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Day 27 (115km): Times they are changing
One of our quickest hotel starts yet. It's crunch time now; all business. There was mostly blue sky on the horizon, just a few clouds here and there.
Fresh produce from smiley campesina https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1580/...3fdaf6c7_h.jpg Back we went on the smooth highway to Carhuaz. We passed by some sort of Holy Week celebration cruising down the highway. The Peruvian concept of highway is much different than ours in Canada. Walking or herding livestock is a perfectly acceptable practice on the highway. Huascarán was showing off today https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1452/...55c82513_h.jpg To our surprise the road was paved leading to Chacas. We enjoyed the mountain views and twisties. When we reached the first town the pavement suddenly ended, so that was that we thought. The second steepest climb out of a town (Tayabamba still holds the lead) and then the pavement started again. I guess the mayor of that town dropped the ball. Lots of large rocks deposited at the side of the road, some uniquely turned into dwellings. There was a pig standing on one of the rocks so we called him the king of the rock. Still climbing https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1695/...81cd7409_h.jpg Apu & Naomi https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1675/...3fd00c0c_h.jpg During a break to put on more layers Alberto did some chain maintenance, only one more week chain: you can do it! Unfortunately as we drove deeper into the mountain range the clouds thickened. The mountains make their own clouds so getting the views is a bit tricky. As we continued on the paved road we started to draw our own conclusions. Back in 1998 Alberto drove this road with his friends in a SUV. Back in those days it was a narrow dirt road that winded over the mountains. At this point we suspected the road was paved the whole way so recreating the 1998 experience seemed off the table. The second conclusion we drew was that the weather was crap and it was unlikely we were going to see anything. We shall see I guess. About to enter the park https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1486/...0eef96a2_h.jpg Glacial waters https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1496/...fdfdb548_h.jpg The entrance gate was a lot less crowded than Llanganuco (thank goodness) and we were able to use our tickets. The man operating the gate wanted to buy our motorcycles. We asked him if there was a camping area in the park. He said we could camp but then said that we should be careful about thieves. A bit of a strange welcome to the park. The flat section of the valley was very pretty. There was a pristine river running through and cows grazing the land. The sun was still shining at this point but the peaks we came to see were covered. We're inside the Park! yay! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/...3bb3a37c_h.jpg Here's where we took this photo: front cover of our 2016 Calendar https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1596/...36cfe8e4_h.jpg Chasqui https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/...c61a8edb_h.jpg Beautiful valley https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/...08eb3ad6_h.jpg Time to head up to the pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1561/...cfee2ac8_h.jpg Once we started the ascent, and some 15 switchbacks I imagine, the weather deteriorated. We stopped for what pictures we could. We passed an adventure rider going the other way (Vstrom I think). Near the top the fog was in full force and the rain drops in the air stung as they hit my face. Why was I not using my visor? Because it fogged up in seconds rendering the tricky road invisible. It was very cold and in the last few switchbacks there was scattered snow at the side of the road. Needless to say we didn’t hang about. Such a beautiful place this was https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1552/...2ace0feb_h.jpg Up up up we go! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1458/...ec8e1e68_h.jpg Looking down at the road we were on https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1476/...bda09f45_h.jpg Almost at the top! close to the tunnel https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1525/...1e33e940_h.jpg I had seen a sign earlier indicating there was a tunnel, but there was no tunnel back in the days of 1998. On this side of the tunnel tons of people were taking pictures in the fog, just parked haphazard in the road after the tunnel. Again, the concept of a highway or even just a road in this case seems misunderstood in Peru. We were wet and cold and there wasn't much to see so we entered the tunnel without stopping for pictures. Surprisingly this was a serious tunnel, I was expecting something short, but it lasted a minute or two. Unfortunately the other side yielded the same weather. It was damp, it was cold and there wasn't much to see. We started to look for camping once we got below the dampness but there wasn't much available. We were searching and searching until we reached the gate on the other side. Once again it seems as though the east side isn't controlled as strictly as there was no one manning the gate and it was wide open. We had a decision to make. Heading down towards Chacas https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1698/...d459b555_h.jpg Park boundary on the East side https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1641/...66bf1e88_h.jpg The road wasn't what we were expecting so now it didn't really seem like there was a point to continue to Chacas. It was like any other paved road. We decided to work our way back to the pass and camp to wait out the weather. It was still cloudy at this point but it wasn't as damp. The lakes looked prettier and the fog was lifting a little bit from the mountains. We were just driving around trying to find good angles for photos when Alberto stumbled upon a pretty good camping spot. So that was that, we called it quits and set up camp. Punta Olímpica Pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1547/...0f96e541_h.jpg This spot would do! