Amazing! Santa Cruz trek
Trip Start
Jan 12, 2008
1
34
41
Trip End
Jan 15, 2009
Huaraz,
Peru
Friday, July 4, 2008
The main reason people come here is for the hiking. So of course we decided to take part. Santa Cruz is a popular 4 day hike about 3 hours from Huaraz. We set out on a Sunday morning in true Peruvian style. Supposedly leaving at 6.30am but not really until 7.30am when the guide finally turned up. With 8 other tourists we travelled in public micro-buses to a small town call Caraz and then onto Santa Cruz, the beginning of our trek.
The first day, Joe and I were photo happy, surrounded by cliff faces and following a fresh, icy cold flowing river
01
. We walked along a valley with a beuatiful white snow peaked mountain (our destination) in the distance. The days hike took us past waterfalls, flowing rivers with little grassy areas by the water, wild dangerous donkeys with their hearders, dangerous cactus plants and more. In fact Joe got attacked by a round cactus plant and had about 15 needle like spikes sticking out of his leg!! OOOOOOUUUCCH. The first night we camped at 3760m at a camp called Llamacorral (Yamacoral), the sun setting early around 6pm and the cold coming in and freezing us to our bones!! All 12 (including our guides) of us had to try and fit into the cooking tent big enough for maybe 8. We ate well the whole trip, with hot breakfast in the mornings, eggs, porridge (Joe says the best he has ever had) and aromatic tea. Lunch was sammies, chocolate and biccies and dinner started with a nice hot cup of Coca Tea, soup and a main dish. SOO YUMMY and kept us warm and full. Temperatures dropped below 0 the first night and I spent the night teeth chattering and snuggling with hubby to keep warm.
The second day saw us climb to 4250m. A mostly flat day it was quite easy walking, cut in the middle by climbing a stupidly high and steep Mirador (look out) to over 4300m. Oh thats right we also came across a disgusting cows head stuck on a rock!! EEEEW The view was amazing with white peaks (over 6000m) and the valley around us. Sleeping in minus 10 degrees was a killer and we woke up with ice on our tent and all over the grass.
Day 3, the big DAY, the summit day
02 This is what we woke up to - first morning!
. This was always known to be the hardest day and it was. We climbed ffrom 4250 to 4750m. The altitude was really felt at these heights and every 100m I would have to stop to catch my breath. Couple that with the fact I had a broken toe on the left and sore heel on the right, the climb wasnt very pleasent. The views from the top however were worth everything. AMAZING!! Imagine standing on the beach and looking out into the oceans horizon about 5km and now tilt your head straight back so you are looking 5km up into the sky and that is about how high we were. Words cannot even describe how beautiful this place is and how amazing God is to have created something so enormous!! After summiting the mountain ridge pass we spent about 4 hours walking down to our next camp. I was delighted to have met another Aussie Clint from Victoria, who like me grew up with good ol John Williamson. We belted out many tunes and laughed and laughed!!Our final night on the trail met us with the same stunning views of stars. Ever night the stars were so bright and there were multitudes! Our favourite was seeing the southern cross. Made us feel close to you guys. Isnt it amazing that this far away we can look up at night and see the same sky and stars!! Being so cold at night at this altitude we couldnt stay out watching the stars too long.
Day 4 saw us hike out of the national park, wait for a bus for almost 2 hours and return home. We had a great time, the group of people we were with was perfect, the view stunning, the cold chilling but most of all the landscape, like nothing i could have ever imagined!!
A few sum ups: have you ever tried peeing in minus 10 degrees at night... eeewww soo cold, donkeys are awesome, I was thrilled to be surrounded by dogs, donkeys, cows, chickens, goats and sheep for much of the trip. Our guide Abel had done the same hike in 8 hours, just remember we took nearly four days!! Views were stunning and the mighty Andes dwaffed anything. We saw the mountain ridge pass on our first day and we didnīt reach it until our 3rd day! Unbelievable!
We all went out to dinner for Chiffa (Chinese) after the hike and I was in awe of Clint after eating almost 7 dessert items from the cake shop!! How impressive is that!! And I thought my mum and I were sweet toothes.
Comments
Incredible!!!!
What an amazing lot of photos you took!!!I can't believe how cold but awesome it looked!!! You are both so adventurous!!Well done for having achieved that hike......dare i say yet again.....I am jealous!!!
Good on ya! Look after yourselves!!!!