanca, en donde se encuentran las montañas mas bellas del mundo.Apres une bonne semaine a Lima, nous reprenons la route cette fois-ci dans la montagne, a Huaraz. ... Nous sommes un peu deçus de ces quatre jours a Huaraz a cause du temps qui nous a pas permi d'admirer ce qui se dit etre les plus belles montagnes du monde, mais au moins la fraicheur de la montage nous aura fait du bien. ... Despues de pasar una linda semana en Lima, seguimos el viaje pero esta vez hacia la cordillera blanca, en donde se encuentran las montañas mas bellas del mundo....

Dec 1, 2008 - Huaraz and Parque Nacional Huascaran

Nov. 1: Huaraz Huaraz itself is not a beautiful town (it's dusty, dirty and cold), but it's flanked on all sides by snow capped mountains, the hostel is friendly and boasts a rooftop patio and open air kitchen, and I've met two terrific travellers (Sam and Mark - thanks Mark for the photos!) - making our 2 day stay here relaxing and enjoyable. ... The three of us acclimatize by ice climbing in the mountains near Huaraz. ... We all make it to the top of several climbs with a little help from our guide who yells up to us in Spanish (but a lot is trial and error since we don't know vocabulary for rappel, pick-axe, crampon etc.Nov. 1: Huaraz Huaraz itself is not a beautiful town (it's dusty, dirty and cold), but it's flanked on all sides by snow capped mountains, the hostel is friendly and boasts a rooftop patio and open air kitchen, and I've met two terrific travellers (Sam and Mark - thanks Mark for the photos!) - making our 2 day stay here relaxing and enjoyable. ... The three of us acclimatize by ice climbing in the mountains near Huaraz. ... We all make it to the top of several climbs with a little help from our guide who yells up to us in Spanish (but a lot is trial and error since we don't know vocabulary for rappel, pick-axe, crampon etc....

Oct 1, 2008 - Peru, Huaraz

10 hours later after climbing high into the Andes we made it to the lovely town of Huaraz, altitude 3100m. ... This walk consisted of about 4 hours of trekking through the mountains surrounding Huaraz. ... The only thing that was keeping us going now was knowing that tonight we would be back in Huaraz, and after a hot shower we would be enjoying eating at our favourite restaurant in town. ... Back in Huaraz we recovered from our trip and spent another few days enjoying the town. ...

Jun 17, 2008 - Huaraz - Climbing

Took the Tent and the rock climbing gear up to a high valley 4500m alt to do some sport climbing we´d heard of. After this we hooked up with a guy from the US to climb the mountain Chopalcalqui but we spent two days walking in from the road in rain and snow, listening to avalanches coming down the faces around us before turning tail back to sunny Huaraz. ...

Jun 10, 2008 - Huaraz - Huascaran circuit by bike

As we had fast forwarded to Huaraz we thought we´d get some more use from the bikes and see the mountains we could climb - by cycling around them! By doing a circuit of Huascaran we´d see plenty of mountains and get some good acclimatisation in by going over two big passes. ... Lunch then a Collectivo saw us back in Huaraz in the afternoon. ... The funniest thing was putting our bikes on top of about 100 live guinea-pigs in net bags on the roof rack - the only person worried seemed to be the owner of said food! Overall an amazing 200km) ride on pretty awful roads (some long bits of pushing on Punta Olympica as too loose) with spectacular mountain views.As we had fast forwarded to Huaraz we thought we´d get some more use from the bikes and see the mountains we could climb - by cycling around them! By doing a circuit of Huascaran we´d see plenty of mountains and get some good acclimatisation in by going over two big passes. ... Lunch then a Collectivo saw us back in Huaraz in the afternoon. ... The funniest thing was putting our bikes on top of about 100 live guinea-pigs in net bags on the roof rack - the only person worried seemed to be the owner of said food! Overall an amazing 200km) ride on pretty awful roads (some long bits of pushing on Punta Olympica as too loose) with spectacular mountain views....

May 17, 2008 - Rapelling down 3 waterfalls and a bridge!

After 4 days of hike, we decided we shouldn´t take a night bus that day but to stay an extra day for rest and washing dirty clothes and wet socks. That night, we took the night bus from Huaraz to Trujillo (10 hours) and said goodbye to our fun 6 days in Huaraz, one of our favorite place in Peru. ... rutacerohuaraz. ... com) which has it´s own guide and equipments.After 4 days of hike, we decided we shouldn´t take a night bus that day but to stay an extra day for rest and washing dirty clothes and wet socks. That night, we took the night bus from Huaraz to Trujillo (10 hours) and said goodbye to our fun 6 days in Huaraz, one of our favorite place in Peru. ... rutacerohuaraz. ... com) which has it´s own guide and equipments....

May 13, 2008 - Trekking in Huaraz, Peru

FIRST DAY In our second day in Huaraz, we began our long anticipated 4 days/3 nights trekking (Santa Cruz Trail) through the high snow mountains of Peru. ... To our surprise, Monttreak didn`t have its own transportation and we had to go own the typical van-like collective bus that travel frequently along the valley of Huaraz. ... The trail ended at an opening between cliffs into the wide Huaraz valley in the town of Cashapampa (2900m). ... We heard from Abel that there is this excellent hot spring in Chanco, near Marcara, so we were dropped off at Marcara on our way back to Huaraz (30 min. ... away from Huaraz) and took a 5 min taxi ride to Chanco (4 Soles). ...

May 12, 2008 - Rock Climbing in Huaraz

After an 8 hour ride on the night bus, we arrived near the highest mountain range in South America in a town call Huaraz. ... Huaraz is surrounded by snow mountains. ... For the first day in Huaraz, we decided to try outdoor rocking climbing (Montrek, 30 Soles/person) about 20 minutes from the town of Huaraz. ...

Apr 7, 2008 - Caraz and one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world

We planned to arrive in Caraz, and then leave the next morning to start our Santa Cruz trek - but the place we'd decided to rent equipment from was closed when we arrived (even tho they'd said they'd be open till late on the 'phone!), so we spent an extra day nursing our colds, eating ice-cream, relaxing in the lovely peaceful plaza - and gathering bits and pieces together and packing for our trek! We did manage to leave the next morning, and were at Cashapampa, our starting point, by 9:30am. ... We enjoyed not moving(!) and watching the local people, who were having a big meal to celebrate finishing a house building - except that it wasn't finished, apparently because all the people working on it were drunk by lunchtime each day! - they were having the meal anyway tho, and everyone was getting ready for tomorrow: there's no work on Sundays, so Saturday is the day to shower and get ready for relaxing! By the time another bus came, 2 hours later, it was too late to go on to the other lake (much to Da's relief!), and we decided to go back to Caraz and our nice warm bed and (sometimes) hot shower!! We stayed in Caraz for a day of well-deserved relaxing (and icecream!), and took a taxi ride to get a good view of Huascaran, the highest mountain in Peru at 6768m, and then loaded ourselves onto a night bus headed back to Lima on our way south. ...