Canyons, mass tourism, big cities and lifeless deserts - after the first part of the Peru report, the Andean peaks and world-famous Inca sites beckon in the second part of the four-week trekking travelogue.
On to the Peruvian mountaineering domicile
We made our way back to Lima by plane - we didn't want to take the 20-hour bus ride that would be required. From Lima, you have to take another eight-hour bus ride until you finally arrive at the high snow giants in the area around Huaraz.
Huaraz itself doesn't really offer much worth seeing, so it's best to start right away with an acclimatization tour, for example on the four-day Santa Cruz trek. All the necessary equipment (tent, stove, etc.) can be rented cheaply locally from the numerous agencies if you don't want to take everything with you from Germany and lug it around for the whole vacation. However, it is important to check the equipment before starting the trek, as not everything is up to German standards (a leaky tent in constant rain and a petrol stove with a defective valve on the fuel bottle can cause a surprise or two).
You can get from Huaraz to the starting point of the Santa Cruz trek within three hours by collectivo and cab. An entrance fee must be paid for the Huascaran National Park, but the ticket is valid for four weeks. Most of the trek runs along an idyllic little river and you quickly reach the heart of the glaciated Andean giants. Unfortunately, the weather was quite changeable for us, so the peaks were often hidden behind thick clouds. However, when the sun finds its way through the clouds, you are treated to a unique view of the 6,000-metre peaks of the Andes. However, you have to be prepared for sudden changes in the weather at any time. From pure sunshine to heavy snowfall at a pass height of 4750 m, where even the numerous transport donkeys capitulated and lost traction in rows - we were able to experience the entire spectrum of weather conditions.
On the trek, you have the option of setting up camp on the official campsites, but it is advisable to pitch your tent a little further away, as camping is permitted throughout the national park. You will find some beautiful, secluded spots where you will only arouse the curiosity of wild horses, donkeys or especially young bulls buzzing around your tent.
At 2200 m and 55 km, the Santa Cruz Trek is an easy but beautiful trek that offers a wonderful backdrop with the gigantic mountains, the lagoons and the unique flora and fauna. Although the trek is one of the most popular Peruvian trekking tours, you hardly meet anyone during the day and are usually quite lonely on the way and only when passing the campsites do you notice that one or the other group is also on the way.
Weather god - friend or foe of the 6000m peaks?
After the Santa Cruz, we acclimatized well and went directly to the base camp of the Chopicalqui to tackle the adventure of climbing the 6000m peaks. The base camp offers a good view of numerous well-known Peruvian mountain giants such as the Huascaran, the highest mountain in Peru, the much-traveled Pisco, as well as the Chacrajaju, which immediately catches the eye with its steep walls. The next day, we were able to clearly observe the effects of climate change in the largest glacier area in the tropics on the ascent to the moraine camp: the glaciers are retreating more drastically than here in the Western Alps and the tongues are leaving behind huge moraines of debris, which clearly show that the retreat was not so long ago. One can only imagine the dimensions of glacier ice that have fallen victim to global warming. Whether natural or anthropogenic, climate change is robbing the Coridllera Blanca of some of its mightiness and beauty and making it more difficult to reach the summit. Unfortunately, the magnificent mountain panorama was not granted to us for long, as the first thick clouds soon rolled in.
These soon opened their floodgates and heavy snowfall set in, which continued throughout the following night, making a morning summit ascent with overcoming the 70° ice flanks unfortunately impossible. With poor sleep and despite strong winds at an altitude of over 5000 meters, we heard serac breaks and the resulting avalanches on the Chopicalqui every minute throughout the night. The mountain confirmed its reputation as one of the most avalanche-prone mountains in Peru.
So it was a disappointing return to Huaraz the following day, as there was no prospect of a good weather window.
Travel summary after four weeks
Peru is a very diverse country in terms of landscape. From desert to rainforest, from highlands to coast, from the high Andes to the deepest canyons - visitors are always presented with a new phenomenal view of the magnificent natural surroundings. Particularly in the southern part of the country, where the majority of tourists are to be found (and the number is increasing year on year), it is essential to plan more time to discover the original beauty of Peru away from the tourist crowds.
Whoever travels in Peru encounters very helpful and friendly people everywhere. We didn't hear of any robberies ourselves, so we weren't affected by any and we also had the overall impression that Peru is a very safe country if you're not staying in the outskirts of the city.
The hostels in Peru are mostly clean and reasonably priced. We would particularly like to highlight the hostels "Marlon's House" (www.marlonshouse.com), which are located in Arequipa, Puno and Cuzco. You won't find "Marlon's House" in Lonely Planet or Loose - however, the hostels have very clean, pleasant rooms with breakfast at reasonable prices and you are not only given a particularly warm welcome there, but the operators also provide their guests with all the necessary information and organize tours, bus trips etc. at no extra charge.
All in all, Peru is definitely worth a trip and after these very positive and varied impressions, we will certainly consider a follow-up trip to South America.
Text and pictures: Christian Skala, Regina Hörhammer
