Huaraz and the amazing outdoor adventures that came with it

“I have some time to kill, I might as well make a stop in Huaraz to do some hiking”.

And that’s how my plan of spending a couple of days in Huaraz only to be able to visit Laguna 69, which looked so amazing in all the pictures, turned into seven consecutive days of hiking in very high altitude. If someone had told me before I left Norway that in a few months I’d find myself doing a five day self-guided trek in the Peruvian mountains, carrying my 57 litre backpack with tent, sleeping bag and food for the entire trek, I would have laughed them straight in the face, but there I was, and enjoying myself while I was at it. That inner mountain goat I discovered while in Ecuador came with me to Peru, and now more than ever got to unfold itself in the mountains. It is safe to say that I returned from the Santa Cruz trek exhausted, but content.

I’m not even sure when a one day tour of Laguna 69 turned into seven days of hikes and treks, but it certainly wasn’t my idea. I also never would have set up such an ambitious itinerary on my own. Peru did however give me the opportunity to meet up with friends I had made while hiking in Ecuador, and before I knew it we had made plans to encounter more land together. After a week of lazy living in Máncora I also figured I needed it.

We arrived in Huaraz an early morning after taking the night bus from Trujillo, and quickly jumped in a taxi up to our hostel. We were given our room immediately and caught up on some sleep, before heading out to explore the town and make plans for the upcoming days. By then we had already decided to do the four day Santa Cruz trek, but needed some information on how to best and most easily perform it. As Huaraz is set on about 3000 meters above sea level we were already feeling slight headaches due to the altitude, and were recommended to complete at least two days of easier hikes to acclimatise. We quickly decided to take this advice. We were also told that if we wanted we could incorporate the Laguna 69 hike into the Santa Cruz trek, and thereby turn the four day trek into a five day trek, and who can turn down Laguna 69? We certainly couldn’t, so five days it was.

The hike to Wilcacocha is known as an easy half-day hike, and is perfect for acclimatising. We enjoyed a basic hostel breakfast and made our way downtown, where we caught a colectivo to Puente Santa Cruz (not at all related to the Santa Cruz trek) where the hike starts from. The hike is basically uphill all the way, and eventually takes you to a laguna with a great viewpoint. We spent about 1,5 hours getting up there, and enjoyed some snacks at the top surrounded by a pack of hungry stray dogs. To be fair some of them were quite cute. After enjoying the view for a while we started the descent, which took about an hour. I wouldn’t call the hike spectacular, but it certainly was a good introduction to the high altitude hikes we had ahead of us.

Although Churup wasn’t the most impressive laguna I saw during my week of hiking, I am still tempted to say that this hike was my favourite out of all of them. It was simply a lot of fun getting there. For day 2 our little team had grown by two, so there were five of us meeting downtown at 7am to catch the colectivo to Pitek, which is where you start the hike from. This was our first day of hiking in the Huascaran National Park, and as the Santa Cruz trek and the Laguna 69 hike also takes place in this park, we had been advised to buy three-week passes that day. The three-week pass is the only option when spending more than one day in the park, even though six single-day passes (6 x 10 soles) would actually have been cheaper for us if this had been possible. Anyway, we got our passes and started the hike. For the first part it is mostly steep uphill, but for the last third of the hike you are literally climbing the mountains with the help of rubber cables that are attached to the rocks. Quite tricky at times, but a lot of fun. To get to the laguna we spent 1 hour and 45 minutes, and were quite proud of that accomplishment. We had the laguna all to ourselves for the longest time, before being interrupted by other hikers. We then started the descent, which we accomplished in about an hour, and caught a colectivo back to town. Another good acclimatising hike; our last one before starting our trek. This evening we spent preparing for the trek and renting the necessary equipment, before going to bed early as we had an early start the following day.

Trekking time: about 5 hours, not including time spent at the lake.

