Trekking in the Cordillera Negra and Blanca – Part I >>>> August 4 – 20, 1979
Categories Peru 1979 ......Trekking in the Cordillera Negra and BlancaSince we have been mired in the Covid pandemic travel opportunities have been nil save for some local outings. As travel planning and just about everything else has gone virtual we thought we join the digital brigade, go back in time (way back) and replay some of our adventures from the days of yore.
The photos in these posts originate from slides we took back in 1979 that were recently scanned to a digital format…sadly they suffer in this process, as they are intended to be projected. How have we remembered what happened 40 years ago you may ask….well Annie was quite diligent in maintaining a diary which included just about everything: flight schedules, hotel addresses, key phone numbers, itemized expenses and of course a day by day, blow by blow description of the trip itself….most of such info is now on our cell phones! The commentary below comprises either direct quotes or my own down and dirty paraphrasing of my wife’s word and of course any other tidbits we have been able to reconstruct from depths of our memories.
At the time we lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba and as a 2nd Honeymoon decided to do something different (the 1st honeymoon was a week in the Dominican Republic) this would be a much longer, more intense vacation and a bit of a test for us as a couple! After months of planning, phone calls, exchanges of letters and a money transfer we signed on with Andean Outfitters for a multi-week trekking excursion in the Andes. This was an exploratory trek through an area not frequented by Westerners that Andean Outfitters intended to incorporate in their Peruvian trek offerings. Hence, we were to be a small group effectively acting as “guinea pigs” to see if the terrain, duration, difficulty etc. would work for “regular” trekkers. At the time Annie was working for the Lottery Foundation of Manitoba and I was employed by the Mercantile Bank of Canada (a Citibank subsidiary)….both employers were ok with us being absent for a month….try your luck doing that now.
August 4/5th
&n
The day of departure arrived and unfortunately, I had started on the wrong foot, “Mark arrived home from work too drunk to do much…Brother, he was celebrating vacation time! “ We are up at 05:00, “Mark has a bad hangover – very green looking”. Just the right intro to what would be a verrrry long day >> We flew Winnipeg to Miami, a stopover there coupled with a few hours of delay and then an AeroPeru flight with another stopover in Quito, Ecuador ……a seriously lousy flight where they didn’t even serve food ….but eventually we arrived in Lima, Peru.
The next morning our ride is good to go (us, not so much) …after 3-4 hours of a rather monotonous bleak drive, we stop for lunch. Thereafter the foothills of the Cordillera Negra reveal themselves, giving us a sense of what lies in store for us…
…in the late afternoon, we reach Huaraz which is 450 km north of Lima and 3,050 m (10,oo5 ft) above sea level. The town (a Peruvian version of Kathmandu) will serve as the jump-off point for our trek ….for now, “hiking” up the three flights of stairs to our room proved that elevation does matter …… time for a serious siesta!!
August 6th to 8th
Our trekking group is comprised of 7 members Becca > a free spirit from Colorado, Christine > a somewhat anal Californian, Schmoolie > an Israeli recently released from military service, Carlos > assistant group leader from the U.S. and a climber who would become a world-famous mountaineer, now living in Canmore, Canada, and Jack the group leader also from the States. The next few days are geared to recovery and acclimatization, with various activities and shortish hikes to get everyone accustomed to the rigours of hiking at altitude. Altitude affects people in many ways, mostly not so great and our group managed to find most of the less pleasant side effects: poor sleep, headaches, eating issues, diarrhea etc. However, we were all young and fit or relatively fit, so recovery was quick.
The Cordillera (Ranges) Negra and Blanca are separated by the Santa River, as the names suggest one (Blanca) is snow-capped and the other Negra, not so much. Our initial hikes were in the Negra and our trekking would be focused on the Cordillera Blanca.
The Huaraz townsite is simple, dusty but with folks who seemingly always had a smile on their rough-hewn faces, markets (great alpaca blankets > bought a poncho) and a few other trinkets.
….later we were driven out of town to visit some pre-Incan fort ruins after which lunch by a river where lots of folks were just watching, but not bothering us (I guess we did look a tad alien to them), followed by a meandering 2-hour hike back to the hotel just in time for a much-needed siesta before dinner >>> you can train all you want at sea level but altitude acclimatization takes no prisoners!!
……another day we took a 3-4 hour drive to visit Chavín de Huántar which sits at an elevation of 3,177 m (10,425 ft) and contains ruins and artifacts that were developed by a major pre-Incan culture between 1500 and 300 B.C.