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1687/...e7297005_h.jpg Camping with a view https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1628/...fcbbef00_h.jpg One sweet place to spend the night https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1465/...22d9e96a_h.jpg To our surprise some blue sky did come our way, so it was worth the wait. From where we were camped you could see the old road and the old pass. Alberto decided he was going to take that trip down memory lane so he hiked up to the old pass. Over 4,700 m or 15,500 ft https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/...3d646ad8_h.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1614/...4d617c19_h.jpg Half way there! you can see our tent and bikes https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1552/...bfc702e5_h.jpg Snow at the summit https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1576/...39050979_h.jpg Old Punta Olímpica Pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1625/...ccad44ec_h.jpg From what he told me the hike was extremely sketchy and not something he would do again. The views were worth it though and once up there he remembered the trip he took in 1998. Since he barely survived the hike up he decided to be a bit more sensible and use the old road to come back. It was quite the hike, and at 4800m he came back pretty tired. I'll let his photos tell his story. Old switchbacks above the new tunnel https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1657/...ef4890f7_h.jpg Punta Olímpica tunnel https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1642/...70642388_h.jpg Oh what a night! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/...249ac386_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/...psh0eivuvo.png VIDEO: EPISODE 27 |
Day 28 (190km): It’s-Peru syndrome
Not as cold of a night as I would have guessed but when I woke up in the morning I could see my breath and it was hailing outside. The dampness and the cold contributed to me not wanting to leave the tent, but I was expecting blue skies again down the valley so that pulled me through. The fog was lifting as we were leaving so that was promising.
Better weather than yesterday! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1533/...2270ee3d_h.jpg But still a bit overcast at the top of the pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1593/...6ac91e40_h.jpg It was interesting driving the road in the opposite direction, we had a different perspective on the scenery. It was pretty nice, though the tops of the peaks were still hiding unfortunately. As expected it got sunny at the bottom, and with it our core temperatures began to rise. The road was a lot quieter first thing in the morning, making it a pleasure to ride. Lots of nice smooth twisties. Braaaaaap. Awesome switchbacks again https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1504/...6db92027_h.jpg Road back to Yungay https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1543/...0bb48eca_h.jpg Can't stop admiring the awesome rock walls on each side of this road https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/...658c3f70_h.jpg After the town with no pavement there was a Holy Week procession cruising up the road. All pedestrians, a largish group, carrying some fancy Jesus chariot. There was a taxi coming the other way on the road and the guys didn't really move to let us pass. When Alberto passed a guy with a bamboo stick pretended to strike him and when I rode through I used my left hand to block the bamboo stick guy but while I was doing that some guy on my right slapped my arm with some sort of sheet thing. It stung a bit and luckily it didn't land in such a way that it knocked me off balance. Idiots, what a group of drunk idiotS. However either way I find it very disrespectful when pedestrians pretend or actually execute physical violence on people. Something similar happened three years ago riding on the road to Huaraz. It just triggers a very negative reaction from both of us. Of course Alberto wasn't going to stand for that so he turned around and gave the guys a severe talking to and evened up the score with the guy that hit me. Things escalated and the guys threw rocks at him and circled him. Using threatening words it turned out that the crowd was mostly cowardly and once things cooled down a bit Alberto left the scenE. We saw two other Jesus carrying groups but they were all chill and didn't cause any problems. When we arrived in Carhuaz we went to the police station to report the group. There was no patrol vehicles available so we had to wait for one to arrive. When one arrived the policeman that got out immediately had an unpleasant attitude. Alberto tried to greet him and he just seemed uninterested. When Alberto told him what happened his answer was "this is the way Peru is". To which Alberto replied that it was unacceptable, people walking down the street can't be striking motorcyclists. Is the solution to do nothing? The policeman replied "If we go there to talk to them they will beat us up. They are savages." Okay so you are pretty much useless then. Reluctantly he left in the truck, pretending to go talk to the group. Alberto threatened to go to the chief of police in Huaraz if they didn't take our complaint more seriously. So we hung around some more, they wrote up a report and committed to follow-up on the incident. While we were waiting around another police truck pulled up. We had passed this truck in the non paved town. They too had encountered the aggressive group of Jesus walkers and had trouble with them. Anyways long story sort of short we wasted about two hours complaining at the police station and who knows if it made a difference. Just a bunch of idiots really. Wasting our time @ the police station https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1635/...ca254fd0_h.jpg We left and hit the road to