June 2001 

Acclimatization in Huaraz:  From Lima, we piled onto a bus.  After hugging the serpentine Pacific coast for three treacherous hours along the Pan-American highway, we turned east and climbed into the Andes for another five hours along an equally curvy highway.  We ultimately arrived in Huaraz, the hub of trekking and climbing activities in the Cordillera Blanca region.  Huaraz sits in the center of the Callejon de Huaylas (roughly, "Canyon of the Mountains"), a steep valley that plunges between the glaciated Cordillera Blanca and the less impressive Cordillera Negra.  Above Huaraz one can see Peru's highest mountain, Huascaran (22,205'), and a number of other peaks in the Blanca range.  We spent two days in Huaraz acclimatizing, eating good food and drinking the last of our beers for a few weeks.  Our first full day was spent on a morning hike up to the "cross" that overlooks the town, and then relaxing in the afternoon (i.e., eating and shopping).  The next day we hiked up into the Nacional Parque Cordillera Blanca towards Laguna Churup.  We hiked up to around 13,500' before stopping an hour for lunch and then heading back down.

The broad summit of Peru's highest mountain -- Huascaran (22,205') -- dominates the skyline above the town of Huaraz.

Rich hiking above Huaraz; Cordillera Negra in the distance

A view of one of the massive fault-line rifts caused by the 1970 Huaraz earthquake

U-shaped glacial valley seen on the acclimatization hike up towards Laguna Churup

Keith hiking upwards towards Laguna Churup

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