……the next day another warm-up hike with a return to Huaraz for some souvenir shopping and then back to the hotel where I start feeling really bad…,” Mark quite sick – vomiting & diarrhea – he’s trying to sleep it away but he’s pretty miserable”. I know I have to get better fast, as tomorrow the trek starts for real…the team leader suggests a local remedy: mate de coca > a herbal tea made using raw or dried leaves of the coca plant….and I gulp down several glasses of the potion, after which I fall asleep.
August 9th
The morning dawns and I feel much better, I chalk it up to the mate de coca I’m not sure if the medical profession would endorse this “remedy”, but the improvement is real. Our truck is delayed but eventually, it arrives and we get to know how cattle feel as we are loaded up along with the group’s gear. It is a 3-hour drive on a bumpy, narrow track but we are all happy to leave Huaraz in the dust. Nevertheless, when we get to our jump-off point everyone is eager to get out and stretch their legs. Our trek will be in Parque Nacional Huascaran covering an area of 3,400 km2) and comprises most of the mountain range known as the Cordillera Blanca (the world’s highest tropical mountain range) and part of the central Andes.
The first order of business is to set up the tents, we are given an experimental tent from North Face….not so easy, a dome tent with five interlocking poles, in any event, Annie solves the engineering puzzle and it looks good. Lunch and a bit of a walkabout then back to our campsite which is nicely situated near a waterfall.
Dinner prepared by our Peruvian cook is quite good: chicken soup with veggies & noodles followed by a rice/garlic/bean concoction and fresh fruit salad …no complaints from the crew. Early night as everyone was tired.
August 10th
Pretty comfortable night although we did wake up several times…up at 07:00 and we are on the trail by 09:30. We are trekking up the Quebrada (Canyon) Honda towards the Portachuelo de Honda (Honda Pass) which sits at an elevation of 4,750 m (15,583 ft)
In the pic above Nevado Pomapamba dominates the skyline and will accompany us as we gradually trek up the Quebrada. We are carrying day packs, with the burros which arrived last night, doing the heavy lifting: balance of the gear, supplies etc. The arrieros (muleteers) are quite skilled at getting the loads just so…and we are good to go. It is dry terrain punctuated by waterfalls and streams, cattle being driven from higher pastures pass us intermittently.
Lunch is by a waterfall, offering a nice view of the progress we have made, after which we are left with a 1.5-hour walk before setting up camp.
It is a beautiful afternoon as we decide to head up towards another waterfall…Annie climbs over a fence and jumps down landing awkwardly, twisting her ankle…..hiking with a bad ankle is not recommended. We head carefully back to the camp and Dr. Mark administers a famous home remedy: 222’s + several shots of scotch from my hoard. Hopefully, there won’t be a lot of swelling and Annie will be able to carry on.
August 11th
We are up at 06:30 as we both cannot sleep and want to test the ankle, “awake a lot last night, I got very nervous about my ankle and felt sure it was broken”. It wasn’t swollen and I persuaded Annie to soak it in a glacier-fed stream, she then gamely decided to carry on. The pic below gives a sense of the rock garden we need to climb to reach the pass…
At 09:30 we joined the rest of the group on the trail although from the get-go Annie was limping….this was going to be a tough day as the ascent to the pass takes 4 hours, the elevation gain is considerable and Annie is having a hard time, “I’m ready to pass out…headachy and upset stomach as well as dizzy likely from a lack of oxygen. My heart was beating at about 150-200bpm”
Finally, we reach Honda Pass the views are stunning and we feel a bit of rush standing on an ancient Inca trail at 4,750 m (15,583 ft) above sea level, below, a pic of the Quebrada Honda and an unnamed Quebrada.
However, we don’t tarry, only stopping to give thanks to the mountain spirits as we pass a small shrine in the rocks…
then descend as quickly as possible, short rest stop and a final 45 minutes to the campsite. Another beautiful location but at 16:30 it is quickly getting cold as the sun is sinking behind Nevado Copa. In the setting sun, we watch several hawks wheeling in the swirling currents and while beat, Annie feels good about her decision.
August 12th
07:00 wake-up, good night’s rest, Annie’s ankle has seemed to respond very well to yesterday’s therapeutic walk!! We are marching by 09:00…..beautiful sunny day and we are getting tanned and looking decidedly healthy ……it is all downhill today as we descend the Quebrada Huitiush. By the early afternoon we are at our campsite….a stunning location beside a lake. Just enough time for a quick wash before the sun starts setting and dinner.
Our cook and guide Chalaoquo works hard at keeping the crew well fed and the menu is simple, ample, and generally quite good…..can’t imagine how he would deal with today’s dietic demands: vegan, gluten-free, no sugar, no salt etc. Interestingly, we were ahead of our time at least in one regard…..as a hot cereal we are served quinoa > who knew that this would become a fan favourite 40 years hence!!