Chavin de Huantar. It was all highway riding. There was a river on the right and houses and activity on either side of the road. Things are pretty busy in populated Peru. We saw some more river mining, a popular activity. Another idiot moment came when a SUV in front of us decided to just come to a complete stop in the middle of the road, on a highway, because he saw some gringos on a bridge and was curious. Alberto had to emergency brake, locking the back and generally fishtailing all over the place. I also emergency braked and had a small skid. Alberto came very close to rear ending that idiot. Yes correct following distance would have prevented this whole mess but we were hardly tailgating and not expecting a full stop in a corner after a bridge. Once again, expect the unexpected in Peru. Don’t let your guard down. The unintelligent things you witness in Peru are astounding and unfortunately today was the day the straw broke the camel’s back. We had no more patience for ridiculousness and bad driving. This particular side of Peru was taking us to our limits. Scenery on our way to Chavín de Huantar https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1477/...8151d066_h.jpg Naomi and Apu https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1490/...11016e2c_h.jpg Beautiful, isn't it? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1675/...6bd8e27c_h.jpg Steady climb to higher elevations https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1567/...453f3d43_h.jpg Mountain peaks in the distance https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1610/...70375340_h.jpg We stopped for some lunch in the plaza in Recuay. There was a band playing at the church and some people dancing along. Our lunch break was starting to get things back to normal. We had some delicious fresh food and a chilled out bench in the plaza. The turn off for Chavin was soon after. We got a little bit mixed up in the town when we tried to use the main street, which was under construction. Some random dirt roads here and there through the town and then we were on two-lane pavement. Today was a beautiful day and the mountain views were stunning. The landscape of rolling hills was a beautiful backdrop and reminded both of us of Patagonia. We passed an adventure rider who was stopped taking photos. It was the same BMW we saw going to Llanganuco. He is from Germany and has been traveling for 12 months. We chatted for a bit and then both went our separate ways. With a cruising speed of 30 km/hr you get a chance to really enjoy the scenery https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1631/...3215d2fd_h.jpg Bumped into a German rider https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1717/...be540802_h.jpg Lonely rock on a field https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1685/...a8f1f690_h.jpg Did I say that the scenery was superb?! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1617/...8ede934b_h.jpg More rocky peaks https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1588/...7e663e5c_h.jpg Reminded us of Patagonian mountain https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1459/...a880811a_h.jpg Querococha Lake https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1475/...7adbe884_h.jpg Naomi takes the lead https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1634/...10aed3c7_h.jpg The road continued to impress with great scenery. We had been told the road got bad after the tunnel but after the tunnel it was pretty good. When you exit the tunnel there is a huge Jesus standing there to greet you. BAM! Then the road switchbacks down the mountain. The bad reputation must come from the mixed paved and unpaved sections but the road is wide and there are only a few potholes. In our opinion the road is fine. I did get very dusty though from all the traffic: buses, trucks and combis. It was a relatively busy road. Spot Naomi and Apu https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/...74ed51d1_h.jpg Road after the tunnel https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1450/...945877b0_h.jpg Political propaganda. These Condors looked a bit Germanic https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1689/...5faf0229_h.jpg We saw a couple of blue archeological site signs at the side of the road but there didn't appear to be anything there. One said Chavin de Huantar and the other two listed different sites we weren’t familiar with. Oh god, not another headhunt. We decided to keep driving to the town so we could find out what the deal was. When we entered the town the elusive directions we were hoping for were now signed "Chavin de Huantar 1km this way". We drove to the ruins only to discover they closed 20 min ago. The guard said they opened up at 9am so we decided to come back tomorrow. We found a hotel in the plaza with parking and rested up for the night. It didn't make much sense to waste a bunch of time finding camping to then come back in the morning for the ruins. And besides, from what we saw from the road there wasn't a lot of camping to be had anyway. All the electronics got a power top-up and we treated ourselves to the onsite restaurant. Our Hotel in Chavín. Time to take a shower! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1693/...99fe08b9_h.jpg Hotel's garden https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1586/...b54290c8_h.jpg Pretty flower https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1511/...ecbac66a_h.jpg Happy to be at an Inca Portal https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/...a3b17893_h.jpg Cute church https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1473/...564f3cb3_h.jpg Walking around town https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1464/...048c3303_h.jpg Buying a few supplies for dinner https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1457/...8a509375_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 28 http://i2.wp.com/www.motolara.com/wp...ize=1024%2C665 VIDEO: Episode 28 |
Day 29 (108km): We came, we didn't see, we left.
