Huaraz

After the wellness time in Lima, we felt refreshed and wanted to explore the heights and the Andes one last time. So we took a winding and arduous bus ride to Huaraz at 3100 meters above sea level, the starting point for many spectacular hikes and treks in the Cordillera Blanca. Huaraz might also be known to some people in Germany; this is where farmer Saul Lliuya lives, who sued RWE for their share of responsibility in climate change, asking them to participate in protective measures against flooding at his house (the ruling has since come in, and it went something like this: fundamentally, companies can be held liable, but in this specific case, it couldn't be proven that the flood risk had significantly increased due to climate change). Also, the famous Paramount logo is said to be based on the Artesonraju mountain in this area. By now, we were approaching the long-awaited May, when the rainy season in Peru was supposed to end and the ideal travel season was to begin. But in Huaraz, we were immediately informed that it wouldn't be nice here until June. Damn! And indeed, the weather was quite gloomy, and there wasn't much fun in the city itself since almost all the streets in the center were torn up; these construction sites turned into a huge mud obstacle course in the rain. But it doesn't matter; there is no bad weather, only bad clothing, so we planned to hike the Santa Cruz trek for 4 days as part of a guided tour, with tents and many elevation gains up to nearly 5000 meters. We weren't among the fastest in the guided tours, but so far, we had managed everything, we thought. For practice purposes, we booked a day tour to Laguna 69, with 800 meters of ascent to about 4600 meters. And that wasn't so great! The altitude itself wasn't our problem, but everything else surrounding it. On this tour, we were joined by a bunch of twenty-somethings, and the hiking schedule required us to almost jog up the mountain. We thought we were doing pretty well, but we couldn't look left or right, and even though we felt like we were going quite quickly, the guide continued to push us to ensure we would be back at the bus on time. It was pouring rain in between and cold too. Freddy found it so ridiculous that he turned back early to avoid the time pressure at the end. Marike dragged herself up the mountain, but once she reached the lagoon, it was so cold that her fingers froze and she couldn’t take a proper break without risking hypothermia. Meanwhile, twenty-something thrill-seekers were jumping into the icy water as a test of courage; the differences in our physical conditions were stark. And on the way back, it was just as rushed, trying to get back down without any real breaks just before the return trip. Even though the landscape during the hike was really beautiful, this experience was rather sobering. After this day, Freddy opted out of the Santa Cruz trek, and Marike finally had to admit, looking at the weather forecast (cold, wind, rain for the next two weeks), that hiking for 4 days at the edge of her physical limits with signs of frostbite, trying to keep up with some fit young folks was too much for her. A decision she would regret and complain about time and again, but at some point, we'll have to return to Bolivia, and we're not done with Peru yet either. And then we'll stick with it!! Given this overall situation, there isn't much left to do in Huaraz, and we jumped on a night bus fairly spontaneously continuing north without trekking.