To make the first day of our trek as convenient as possible, we had actually signed up for an organised day trip this day. This meant we would get transport to the starting point of the hike and we were also able to leave our big bags in the bus while hiking. The hike to Laguna 69 is definitely challenging, so I was happy we did it this way. We got picked up at our hostel at 5 am and started a very bumpy bus ride that was broken up by a breakfast stop about half way. The breakfast wasn’t included and as we were trying to be well-prepared trekkers, we had brought our own bread, fruit and hard boiled eggs which we enjoyed in the bus. After breakfast we drove the rest of the way to the starting point and began hiking. The tour also included a guide, but as we found ourselves in a slow group we quickly left them behind and sprinted up the mountains being our mountain goaty selves. With the laguna being set at 4600 meters above sea level, it is safe to say that this hike includes some pretty steep hills and it was definitely our most challenging one yet. The feeling of being close to death, about to thirds into the final hill, is however quickly forgotten about once you turn the last corner at the top and is rewarded with the view of what might just be the most spectacular laguna of them all. It’s just so incredibly beautiful. While some crazy hikers opted to go for a dip in the lake, I was perfectly fine with just enjoying the views and snapping some beautiful photos. As we had completed the hike in only two hours we had plenty of time to do so while waiting for the tour group to arrive. Eventually we started the descent and made our way back to the bus. As we weren’t actually going back to Huaraz that day, we had our driver drop us of at a nearby camp site where we would spend our first night in the tents. We fired up our gas stoves to make some soup, and as the rain was pouring for most of the afternoon we were lucky enough to get to hang out in the park rangers cabin for a few hours. At around 7 pm it was already pitch dark and we realised that the upcoming days would call for some early evenings. We also realised that the nights in the tent would in no way be warm or comfortable. However, we just had to suck it up and consider it a part of the experience.

Trekking time: 5 hours including lunch break.

The only good thing about uncomfortable nights in tents is that early mornings don’t don't make for much of a challenge. I was honestly quite happy about finally being able to get up when the clock struck 6:30 am. We had some oats and granola for breakfast, packed up the tents and started looking for a colectivo to Vaqueria, which we had been told would leave at 8 am. After nearly being fooled by a driver who claimed that all the colectivos had left, but that he could take us for a much higher rate, we were shoved into an already fully packed one, and were in for one of the most uncomfortable rides of our lives. I feared for my life at more than one occasion, as I didn’t actually have a seat in the van and would for sure be one of the first to go if we were to drive off the road. Luckily we all survived and were able to start the first day of the trek. The first part of the hike this day was downhill, and I think all of us silently cursed those descending hills as we knew this would mean even steeper ascending hills later on. Eventually we started climbing, and as we did the weather took a turn for the worse. Luckily, just as the rain started pouring we made it to a ranger station that provided us with some shelter while we had our lunch. The park ranger even offered us some boiled water for our tea and coffee while we waited for the rain to stop. When it eventually changed from downpour to slight drizzle, we took the chance on hiking the last bit, and were even surprised by some sunshine at the end of it. When we reached the Paria campsite we quickly set up the tents and sat down to enjoy the sun, a pleasure we were treated to for about ten minutes before the rain started pouring once again. Not ideal, as the campsite had no shelter whatsoever (even the “toilets” had neither roofs nor doors), so we had no choice but to hide away in our tents waiting for better weather. After a while it cleared up, so we spent the evening standing in a circle, as there was nowhere to sit on the campsite and the ground was all wet, all of us eating pasta out of the same kettle, as we had been too stingy to pay to rent bowls to eat from. And yet I was having the best time, really appreciating being out in the nature and enjoying the simple life with some great company. As the dark approached it got increasingly colder, and we eventually had no choice but to put on all of our clothes, curl up in our sleeping bags and call it a night.

Trekking time: 8 hours including lunch break.

For the third day of the trek we wanted to start fairly early as we knew we were about to take on the hardest part of it. This day we would reach the highest point on the trek, Punta Union at 4750 meters above sea level, and accomplish an ascend of about 1000 meters to get there. We already knew it would be a long day, but had yet to discover that we ourselves would make it yet another hour longer by getting lost and wandering aimlessly around for the longest time, silently cursing whoever claimed that the Santa Cruz trek was excellently marked up with signs. It was when we finally found the hill we were supposed to be climbing that we were starting to get a grasp of how hard this day was actually going to be. This was one steep hill, and it would only get worse from there. We went from climbing hills to literally climbing mountains, and with every step we got increasingly higher. During one of our breaks we spotted the steepest trail going straight up a mountain and through a pass at the top, and tiredly joked about how we, at least, weren’t following that trail. It was funny until we realised that we indeed was. And also that it wasn’t really a trail, but more like climbing rocks up the mountainside. We all split up a bit on the way up, as we all felt the need to walk at our own pace. Occasionally we would ask each other how we were doing, and I kind of enjoyed getting replies like: “all good, well, except for the obvious sensation of being about to die any time now”. It really was that hard. But then you make it to the top and the adrenaline rush makes you forget all about it. That, and the amazing view you are rewarded with. We quickly fired up our stove to make some soup for lunch, and it didn’t take long before it started snowing. Just our luck! We tried to appreciate the fact that we had made it to the top just in time to actually get to enjoy any kind of view, as it was now all foggy, but the snow and the cold made it hard to appreciate anything at all. Also, we had spent 5,5 exhausting hours getting to the top, but the day was far from over. We still had a 600 meter decent ahead of us in not so enjoyable weather. The two hours we spent getting down to the campsite were long and unpleasant to say the least, and involved slipping and falling, freezing and getting soaking wet. Then, by some miracle, as we reached the campsite the sun decided to grace us with its presence. As a second miracle we happened to share campsite with a group on an organised tour, where the guide took pity in us and let us spend the entire evening in their food tent, even offering us tea and allowing us to use their big stove to cook on. At the time this couldn’t have been more appreciated. As one of us was also struggling heavily with the altitude it was good to have an expert around to ensure us that she would be perfectly fine, as we were already, slightly exaggeratedly, imagining the need of rescue helicopters to bring her back to civilisation. Luckily her poor state was nothing a long sleep couldn’t fix.

