The final walk

The problem with Peru is that there is just too many treks in too many different areas. We arrived Huaraz after hearing many greats things about the Cordillera Blanca (the surrounding mountain range). We were initially keen on the idea of trekking the Huayhuash area, but got the run around by a bunch of agencies and final some honest advice saying the weather had turned and the rain has begun. Not a good idea to start an 8 day trek. So we relented and took the easy option and did the Santa Cruz trek. The most popular in the region.

It all starts with a solid 5 hours on the road or slushy mud track as it were. Upon entering the national park you get some great scenery. Massive steep cliff faces and odd laguna.We then climbed and climbed and climbed. Numerous switchbacks in a fairly crowded minivan on a dirt road covered in snow melt.

After surviving the drive, we then walked.Nice green valleys with a lot more vegetation than we were use too. Surrounded by snow capped mountains.More photographic indulgement. It's a pretty pretty place.

More reflective glory.The snow started at about 4200m asl. Bella being happy to be back in it again. Plenty more to come in Canada.The track soon became a just rock. Either little ones or massive ones. All with melted snow running over it. The pass we are walking to is pretty much above the guy with the white pack´s head.Conquerer of the pass at 4750m asl. Our donkeys heading back down the other side.

The valley from where we had come.The weather was crazy. We had mostly cloud but also rain and snow and even occassionally some sun. At camp that night with the pass now clear on the right.A little 5900m peak in the early morning light.Alpamayo. One of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Not sure how you rate it but this is about as much as we saw.Back in Huaraz. A stunningly located town.

Now, no more trekking and to the beach. Although my hopes are not set high.

Yet another bunch of walking......

So we finally left Cusco and headed to Arequipa. A town famous for its churches and a great big hole in the ground nearby. It actually has two of the world's deepest caynons nearby, over 3100m deep. We only decided to go to the second deepest which is a full 150m smaller.

We met up with Tess and Lexi Barrett, friends from college who happened to be in the same place at the same time and headed off on a 4 day trek with Cool Raul as our guide. Trekking in a caynon is pretty simple. Down one side and up the other and then back down and up again with a few green spots down the bottom.

Top

Some giraffe skin on the way down (or so Lexi thought)

BottomThey way back up. A little green spot on the bottom left where we stopped for swim. You can sort of see our path up from bottom left to top right.

The trek took us to some fairly remote villages. Remote in the sense that they don't have electricity and have little use for money. The indigenous culture is still very strong in caynon with a lot of bartering carried on. Housing is made from the materials around them (rock, mud and wood) but they still have sophisticated aquaduct systems to have running water and to water their crops.

But the highlight ended up being the last day which we thought was going to be the worst. We had arrived back at our starting point on the night of the third day. The 4th day solely consisted of us heading back to Arequipa with a stop in the early morning a little way along the caynon to see some condors.

We scored!!!!!! Around 8 condors performed for us for over an hour.

You can tell how lucky we were by the reactions of the locals.

They started far away but came right in close on many sweeping flights to have a look at all the gringos staring back at them. The money shot. No photo editing there.

We even had some come to rest only 20m away from us.

A final goodbye. Not quite as cool as Llamas but not far off.