We arrive at Huaraz and acclimatization hike to Wilcacocha Lake.
During my last visit to Peru I heard about the magnificent hiking in
Huaraz. I put it in on that overflowing bucket list of places to visit.
I did not imagine that I really would get back to Peru, but here I am. So it
had to be that we came here when Steph requested that I be her travel buddy.
Stephanie was reticent, but when she saw the photos on the internet, Huaraz
was placed on her list as well.
It took us 9 hours approximately to travel by bus from Trujillo. The journey
was comfortable as we chose to sit on the lower level . It proved to be a Wise
Choice as the seats we're also the most comfortable almost reclining fully.
Stephanie however forgot to get some travel sickness tablets and did suffer
slightly near the finish of the journey as it was quite windy and undulating
in the last couple of hours as we made our way down the valley into the
town.
It cost about $8 Australian to get from the bus station to our accommodation.
We arrived early but our host was quite happy to let us in. The accommodation
was slightly out of town but it was pleasant and our host was very genial (Casa de Maruja
- booked via
Hostelbookers) . The views of the Cordillera were quite exceptional and whetted our
appetite for some trekking.
Many of the buildings in Peru are unfinished with reinforcing bar poking out
of concrete slab floors. There is some conjecture that it's a tax dodge as the
building is regarded as being unfinished and so taxes are lower, others say
that the people are poor and build up as they get an income to do so, or need
to when the family increases in size and so their requirements change. Maybe
both answers are correct.
As we went from sea level straight up to 3000m it was desirable to do some
acclimatization walks prior to heading up into the higher regions of the
Cordillera Blanca. On the wall was a white board providing some ideas and our
host was very helpful.
We decided on a walk to Wilcacocha Lake would be a good start, taking us to
3670m. We were also taking Diamox tablets to assist with the altitude.
Stephanie was getting pins and needles as a side effect, but other than that
neither of us suffered headaches that would normally occur after arriving so
soon at this altitude.
We thought it would be fun to use the collectivo as our mode of
transport. This is a mini-bus that plies a route. The trick is to
get on the right one and get off at the right exit point. We found our number
10 collectivo, and spoke very carefully in our non-Spanish interpretation of
Chihuipampa request for a stop. After a long drive somehow the conductor knew
what we were talking about and bid us to get off. The fee was
extraordinarily cheap at 2 soles. (On later journeys we ended up on the wrong
collectivo and or got disorientated as the vehicle more crowded than a sardine
tin that we had no idea where we were - all part of the adventure !)
We were given directions to cross the bridge and walk up the slope a few
minutes until we see a walking track on the left. Also there was a blue
painted marking on a rock.
The instructions proved to be quite adequate and the two Australian tourists
managed to find their way up !
The start of the walk was a bit of a challenge for us as it was quite steep
and the start of the day hot. We were still jet-lagged and was working over
time to get oxygen into our blood stream. The flowers and village
scenery however encouraged us to plow on ahead.
The grain fields, animals and buildings make for a picturesque rural scene.
The dominant building material is adobe brick. As a student I dreamt of
building a home in Australia of mud brick, which never eventuated - a shame it
does look quite appealing. The people here are quite short so the doors are
quite low compared to ours.
The locals, especially the ladies wear traditional clothing. The attire is
quite colourful. Almost everyone has a full brimmed hat on as well, something
we Australians should be doing given the high UV in our country.
Steph was finding it tough on the last 1/2 hour to Wilcacocha Lake. A saddled
mule tied up was a tempting temporary loan but she found the will power and
pushed through.
Tethered mule, inviting umbrella, we plough on past those temptations to stop,
as we know that our progress would halt and go no further. It was a bit of an
ask to go from sea level, siting on a bus for hours on end, then clamber to
lofty heights above 3000m the next day.
On the way we were offered salvation by a young couple who had a small grasp
of English. Much larger than ours of Spanish though. To help explain
themselves, they showed us a poor recording of a presentation offering the
gift of God, and subsequently an invitation to join the Jehovah's
Witnesses.
So enlightened, shortly after, we were rewarded with a lovely lake bounded on
the horizon with the Cordillera Blanca: yay ! (click image below to see video)
We also meet another native (photographed for a small fee). It had a high
cuteness coefficient, so Steph was over the moon with affectionate coos.
Coming back down the mountain, Steph was feeling ill. It was then that we
decided that she wasn't going to be ready for high altitude trekking in enough
time to do the Santa Cruz trek. We agreed to spend another day together around
town, whereupon I would do the extended trek and Steph would do some horse
riding and day treks.
Initial impression of Huaraz city ? It's a noisy sprawled city with eternal
car horns, alarms and early morning loud music emanating from garbage trucks.
I'll be glad to get on the multi-day hike !
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