“There are few places that truly stir my heart with a wild passion. Ancash, Peru is one of them. “ – Eric Hanson
Backpacking the tallest peak in Peru
Huascaran, Peru’s tallest peak at over 22,000 feet and, along with this region’s gorgeous landscapes, is why mountaineers and trekkers all around the world flock to this destination. The culture and feel of the town of Huaraz, where our adventure begins, is a flock-worthy destination too. I was happy to be back.
I was welcomed by Virgilio, the lead guide of our confidence inspiring team from Explorandes in Huaraz. Explorandes is an award-winning company recognized for its commitment to responsible tourism.
Route planning
Over cerveza with Virgilio, we poured over our backpacking plans at a well-known climbing hangout, The Andino Café. There we traced our fingers along the map of the Cordillera Huayhuash and the segment of trail we would tackle. A 4-day route (truncated from the classic 12-day version) in a remote pocket of rugged mountains that pierce the sky with the snow-covered needles of Siula Grande, Jirishanka, and Rondoy.
High altitude hiking in Peru
The high altitude in the Huayhuash must be taken seriously. To aid in our acclimatization, we visited Huascarán National Park and Llanganuco Valley for a hike among the Cordillera Blanca mountains. Visiting lakes Chinancocha, Orconcocha and the stunning, Llanganuco was inspirational. I described it as an “azure lake that practically glows in a glacier carved valley of granite.” This acclimatization hike was a worthy adventure of its own.
Support crew for the international trekking
After a breathtaking drive towards the Cordillera Huayhuash trailhead, Virgilio introduced us to two more local characters from our support team. Our chef Gregorio (a.k.a. Chileno) and Rosalino, our muleteer. With the team assembled and camp set, it was our first moment to sit back and admire the peaks. The peaks that make up the core of the Cordillera Hauyhuash.
“The verticality of them seems impossible.” – Eric Hanson
Sambunya mountain pass
We embarked on an early morning departure for Sambunya mountain pass. Our supports, Chilano and Rosolino, both surpassed us. This gave them a head start on preparing an amazing meal for our arrival. We continued down towards the glacier lake, Solteracocha. We could hear and witness heart-thumping avalanches nearby.
Camp meals in the Ancash Region
Waking at camp near Jahuacocha Lake we learned that Chilano and Rosalino would be making “Pachamanca” that day. Pachamanca is a meal cooked underground using hot rocks. The Pachamanca tradition honors and celebrates our relationship with the earth. Celebrating our relationship as a team too, we enjoyed the pachamanca and honored the trail with a hike up to a favorite outlook of one of our guides.
Cold mornings in the Ancash Region
The morning's frost covered tents didn’t stop our goal to hike over another mountain pass (Mancanpunta) to a nearby Pocpa village. Rosalino passed us with the donkeys just as we took in the views at the final pass of our adventure. We were about to leave the trails for the city of Chiquan.
If you are interested in more about my time in Peru, check out these videos.
