MatYoo

Huaraz, capital of andisme is located at the foot of the White Cordillera, which owes its name to its eternal snows. It is the highest tropical mountain range in the world and one of the most famous mountain specialists. It has the highest peak in the country, Huascaran (6769m), and among its 300 mountains, 35 exceeds 6000 meters. This area of the Andes is a quite exceptional beauty.

We sleep in Caraz (2200 m) 70 km north of Huaraz, quieter than the latter. Journey's end is near and the bank accounts of some of the near total nothingness, tours and other guided ascents on average cost a hundred dollars are impossible. One question comes to mind: "Peru is you climb?"

So we are at the foot of the village towards the mountain range with light bags for a raid a day. The goal is to go as high as soon as possible to get a clear view of the mountains and back down before nightfall.

We spend the first mountain barrier in 3500 and fall nose to nose with the Huascaran 6,769 m, highest point in Peru, a kind of Mont Blanc raised two thousand meters, spare a thought for Anthony, who has conquered the summit. For the valley, the Huascaran is also a great danger during the earthquake of 1970, several million cubic meters of rock and ice broke off the northern peak and rushed to the Rio Santa, four thousand feet below. The result was a river of mud that washed at 300 km / h the city of Yungay and reached the canyon del Plato, 65 km downstream. An estimated 80,000 casualties in the valley.

On the left is the Huascaran Huandoy (6395) more slender. All these peaks allow us dreamers, the next time we will not only look ...

We need to leave the Andean Cordillera in earnest to reach the hot sand of Mancora, our final destination.

• Submit a comment ...

Located some hours from Arequipa, the Colca Canyon (3200 meters) is ranked as the second deepest of the world.

We leave Arequipa at midnight to reach the canyon. Once there, we embark on a trek of two days with Harri and guide our pseudo Valerio (I say pseudo because we had no information about!) To descend into the canyon to discover different villages and stunning scenery.

1st day we start Cabanaconde for a little flat, a little uphill, but a lot of downhill! 1500 meters in altitude, super steep, slippery enough perilous because, looking down on the empty space below (recommended for very few people who suffer from vertigo ..).

Starting Cabanaconde guide told us that we should be good for 7:00 down to the oasis to sleep but we were not convinced. In Olympic shape after the ascent of Huayna Potosi, while we were both five hours after our poor congtre by Harri has left his legs, so we waited patiently in the pool a well deserved beer in hand.

2nd day: wake up at 3:00 and a half to climb the canyon. We go at night to avoid the heat and do not miss the flight of condors which takes place a little further. It normally takes three hours to climb but there is pleasure in climbing the 1,200 meters in altitude in two hours.

Arrives in Cabanaconde just time to swallow the ptit dèj and we jump on a bus to cross the condor. This cross is actually true to its name, we have seen for about twenty minutes of condors two sizes of 50 meters to take the hot air up the canyon. They spent some time only a few meters from our heads. A grand spectacle!

During the return trip, we can enjoy a breathtaking scenery, a thousand hectares of Andean terraces, beautifully designed and carved in the mountains by the Indians Colluhuas, civilization 1000 years older than the Incas.

• Submit a comment ...

La Paz ....

Pictures of The Plaza Murillo and the street market located Linares witches. Photos of the city are taken from El Alto, the poor cartier be on the altiplano.

Between the city and Lake Titicaca lie the ruins of Tiwanaku, one of the oldest city in the world. The Tiwanaku civilization had a great mastery of stone carving and architecture carefully prefigures the Incas.

Located 2,300 meters above sea level, Arequipa is Peru's second largest city with over one million inhabitants. Built at the foot of two giants, volcanoes Misti and Chachani (5800 and 6010 meters), the city was repeatedly devastated by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

• Submit a comment ...

Back in La Paz we observed that the time was not on top of the mountain range. But we could not postpone the rise due to time (you still have to go through Peru and back approach). We therefore returned to the shelter run by Yolanda in 4800 to réacclimater. Training As we climbed to 5200m on opposite peak of Huayna Potosi. The top is a view of several glacial lakes, and especially on the face that we have to climb the next day. We can therefore see the difficult passages, small wall 5700 and especially the final wall to reach the summit, over 100 vertical meters to 70 percent of bank ... after another night at the shelter, Lucio our guide joined us and we leave the refuge (5130 m) along the glacier.

We are unable to find the dormant because of the altitude and excitement. Lucio just wake us up at 1am. Hardly time for a drink mate de coca and put the equipment we're off. We are a dozen in all from the assault of the summit that day. Parties last, Lucio to seem to want that one arrives first. Between the start and the first wall at 5700 m we catch up then three strung on a steady pace as we follow without too much difficulty. Here things get complicated, it is necessary to climb the wall for 50 yards and cross the chasm, which our guide filled with joy ...

After the wall we go on another side this one windswept. The bitter cold is felt when it is -10 and the thermometer goes down very quickly. Breathing becomes difficult and increases the number of poses, now we stop every two minutes to try to catch our breath. Cold Empire and it starts snowing, increased fatigue, each step becomes increasingly hard and lack of air begins to affect the state of mind at this moment, we just say that we "pay for shit" and we expect to firm up the sun for less cold.

It was 5am when we arrived at the foot of the last climb. The first glimmer of dawn appear between two clouds, but it does not hotter. Gusts of wind are sometimes violent and the thermometer reads -15. Our guide asks us if we want to go on top, the answer is obvious ... It is the most difficult parts, almost to the vertical. A break of 30 seconds for every three or four steps and cramp advanced the tip of his nose. It becomes endless, even when the sun appears and shows us all that remains is to climb.

More than 5 feet, 4, 3, 2, then 1 ... 6088 meters we're throw myself on the flat, flush, head a happy and can confused. The time to take our mind and take some pictures (and freeze the hand by the way) we begin the descent because it's too cold to go on forever. A victory for the Britons Lost!

We do not descend from the wall but by a narrow ridge, the guide must be behind to ensure if dropped. So for me to lead the way in the powder. I stumble but I am clinging to my ice ax, to the slope, if the climber slips all the world from below! We do not do us proud ... Lucio organizes a reminder to get something that other guides do not. We are so glad to be with him. The subsequent descent is carefree (though still trying) and a sumptuous setting.

Back at the shelter and after a well merited cerveza we return to La Paz. Lucio thank you, you surely will find it at a future assencion, that of Illimani (6440m) for the next trip ....

• Submit a comment ...