Open at 9am the guard said. So at 8:45am we walked the 500m or so to the ruins. Closed it was on Mondays. That little bit of information would have been useful when we asked the guard last night what the deal was. Oh well, we had stayed overnight in town for nothing. We walked the perimeter a bit and peaked over the wall where we could. Looked like an interesting site. So the moral of the story is don't come after 4pm and don't come on Mondays, both errors in judgement we made.
Archaeological Site this way https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1615/...d27e571d_h.jpg Open the gate!!! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1604/...c9dcd308_h.jpg Checking the ruins from outside https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1676/...f3696e46_h.jpg At least we saw the ruins from far https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1655/...427ecea6_h.jpg How cool! I can see some of the famous stone heads! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/...ae575b96_h.jpg Stone head: a mix of jaguar, snake and condor https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1718/...e137040d_h.jpg The temple's main yard https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1691/...60e0f78c_h.jpg Nice rock work https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1570/...8b28bd52_h.jpg Mountain overlooking the ruins https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1670/...6b6b316b_h.jpg I had scoped out a back way to Pastoruri that wouldn't involve backtracking but given our time constraints we decided not to risk it. We decided to just go back on the road we knew was mostly paved and could get us where we needed to go in a timely manner and without much fuss. The weather wasn't as nice today so we were lucky to have the views we did yesterday. Going back to the hotel https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1645/...8bc620b2_h.jpg Chavín was a cute little town https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1673/...e12b05cb_h.jpg Many houses around town have their own version of the stone heads https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1657/...57553a5f_h.jpg Today everything seemed less impressive, either due to weather or maybe because we had already seen it before. It rained on us briefly by the lake and when we got down to the rolling hills we could see a patch of rain on the horizon. A rare appearance: Alberto and Chasqui https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1681/...9281b066_h.jpg Nice waterfall https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1463/...24d38ad6_h.jpg Chilling Llamas https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/...0469bc58_h.jpg All this driving around on paved roads has helped confirm my preference for single lane dirt roads, preferably mountains roads. On paved roads the yellow centerline is absolutely meaningless. For me, having been trained by the rules of the road of Canada my instincts and brain aren't playing by the same rules as Peruvian drivers. This results in a frustrating and angry experience whenever driving on paved roads as speed now becomes an issue. On dirt roads drivers are usually in my lane but at least they aren't hurtling towards me at Mach 3. Seeing people coming towards you at such speeds is very worrisome. In most cases you have to assume that their ambition outweighs their talent. Leaving the rain behind https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1452/...5032f826_h.jpg At the start of the road to Pastoruri we had to suit up in rain gear as it was pouring down. The downpour was only brief but spots of rain continued for a bit longer. Thankfully the rain didn't last and we were able to fully enjoy the amazing road. This is more of what we like: remote dirt roads with stunning scenery. This obviously had a tourist component to it, as demonstrated by the large bus that passed us, but it was really nice and only three vehicles passed us the whole way. Things were a lot quieter now that Holy Week was over, thankfully. Also surprisingly this was the best marked tourist route we've been on. There was nice rest stops with signs indicating the points of interest. The scenery was good and the road was fun. Heading to Pastoruri https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1567/...1e100492_h.jpg Awesome road https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/...6301ebfb_h.jpg Stunning scenery! