Santa Cruz Trek

1.-4.11. Santa Cruz Trek

4 o'clock in the morning, the alarm clock rings. Quickly, we pack our few things for the upcoming Santa Cruz Trek. Rodolfo picks us up on time at 4:30 am in the minibus. Angel, our cook for the next few days, is already sitting in the back seat. Now the 6-hour journey to the highlands of the Cordillera Blanca begins. It is a bumpy-but-beautiful ride with frequent stunning views of the mountains and valleys of Peru.

Finally, the time has come and we can get off. Here in the little village, we meet Cirillo, the mule driver and our man for the tents and luggage. Since there are no more tourists, we are alone and more than well taken care of with 3 people and 4 mules!

Cirillo sets up all the tents (including the toilet tent) and Angel works his magic in the kitchen with two hot plates to prepare delicious meals: a different breakfast every day, a lunch snack, afternoon tea with snacks, and dinner. We are overwhelmed by all this luxury! The hygiene standard is also very high for camping holidays.

We enjoy the long, peaceful, starry nights and during the daily hikes, our trek becomes more and more a cultural exchange:

On the first day, we still speak English with Rodolfo, but since neither Angel nor Cirillo speak English and Rodolfo finds out that we can speak some Spanish, we switch to Spanish during dinner. This way, everyone can listen, speak and understand, and the two of us have a 4-day intensive language course. ;) When we or the three of them need a break, we switch to Berndeutsch and they switch to Quechua - the national language of Peru. However, Quechua is not taught in schools and has become somewhat "washed out" with Spanish. There is also a huge divide between the city and the countryside, and a lot of discrimination among the Peruvians themselves: whoever speaks Quechua is considered a second-class person, even though the person already speaks two languages…

We learn a lot of interesting things about the history of Peru: did you know that Peru has only been independent for about 200 years? Or that the Americans brought trout into the country? Or that there is a lot of eucalyptus growing here? (Also brought by "conquerors", without koalas...) That the lower grades of school have classes in the morning and the upper grades in the afternoon, taught by the same teachers? There is also only one female mountain guide in all of South America so far! But 2 more women are currently in training, so things are changing. We discuss the school system, politics, traditions, and customs of Switzerland and Peru - we don't leave anything out and tell each other everything.

The second day takes us over Punta Union, the highest point of the trek. The Incas have expanded the pass with stairs and we can still use the same steps. Down in the valley, the tents are already waiting for us at the most beautiful campsite in the Cordillera. There are few other tourists. We only encounter 7 Europeans in 4 days, all going in the opposite direction.

On the second-to-last day, it rains heavily on our way back from the Arhuaycocha Glacier Lagoon, where we wait in vain for a view of the "Paramount Pictures Mountain" (yes, the one in the logo). We also extend this route so that we will quickly be in the valley on the last day. The path runs along the river, lined with trees covered in bromeliads. It's a beautiful landscape that invites you to take pictures.

So Roman goes out again after tea. I lie down in the tent to rest and read. Pablo the trekking dog shows up in front of the dining tent on the last stages and guards it overnight. ;)

These 4 days pass with unforgettable views of the Peruvian mountains and many precious memories and anecdotes.

Along the way, we see the cutest animal ever: a viscacha! Yes, it's not just a Pokémon, it's a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel - very cute. Definitely take a look here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/219057969356303085/

On the last day, we arrive in the village of Cashapampa after 2 hours of hiking. Shortly thereafter, the minibus comes to load all the luggage. Cirillo takes his mules and walks all the way back to his village. On our part, we drive back to Huaraz.

We have booked another night at the "el Jacal" and even get the same room we had before.

We hang the sleeping bags outside to air them out before returning them to the shop, sort the laundry, and enjoy a hot shower.

After checking the weather, it becomes clear that the ascent of Pico Mateo will be canceled tomorrow. Too bad, but we can take it easy before getting on a night bus again tomorrow evening... the adventure continues.