August 13th
Same drill as yesterday, everyone is eager to get going as it will be a long, long day. We can see Pompei in the distance but it will be four hours of steady walking before we reach the outskirts of the town.
In any event, we will bypass it and after lunch continue for another 3 hours to our next campsite. To date most of the trek has been in open terrain with relatively sparse vegetation and few people en route, save for some herders…but today we see more signs of people and also traverse a narrow trail through an ancient quenual forest, the trees are twisted, gnarled with peeling, scaly bark… a bit eerie, but almost enchanted.
We are now ascending the Quebrada Pocata with the sound of waterfalls but also avalanches and rockfalls from the mountains around us.
On one side we are flanked by Nevado Ulta, a 5,875 m (19,275 ft) peak and on the other Nevado Mateos 5,150 m (16,896 ft) (sometimes referred to as the Contrahierbas Massif) …we finally reach our camp at 17:00. The location is really spectacular camping close to a small lake and within an amphitheatre of snow-clad giants….WOW!!!
August 14th
Today will be a test as we will be crossing Shilla Pass. It is a straight-up climb and we will have to do it with full packs including our tent as the burros will not be taking our gear (they will backtrack and get trucked over to meet us 2 days later). Water is mostly taken from streams as long as there are no signs of animals (otherwise boiled)….not getting sick, so must be ok…it is a beautiful warm day as we set off…
Ascending with a full pack is a slog, even though we are now reasonably acclimatized it is not a joy at this altitude. “We come to some beautiful cerulean lakes…it takes us about 3.5 hours of steady climbing….Chalaoquo (one of our Peruvian guides) takes pity on me and takes my pack up the last bit.” The views from the pass are incredible, with mighty Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m (22,204 ft) (highest peak in Peru) and Nevado Chopicalqui, 6,354 m (20,846 ft) ours to enjoy, at least for a moment.
Time is running but there is still a considerable distance to cover before we will reach camp, everyone refuels before starting down, pic of our second guide Tenoc below, gives a sense of the rock garden we descended…“ The way down is awful with no path – just scree – lots of slipping & sliding. We finally reach our campsite at 17:00. I’m exhausted.”
We are camped beside a lake offering great views of Nevado Huascaran.
A clear cold evening …..dinner is “served” in the cook tent > eight people sitting in a circle with a stove burning in the middle…..interesting how one’s sensibilities regarding hygiene, clean clothes, and odiferous tablemates are not an issue after several days of roughing it, haha.
After the exertions of the day, the meal was tasty….with the surprise being sheep which tasted just like beef. Sleep comes quickly despite strong winds buffeting our tent.
August 15th
Today we have a partial rest day, everyone is looking forward to washing and relaxing….unfortunately it is cold, cloudy and windy. Luckily around noon, the sun breaks out and we do get to have a quick wash. After lunch, we break camp and trek uphill for 3 hours reaching Lake Yanayacu at 4,524m (14,824 ft), around 17:00.
It is quite a swampy area but eventually, we find a dry area and set up camp in what must have been record time…..it is damn cold, even in down jackets and all our warm stuff!
After a so-so dinner, everyone heads to bed. “I have a lousy night, Mark too. I’m freezing & Mark is having strange dreams. He gets up to have a leak and is dizzy. This is about 01:00. We sleep really lightly, as does everyone else. Every time we wake up, we can hear people talking.” You gotta love altitude!
August 16th
Hiking up to Lake Yanayacu was intended to make the Shonaj Pass approach easier and it turned out to be a good decision. We are still carrying full packs and reach the almost 16,000 foot pass in an hour and fifteen minutes feeling pretty good and with no trouble breathing. Everyone is happy and seriously pumped as the area is totally awesome!
Heading down the trail is good, but it’s snowy and cold. “ ..a lot of avalanches and rockfalls….we see one really big one >> pretty scary”,
As we continue our descent it rains and snows all day so we only get glimpses of the truly stunning landscape around us. It is a surreal atmosphere, even our guides feel the power of the mountains around us… Click on the pics below to enlarge.
The guides call a brief halt at 14:00 pointing out the burros and arreros in the distance which are coming to rendezvous with us at the next campsite, these guys have vision like hawks. The sight of an oncoming deluge propels us downhill as fast as we can go, Annie and I must be getting stronger, as we reach the camp 10 minutes ahead of the others. Our camp is in a pasture above the village of Yanama, where we are re-united with our supplies etc. goats, pigs, horses and burros all around us…well, “at least I get to wash my hair with hot water…boy does that feel good even though it’s raining and cold out!”