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1622/...cc1a179d_h.jpg That's where we're heading https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1505/...ba04c9ba_h.jpg Fantastic small huts made with local materials https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1595/...aeb9eee8_h.jpg Nice Puya plants https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1574/...a734a496_h.jpg Puya hill https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1595/...a89a2701_h.jpg Amazing old flowers https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1541/...1a2f70be_h.jpg Up, up, up the GPS climbed in elevation as the temperature dropped, dropped, dropped. When we reached the parking lot for Pastoruri glacier we saw some guys working on the new services building. It's looking very nice. We asked them where the camping area was and they said right here, camp wherever you like. We chose to pitch the tent a little way away from where they were working so it was quieter. We got there just in time. As we were pitching the tent it started to snow/hail on us. We quickly got things set-up then hid in the tent for the rest of the day as the weather did not improve. Higher and higher https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1689/...cb92a044_h.jpg Absolutely awesome road https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1601/...cc29b661_h.jpg Almost there! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1599/...03fe62c1_h.jpg Happy to be here https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1684/...e4661a01_h.jpg ~4,850 m above sea level https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1614/...a9053643_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 29 http://i2.wp.com/www.motolara.com/wp...size=928%2C602 VIDEO: EPISODE 29 |
Day 30 (75km): From hail to hail
When the sun rose we could see that our tent was stiff as a board from ice and frost. So I guess it got cold overnight. Once the sun hit the tent though things started dripping like crazy. It was clear in the morning but as we started our hike to the glacier some dark grey clouds started to roll in, and there was no end in sight.
Frozen bike https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1693/...72b70bd9_h.jpg Good thing the sun was out! it was frosty https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/...d07a032c_h.jpg Time to go for a walk https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1488/...f9ca9737_h.jpg A combination of almost 5000m and not having worked out in over a month really came to light on our little hike. It was extremely challenging for the cardio and we had to take breaks. Luckily the weather held and though it was cold I never reached the point of freezing. The glacier was nice but it was tiny. Alberto visited the glacier back in the 90s on a class field trip and remembers it being quite a bit bigger. Such is life I guess, but those guys building the nice tourist building need to get a move on before there is nothing left. We had the whole place to ourselves which was nice. We snapped a few photos then walked back down. Of course coming down was easier. These slight uphills were killer https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1491/...9ff5f6bf_h.jpg Pastoruri Glacier! finalmente https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1457/...b8175fe5_h.jpg Walking among chunks of ice https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1578/...b6c3b788_h.jpg 5,000 m - 16,400 ft https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1514/...11819704_h.jpg Say 'QUESO'! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1468/...a05b4b34_h.jpg Same road out as we took in. The sun was shining today though, which was a nice touch. Again very little traffic. We stopped for photos and enjoyed the solitude. Back on the highway we made our way to the gas station to fill up, why not? We were trying to find a moto mechanic cause my bike was missing a critical bolt from the rear monoshock. The gas station attendant wasn't super helpful in that regard and then mis-charged us for gas by a factor of ten. We got it fixed though, thankfully Alberto caught the mistake before we left. We're so small... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1715/...5e32a1d9_h.jpg Leaving Pastoruri https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1529/...4c4dea31_h.jpg Naomi and Apu on a bend https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1521/...50ca0963_h.jpg This route is filled with special views https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1549/...cc3dcf50_h.jpg Puya Raimondi plant https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1604/...31230c76_h.jpg More info on the Puyas https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1513/...116cdebb_h.jpg Helmet shot https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1545/...8e37937f_h.jpg How tall are these plants really? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1528/...f4dfe0a5_h.jpg Happy riding! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1667/...101e9f21_h.jpg Still heading down to the valley https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1662/...71d3b675_h.jpg We continued to Recuay in hopes of finding a mechanic. We found a regular car mechanic who wasn't helpful at all. At that point it was lunch time so we stocked up on some fresh supplies at the market and ate some lunch in the plaza. We were joined for the first half of our lunch by an elderly man who was quite the chatty guy. Cholita in the city https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1694/...577098e3_h.jpg We continued on the road leaving it up to fate if a moto mechanic appeared. Our destination for the day was Laguna Wilcacocha. We stopped and asked for directions. We had a tricky time