The big trek

Trip Start Feb 10, 2006
1
42
76
Trip End Feb 01, 2007


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Peru  ,
Saturday, September 9, 2006

After the fog-ridden disaster trek in Bolivia we have been itching to get up into the mountains again and needed to make a decision fast - the weather is changing and the wind and snow are heading for the mountains.We really wanted to go to Huaraz, to the Huayhuash circuit, made famous by the Joe Simpson book - Touching the Void. However, I spoke to a few folk that had just come back and, although they loved the trek it seems the locals are not so nice. The infamous Shining Path movement closely controlled this area up till recently, inflicting terror and pain on the locals for many years before including trekkers in their web. Now, they may have lost their leaders but locals still see trekkers as easy money and so have started to demand money simply for walking near their village or home. At one point they have even blocked the path. I didn´t like the idea of ´protection money´ so we decided to go to the less well known circuit of Ausangate - only five hours from Cusco. Well, we were told five hours but that didn´t factor in the road works and we arrived a tired and dusty ten hours later. The start was tough - a crummy but dear hotel but the market day had kicked in when we left and was a riot of colour as the locals still wear traditional dress in this area - gorgeous.

As in most of Peru, locals have cottoned on to the fact that most tourists love looking at mountains and most tourists are pretty stupid. So they paint a sign and get themselves a book of tickets printed then set up shop in a little booth at the start of the trek and demand ´entrance money´. A) Road to Tinqui - building a house
A) Road to Tinqui - building a house
 I asked why they felt they could charge for walking on public grazing land, if the area is not a national park and therefore is not protected. They told me they needed to collect tourist rubbish from the route and to maintain the path itself. This was obviously a load of lies as trekkers rarely drop litter other than toilet paper (unlike locals who throw it round with gay abandon) and I knew that the trail was well established routes between villages and old Alpaca trails. I asked why only tourists have to pay and not locals and the man threatened to call the police. Great, I said, please do as I don´t believe that this is legal. He didn´t of course so off we went, fuming but not paying, up the hill. Didn´t sleep too well that night, was sure someone would come and rob us but all was quiet and the trek progressed with no repercussions. Maybe if more trekkers made a stand then this nonsense would stop. If they need to raise money for their schools etc then they should do it in a more honest and accountable fashion - who knows which pockets the money disappears into when they rob us like this.

And again, only a few minutes into the walk we discover more of the results of tourist stupidity. Children and adults approach us constantly demanding sweets and money. Generous but unthinking trekkers have turned locals into rude beggars and why? To make themselves feel like ´the great provider´ - very colonial. And still it continues. One poor Israeli felt the full force of my wrath as he showed me his pocket full of sweets. B) Market day
B) Market day
 ´Do you think these children have toothbrushes or access to dental care?´ I asked. ´Do you think it´s good to encourage children to quit school and beg for money for the rest of their lives?´ ´Do you think you are instilling a sense of pride in the community or creating the impression that white people are richer and more superior?´ Poor guy didn´t know what had hit him, just hope he passes on the message.

The trek itself was just amazing and boy am I lucky that Al spent all that time in the gym before we left as he was able to carry the tent, all the food and about six litres of water each day which meant we could take a nice leisurely nine days to complete the circuit instead of six and we didn´t need a hundred horses, guides, horse men, cook or the table and chairs and toilet tent that every other tourist we passed seemed to feel was essential. Carrying this much water left us free to camp wherever we felt and so, one night, we chose the highest point, a pass at 5165 meters - a first for both of us to camp over 5000m and a real highlight of our trip to S. America. Waking up at dawn to find the tent covered in snow and making porridge surrounded by huge jagged, snow-covered peaks. So beautiful.

The trek is high, you´re over 4500m almost all the way and we met a few folk who fell sick, but we were lucky and appear to have been fully acclimatized. Could have done without the remnants of a chest infection but we just took our time and soaked up the views.
Slideshow Print this entry Lima hotels