Trekking time: 8,5 hours including lunch break.

We woke up early and was pleased to realise that everyone was feeling great and fit for another day of hiking. As Reuben and Lara had been incredibly unlucky with their rented equipment they had decided to finish the trek this day, and therefore they set off in the early morning, while the rest of us would continue on as planned. This involved making a detour to visit Laguna Arhuaycocha before continuing on to our final campsite. Before setting out hiking our new friend, the tour guide, offered us their leftover pancakes for breakfast and I can honestly say that pancakes have never tasted better. After three days of unfortunate weather it was amazing to finally be walking in sunshine, and after the struggles of the day before we were now back in high spirits. The first part of the hike, up to the lake, took about 2,5 hours, and except for the last ascending part it was mostly flat. The lake was beautiful, and absolutely worth including in this day’s itinerary. We were alone up there for the entire time, the sun was shining and the lake was surrounded by beautiful glaciers. The only thing that would have made it even better was if we were actually able to spot the “Paramount mountain”, which can best be seen from up by the lake, but clouds ruined this for us. After spending a good 40 minutes by the lake we started hiking back to the main trail, heading towards the next and final campsite. For the next part the terrain changed, and it was almost like walking through a desert as we were walking on sand for the longest time. This was a really beautiful day, probably partly because it was sunny, but it was also just really nice hiking through this valley, surrounded by mountains, horses and donkeys, passing rivers and the occasional lake. It was, however, a really long hike, and reaching the campsite about 5,5 hours after leaving the lake was truly amazing. For once the ground was actually dry when we reached a campsite so we were able to sit down outside for a while, which was really nice. Small pleasures! What wasn’t so nice was running out of gas for our stove before making dinner and only having food that called for the use of a stove. Once again we were saved by a tour group, although nowhere near as friendly as the one from the day before, but at least we were able to enjoy our soup and pasta for one last dinner.

Trekking time: 2 hours and 45 minutes.

For the last day of the trek we had decided to get another early start in order to finish early. This would be the shortest leg of the trek, but is I wanted to catch a night bus to Lima that same evening it wouldn’t hurt to get back at a decent time. The hike was fairly easy and involved a few ups and downs, although nothing too challenging. We made the 9 km hike in less than three hours and hopped in a car that would take us to Caraz where we could catch the bus back to Huaraz. About halfway into the bus ride I think all three of us were equally convinced that hiking back to Huaraz would have been a preferable (and obviously totally unrealistic) alternative, as this was one of the most uncomfortable bus rides of my life. I was overly relieved when we finally arrived back in Huaraz. We walked back up all the hills to our hostel and prepared the leftover food we had for lunch, before taking our first showers in five days. I left that shower a new and improved human being.

I must admit I felt proud of the accomplishment that was this week of hiking, and so incredibly happy that I had tagged along for it. As I write this more than two months after leaving Huaraz, at the very end of my entire trip, it is also funny that this experience, coincidental and unexpected as it was, still stands out as one of my absolute highlights from all of South America. And to think that I hadn’t even heard of Huaraz or these amazing hikes until a few weeks before I performed them. I guess that is the amazing part of travelling without a set itinerary, being able to team up with other travellers and take advantage of their knowledge. I definitely learned a few things about myself while travelling, and part of it has to do with a up until now undiscovered love for being out in the nature challenging myself on unfamiliar grounds. Who would have thought that I turned out to be such a little mountain goat? Also, after completing this major challenge I felt more than prepared enough and more excited than ever about the Inca Trail, which was only two short weeks away.

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♥ Erica