getting from the highway to the bridge. The road was definitely not tourist friendly. It was very rough and we took a few wrong turns en route. We asked for directions about half a dozen times and everyone was really friendly. With views like this, we don't mind getting lost https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1590/...158c1793_h.jpg Looking over at the Cordillera Blanca across the valley https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1558/...81b9be89_h.jpg Naomi scoping the place https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1604/...c519ed41_h.jpg Close up https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1535/...27693933_h.jpg When we finally reached the lake to our surprise a group of gringos were relaxing by the lake enjoying the view. And here we thought this place had been abandoned by tourists. There was a sign that said that camping was only permitted in the specified camping area. Since there was no map and no staff we put the tent in a location we felt was appropriate. We didn't have long to enjoy our afternoon as some vicious clouds rolled in that rained and hailed hard on our tent. We were surprised to get hail after we'd dropped about 1000m from last night's campsite. Wilcacocha Lake... so pretty https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1492/...54a7d78d_h.jpg Enjoying the vistas https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1662/...a0dc4b1a_h.jpg Cordillera Blanca in the background https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1718/...dc452fbc_h.jpg Looking down at the Santa River, towards Huaraz city https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1687/...bd4a6bec_h.jpg Naomi & Apu better come back before the storm hits... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1595/...bde09831_h.jpg Tent up! bring on the rain! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1714/...184cfc83_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 30 http://i1.wp.com/www.motolara.com/wp...ize=1024%2C662 VIDEO: EPISODE 30 |
Day 31 (125km): Fifty switchbacks to the gods
It was raining when we got up and as a consequence all the views were covered in cloud. We decided to change our plans. We were going to do some more sightseeing but with all the clouds there wasn't much point. We decided to head straight for the road home instead. This meant we were in no hurry and we were hoping to wait out the rain. Somehow we got lucky, the sun came out in the valley but there was still little hope for the mountain views.
By the time we got rolling the sun was out https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1707/...9247043a_h.jpg The torrential downpour last night did not do the rough road any favors. Now instead of just rocks and roughness there was the lingering doubt of traction. Based on some of the directions advice we were given yesterday we figured there would be a road back to the highway from Santa Cruz, and hopefully it was better than the sketchy road we took yesterday. We were in luck, there was a road and it was a tiny bit better than the other road, though only marginally better. Slow and steady we made our way back to the paved highway. So long Peruvian dirt roads, we are slabbing it home. Cool to see the narrow passages where roads head into the Cordillera Blanca mountains https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1592/...0ee62938_h.jpg There isn't much to say about the road to Huaraz. At least this time there were no crazies stopping on bridges. We needed to find a moto mechanic in Huaraz to replace a bolt on my bike that went missing. It was a pretty critical one, one of three of the suspension link bolts. At this point in the trip I felt like a cartoon while riding my bike, imagining bits and bolts bouncing down the road. We stopped at one place where some moto taxis were being worked on. They couldn't help us but one of the moto taxi guys who was just getting his fixes finished said he could show us where one was. So we followed him down the road about 10min to a moto place. Thankfully he showed us where the place was as we were not going to find it on our own. It only took them 30min to buy the bolt, and fix me up. We grabbed some fresh food supplies and hit the road. 'Motoneros Andinos' mechanic shop https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1563/...cc9a2ec3_h.jpg We stopped in Jangas to feast on our lunch treats. It was a surprisingly nice place to stop with shade and benches. Back on the road nothing much to report, we've driven this stretch of road four times now in the last week. It hasn't got any more exciting. Eating lunch at the Plaza: avocados, mangoes, andean bread... the good life! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1704/...d437c07d_h.jpg Creative wings in Jangas https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1621/...c48c3e43_h.jpg Once we passed Yungay we had reached semi-new territory. The road was pretty much the same but the landscapes were changing. It was getting hotter and drier. I saw a banana tree at the side of the road. Our plan was to fill up with gas in Caraz then suss out how to get to Punta Wichus (the last thing on our list). The guy at the gas station gave Alberto a blank stare when he asked where the road to Punta Wichus was so we guessed on which road it would be based on our map and asked a moto taxi guy. Sorted. We had to backtrack a tiny bit to a bridge and after that it was smooth sailing. Leaving the valley 'Callejón de Huaylas' behind https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1683/...cd155096_h.jpg More Puya Raimondis in this route! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1493/...89bac4d6_h.jpg Our VeeRubber tyres didn't last long... 3,000 kms https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1550/...03b162a5_h.jpg The little yellow flowers were all over this route https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1603/...5b828711_h.jpg We saw the bridge, or we thought we did. It was just a mirage (a bridge under construction). The active bridge was a wooden affair with a sign at the entrance saying it was for foot traffic only. We were confident though as there was two taxi cars ahead of us doing just fine. Despite the sketchy bridge the road was paved on the other side. Puya Raimondi forest https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1505/...36926ae7_h.jpg Small round cactus found roadside https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1457/...5d459fa0_h.jpg The road immediately started climbing. It started out as a normal two lane paved road then quickly turned into a single lane paved road. Not a problem for us, we were pretty happy about it actually. The traffic situation was pretty quiet. Next came the fifty switchbacks. If you like switchbacks you should check this road out. On a clear day I bet the view is amazing. For us, while there was no view, it was sunny so we can't complain much. Those fifty switchbacks take you right to the top of the world, or 4300m to be exact. On the way is a Puya Raimondi forest.These flowers are quite amazing plants. Time to climb one more mountain!... the last one in this trip https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1462/...c12bf22a_h.jpg Things were looking good https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1604/...27f8abcd_h.jpg 1.5 hours later... we're still climbing! Can you see Naomi? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1445/...d39a249a_h.jpg Close up https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1606/...7a0e7878_h.jpg The last corner of our last mountain pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1550/...2a754749_h.jpg At the Chicarhuapunta Pass https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1517/...496396ea_h.jpg Nice views from Cordillera Negra of the Cordillera Blanca, across the valley https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1629/...0aa1b5b7_h.jpg At the top we had a decision to make. The whole point of taking this road was for scenery, and I guess we have to get back to the coast somehow as well. Right then there wasn't much to see except clouds so we decided to camp at the top of the pass. Since we skipped out on our last day of Huascarán exploring we might as well relax and cross our fingers for clearer skies in the morning. Fingers and toes are crossed. We made up our minds! Camping at the top of a mountain! 4,400 m (14,500 ft) https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1513/...42f47a2d_h.jpg I think my fork seal is kaput! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1541/...5dc41a3d_h.jpg Views of the valley far down below https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1601/...1af000a9_h.jpg Incredibly steep crops and houses https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1639/...eadac371_h.jpg No sleepwalking in this campsite! or bye bye.. over the cliff https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1663/...010126f8_h.jpg View from our tent = priceless https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1506/...0bbcaead_h.jpg Chasqui and Apu did absolutely amazing in this trip https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1578/...87de92b5_h.jpg Vegetation at 14,500 ft https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1529/...36cc21a2_h.jpg Camp vibes https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1458/...6ca68942_h.jpg A beautiful place to camp for the night https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1455/...c0320579_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 31 http://i2.wp.com/www.motolara.com/wp...size=928%2C604 VIDEO: EPISODE 31 |
Day 32 (280km): Twisty sweats part II
I was lucky enough to go out for a pee around 5:30am. Despite the overnight rain I could see the entire mountain range in profile. This was shaping up to be a good morning. It didn't take long for the sun to shine some light on the peaks so we snuggled up in the tent and enjoyed the amazing sunrise. Alberto commented that it was the most amazing sunrise he's ever seen. We also took advantage of the views we could not see yesterday by having a casual breakfast alfresco. By 8am the fog had rolled in and we could see absolutely nothing, plus it was cold.