It is heartening to know that the burros will be back on the job tomorrow and we can walk with just our daypacks.
August 17th
The morning is great, sunny and warm….as we look back to Shonaj Pass it is covered with fresh snow. One day later and it would have been a seriously treacherous crossing. In any event, a bit of a slow start today as quite a few locals are trying to sell us eggs and cheese as well as asking for medicine. Clearly, health care here is a challenge …..Jack treats a few sores and the like but sadly we are not equipped nor qualified to offer any real assistance.
It is about a 5-hour uphill hike today through the Quebrada Morococha.
This area is more populated as we walk through several villages, a welcome change from the austere landscapes we have travelled to date. The kids are quite shy and stare at us but do not ask for anything…..we fear, that as more westerners visit this area, this will change for the worse…
Click on the pics below to enlarge…
A quick lunch at 13:00 and tea at 14:30 as we now push up the Quebrada Llanguanca to be in position for a shorter approach to Llanguanca Pass tomorrow. I went on ahead and Annie gets to camp just before 17:00, it ended up being a longer day than forecast.
There is a group of Germans camped nearby ….the first westerners we have seen since leaving Huaraz!!
Another cold frosty evening, but nothing dissuades Annie from reading, and I, on the other hand, cope with a dram of scotch whiskey from a rather inelegant drinking glass.
August 18th
We are up bright and early at 04:00, wolf down a quick breakfast and after losing the trail a few times arrive at the Paso Portachuelo Llanganuco 4,767 m (15,639 ft) just as the sun was rising ……great views of Nevado Huandoy, Chopicalqui, Pisco and Chacraraju. Another wow moment!!
As well we could see our German neighbours, “ all dressed fancily: knickers, colourful socks, sweaters and “Tyrolean” hats…a lot of them had ski poles. They were quite a sight with 9 of them trudging up the pass as we watched. We all felt drab and dirty by comparison. Mainly older folks ..”
Enough lollygagging as we hike down from the pass to Quebrada Demanda enjoying a fine view of Nevado Pisco
……..and arrive about 12:30 …..a shortish day as we set up camp.
It feels warm in the sun and most of us have a bit of a wash. By about 15:00 though the clouds roll in and it quickly cools off. I tried my hand at fishing (I brought line, hooks and a couple of lures, just in case) in a nearby stream but no luck as it was too fast. The Germans are camped close by, but they are keeping to themselves and after a half-decent dinner we are sleeping by 21:00 …it has been a long but successful day.
August 19th
Today is a rest day and everyone is in lounge lizard mode….late breakfast, reading, chilling… a park ranger (the first we have seen) joins us for lunch and “he has some stories about 2-3 foot long trout in the nearby lakes. Mark gets pretty excited, but then the ranger adds that they are now out of season. Mark is discouraged at that news !” After lunch, I join Jack for a walk up the Quebrada Demanda, to get some views of Nevado Chacraraju one of the most difficult climbs in the Andes…a nice 3-hour jaunt. Our last night in the mountains…
August 20th
Today is the last day of Part I of our trekking holiday and everyone is excited to get back to “civilization”….but first we need to get to where a gravel road reaches out from the valley floor a few hours walk……..
It is a pleasant downhill walk in sunny weather but not overly hot …and a few “hero” shots are in order. We all pack quickly and hurry down as the truck is to meet us at 11:00.
At the designated pick-up area…no truck, what else is new. We are learning not to sweat it and 90 minutes later our ride arrives…….
After a rather dusty drive (but who cares at this point), we arrive in Monterrey bid goodbye to our Peruvian guides (who did a stellar job) as well the Park ranger and stay there until the 21st when we depart for the Quebrada Santa Cruz and Part 2 of our adventure. The Hostal Monterrey seems super luxurious as we enjoy hot showers, a couple of cold beers and some smoked oysters !! As dinner is being served everyone is in good spirits albeit with a sombre undertone. Carlos had left us a few days ago to meet up with his climbing buddy to climb Nevado Huascaran …..Jack told us they should have returned by now. Then, “at 20:30 in walks Carlos with Don, his partner…they were straight off the mountain. They had lost a pack and had been 3 days with no food. They were quite a sight and REALLY hungry!!”
When writing this post I checked out Carlos Buhler’s website, and found a photo of this specific climb, “Don Anderson making some exposed moves at about 6300 meters (20,800 ft.) while climbing into the final great dihedral of the Paragot Route, Huascaran Norte. Below is the first Llanganuco Lake at 3800 meters (12,000 ft), 1979. “
Suffice to say dinner was a raucous affair with many a round of cervezas. Going to sleep in a real bed completed the evening for us!
Part I completed successfully…WHEW…!!! Part II in a few days…