Cordillera Huayhuash circuit

It was 12 days and ~140kms. Minimum altitude 4100 mts, maximum 5090 mts. Sleeping at ~4300 mts each night.
The slow acclimatization before hand paid dividends, and we all did very well. Slow but sure oldies!
The area more than lives up to it's reputation as the Himalayas of the Andes - stunning scenery.
The area is inhabited by the Quechua people who speak both Quechua and Spanish.
Although a national park much of the land is privately owned - can't get our heads around that one.
Each night our guide paid a camping fee to the local land owner.
There are many sheep and cattle grazed in summer, so the area is not wilderness as we know it. But the the high mountains are stunning, and the passes breathtaking (literally).
We are on a high - not sure if it's adrenaline produced by altitude, or the litres of coca tea, or the chewing of the coca leaves! (all legal here).
Our guide said he has taken older groups who turned back after the first high pass, so we feel very proud to have completed such a hard trek.

La Cordillera Huayhuash

We have now completed the Huayhuash circuit of 12 days.  We had clear blue skies & amazing mountain scenery walking between 4000 & 5000 m.  The organization of guides, cooks & donkey drivers was superb.

Willkawain.

A visit to Willkawain archaeological site. A pre Inca site dating from 700 - 1000AD.
The buildings have not been restored, they are in original condition.
Also some of the amazing colours of the various varieties of maize.

Largo Churrup

We did a day walk to Largo Churrup 4400mts. It was a tough climb from 3800 mts. Looking down it sure looked more than a 600 mt climb, but I guess the GPS doesn't lie.
We did better than some of the trekkers we saw, but not as well as others - all together we are great for our age (60 to 76).
This was to re-acclimatize after 3 days at sea level, and get ready for the mammoth 12 day trek to Huayhuash starting tomorrow. In Huayhuash we sleep at 4300 - 4500 mts, and climb passes over 5000mts. I think we are all doing fairly well with the altitude. During the day the walking is very slow but ok. Some are coping better than others sleeping - we all wake up gasping for breath at times.
Here are some pictures of the Churrup trek.
No more updates now until after Huayhuash.

La Cordillera Blanca

The view from Huaraz reminds me of Zermatt but, if anything, the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca are more spectacular.  It's hard to do them justice without a panoramic lens.
David.

Huaraz, province of Ancash.

Pretty girls in the Plaza de Armas.  This trekking isn't all hard work.

Huaraz - Peru.

Have arrived in Huaraz.
We all feel a little unreal without Rob, in particular because this was the section of the treking he most wanted to do.
The drive from Lima was 8 hours. There was some spectacular scenery on the way, and the bus drove over a 4100 mts pass. Huaraz is at 3100 mts. We all seem to feel ok, so probably have not lost too much acclimatization from being in Lima at sea level.
This area are situated between the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra. It's reputation is well deserved as the Himalayas of the Andes. Our hotel room had a beautiful view of spectacular snow capped peaks.
We have a free day here today, a day walk to Lake Churrup tomorrow, and then we begin the Huayhuash trek.

Lima Peru

We've had 2 days sight seeing, and eating and drinking some wonderful fusion food. Lima lives up to it's reputation as a gourmet food destination.
We had been going to dinner in smaller groups - our group to a restaurant at an archaeological site.
Rob went to dinner with his Lima relatives. When we came back to our hotel late, Rob had a terrible accident. He tripped on the stairs, the balustrade broke, and he fell almost 2 stories onto the concrete below.
He was unconscious, then concussed. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance, and a brain CT has revealed a small skull fracture, and tiny bleed. Over the course of the night he is doing better and better. The neurosurgeon is happy so far.
He is one very lucky man.
We will miss him on the next trek, but he is lucky enough to have relatives in Lima who are doing a mighty job.
Late yesterday we also found out he had broken his pelvis.

In Lima Peru

Lima is a huge city with a population of about 9 million.
It is noisy, busy and the traffic is incredible.
The Peruvians insist that Pisco (a highly alcoholic drink derived from grapes) is their invention, but the Chileans do too. Chile certainly does the best job of marketing it. The Peruvians won't allow Pisco made anywhere else into Peru - you even have to sign a customs declaration to say you don't have any. A Pisco sour is a great drink, and we've already had quite a few.
We have visited the Plaza Mayor, many churches, the anthropological museum and the modern area of Miraflores.
We've seen artifacts from many of the cultures dating back to thousands of years BC. The Inkan empire is the youngest.

Hi Heidi and Damian
Great to see you on the blog,the tracks has been an endurance but we all did very well.
Today in Quito we had a great day ,visit the Convent such a treasure beautiful paintings.
Tomorrow we are off to Lima what will be an other adventure .We got a great group of people
to travel with .
                 Love Papa

Its been a hectic few days, the weather was sometimes kind at other times very testing. We are back in Quito and a chance to recover, get the laundry done and get our boots cleaned for 60cents on the street. Spent today sightseeing. We climbed to the belltower of the Basilica, a test of our nerves if ever there was one but it was worth it as we  had some terrific views from the top. It cost $2 for the experience and was top value. We have had some terrific meals and are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Off to Lima tomorrow.

John

Ecuadorean Breakfast

We visited a hot springs near Riobamba several days ago before starting the Ingapirca trek.  Breakfast afterwards at a shack near the entrance consisted of a boiled egg, a large, flat empanada on which you spread sugar, fried plantain (a variety of banana), & morocho, a hot, spiced drink of milk & maize.  All delicious.
I include a picture of the cook & her apprentice.

Chimborazo & Cotapaxi

Chimborazo, Cotopaxi have stolen my heart.

Ingapirca trail

Just finished a 3 day trek on a tiny section of the old Inca trail that ran between Quito in Ecuador and Cusco in Peru (and beyond). This section was in Ecuador and ended at Ingapirca - the most intact Inca ruins in Ecuador.
The trail was used for quickly sending messages by foot runners between the north and the south of the Incan empire. It was also used to transport goods.
Not much left of the actual paved trail because the surface of stones was pilfered by locals for building purposes. We did see some of the walls and foundations of the tambos (resting places with supplies and food) which were built about every 3 kms.
The trek was through beautiful high altitude Paramo (hardy grasslands and moss bogs) at 3700 to 4400 mts.
We saw stunning high altitude lakes with interesting histories of battles fought nearby - 2 Indian clans fought at the "lake of blood".
We saw the mass burial site of the soldiers who died near a high pass fighting a battle for independence from the Spaniards - led by Antonio Sucre, in the 1820's. The trail has a varied and long history.
Our guide was an indigenous Qichua man named Manuel who knew much about his country and was interesting to listen to.

Volcanoes

Some photos of the volcanoes we have seen.

 

Cotopaxi - a touch under 6000mts.

 

 Chimborazo - over 6000 mts and is Sth Americas second highest mountain.

Quilatoa - over 4000 mts and we walked down to the lake and back.

Michelle

Route de Condor

Tony has it correct - the guides wore gumboots so that is an indication as to how wet it was.
Terrible conditions, but did wonders for our acclimatization. We can walk and sleep at over 4000 mts without a problem - 10 days ago that was not the case.
The flora was wonderful and we saw some wild llamas.
One day we trekked to 4700mts to a glacier - barely visible in the horrible conditions. Why do we do this?!!
Michelle

Condor trek

The guides were wearing gumboots, an indication of what was to come, cold wet and muddy. But great fun.

Tony