These are the highest mountain peaks in all of Peru! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1616/...3221a6f4_h.jpg Perfect way to start the last day of our trip https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1655/...4bd7fc52_h.jpg It was a cool & clear morning https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1697/...c801c5f5_h.jpg Warmth was welcomed https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1505/...2033844a_h.jpg Morning glory! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1471/...356acee6_h.jpg Looking West... fog rolling in from the East https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1677/...50cb2154_h.jpg Looking East... all fogged up https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1714/...dfa44779_h.jpg No need to hang about when there is nothing to see, so we packed up and chased the sun. We could see through breaks in the fog that it was sunny in our direction of travel we just needed to get there. Having spent the night only a few hundred meters from the road we knew first hand this wasn't a busy road. This was to our advantage because the road was quite a treat to ride. Lots of nice flowing 'S' turns and switchbacks. We were carving it up, and not another vehicle in sight. No fog on this side of the mountain https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1505/...7ce65425_h.jpg Another day with a road all to ourselves https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1708/...b96bf10a_h.jpg Above the tree-line https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1491/...8fc2256f_h.jpg The sun was out and we didn't hit our first town for 45min or so. Just us and the road; a beautiful way to spend a morning. By was the second or third town, and some 1500m of elevation loss later, we were warm enough to shed some layers. We stopped in the plaza of Pamparomas, which was perched on a very steep hill. As always a few strange looks from some people chilling in the Plaza. Naomi taking the lead https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1444/...0e05e187_h.jpg Back where trees grow https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1525/...d551b59b_h.jpg Plaza de Pamparomás https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/...f3bf7f76_h.jpg Little fella eating a 'Chirimoya' (local fruit) https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1454/...0b34944f_h.jpg The road continued down with enough switchbacks to sink a ship. The funny thing about this section of road was the amount of speedbumps. The seemingly random placement of speedbumps turned into a trend in this switchback section. Before every switchback in the downhill direction there was a speedbump to greet you. Talk about messing up the flow, but this is Peru and at a certain point you just accept the ridiculousness. The landscapes were lush and the smell of flowers was in the air. Just go with it and laugh. A few more switchbacks... and speedbumps https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/...9552ad21_h.jpg From high to low, from green to brown https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1689/...1ea3bf24_h.jpg At the bottom the road ditched the switchbacks in favour of nice 'S' turns following the river at a nice steady downhill grade. Just before one corner, and thankfully just before one corner as the road was single lane, we met our first vehicle of the day: a cargo truck. He was going uphill so his speed was very slow, an advantage to us and no drama resulted from the encounter. The hills were getting drier now, and soon cactus could be seen at the side of the road. At the very very bottom the terrain was as dry as a bone and sand was everywhere, a clear indication we were reaching coastal Peru. Naomi and Apu https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/...814cb621_h.jpg Can you find Naomi? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1675/...2548e527_h.jpg We were making such smooth progress that Alberto didn't even notice when the road gained another lane, I had to tell him “Hey there is two lanes again”. There was a control gate manned by an older gentleman. He jokingly tried to charge us 50 soles to pass, at which point Alberto just laughed and demanded the gate be opened. The guy half heartedly continued his game, but it was short lived and the gate was opened without any money changing hands. The road was straighter and flatter. The lands were more populated and sugar cane was the crop of the region. It seemed clear that the fun had ended and now it was just straight business back to Huanchaco. Looking East: tall green mountains https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1693/...c1eabd6b_h.jpg Looking East: brown dry lands https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1521/...b9ac5b27_h.jpg Enjoying the twisties! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1483/...6742ead9_h.jpg Amazingly our side of the mountain had banana trees, but look at the other side: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1493/...9dfe6f99_h.jpg Cati land https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1689/...562ad3a5_h.jpg It is a strange site having been isolated in huge mountains for so long when up ahead (at an intersection) a large truck goes flying by at speeds you have not witnessed for weeks. So that must be the Panamerciana then. We merged onto the Panamercian Highway and fell into line somewhere between cargo trucks and personal vehicles. The wind tossed the small bikes around and when large vehicles in the oncoming traffic went past we had to brace for wind impact. We were surprised that even though we were technically going under the speed limit we were still passing vehicles. At one point a donkey cart was holding up traffic as the road crossed a bridge. A donkey cart on the Panamericana! Madness I say! Sorry there are no pictures of the next 3 hours of flat highway riding. It needed to be done and it's not something I would gladly do again. Seeing the city of Trujillo on the horizon was very welcomed, and unlike Chimbote there is a nice road that goes around the outside of the city. When the waves of the shore came into view I was actually somewhat happy to be back on the coast. I had missed the ocean over the last few weeks. We arrived back in Huanchaco safe and sound, with both Apu and Chasqui arriving under their own steam. Well done boys. With another day in the books, we treated ourselves to lunch with an ocean view. We celebrated our trip with a couple of Cusqueñas and a high five. Well done team! Arriving in Huanchaco Beach... we felt a bit overdressed! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1647/...a5f76c53_h.jpg Back to where we started 32 days ago https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1559/...71236fe9_h.jpg GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 32 (4,300 m to 0 meters) http://i2.wp.com/www.motolara.com/wp...size=928%2C602 FINAL VIDEO: EPISODE 32 |
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