Santa Cruz Trek

With the bus from Paracas to Lima we made a stop at the Slave Tunnels. In Lima we spent two nights and then drove to Huaraz during the day.

Santa Cruz Trek - 4 days of hiking - 4 days without toilets - 4 days without showers - 4 days without network

Day 1:

On Wednesday evening we packed our big backpacks, as we needed many warm clothes for our 4-day hike. In our imagination, it was cool to hike for 4 days, but it also seemed quite exhausting to carry the big backpack uphill.

Thursday morning we were picked up by a taxi shortly after 6:00 a.m. First impression was quite strange, as we knew that we would drive about 5 hours by "car" before we start walking and this taxi was quite small. However, we only drove to a minibus, where other people from Scotland, Australia, France and Holland were sitting.

During the five-hour car ride, we made a stop at the beautiful "Laguna Mujer". A little later we made another stop. From there you could see the highest mountain in Peru.

When we arrived in a small village, from where we started walking, we learned that the donkeys would not only carry the tents, camping equipment, sleeping bags, etc., but also our backpacks. Very pleasant for us, but also a bit silly that we didn't know beforehand, because then we would have taken a small backpack for water, sunscreen and hats. It was also a bit annoying that Emily had forgotten her sunglasses and camera in the hostel.

At first, I didn't like the guide so much because he didn't give any instructions, so we had our tickets for the national park strapped to a donkey in our backpack instead of in our jacket pocket. The officer (control del puesto) was a bit annoyed, but ultimately let us through. Our group was really nice and especially communicative. The guide was actually quite funny. On Thursday we walked about 4 hours through the beautiful relatively flat landscape with wild cows and horses and spent the night in small tents. In the evening, dinner was cooked for us (chicken with rice) and we could even see the Milky Way in the starry sky.

During dinner, a 40-year-old Frenchman told us that he was in Peru for ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is a drug that is drank and is a process performed by shamans. However, you have to eat sugar-free, fat-free and vegetarian food for 13 days in advance. Ayahuasca produces hallucinations and is supposed to change the life of the person who undergoes it.

Then he told us that he had "mushrooms" with him, which he wanted to take the next day at the end of the hike.

Day 2:

After a freezing cold and sleepless night, we had to get up at 6:00 a.m., get dressed, pack up the tents and have breakfast. We set off around 6:45 a.m. At first, it was not too steep, partly even with a flat path. Shortly before we reached 4775 meters, it became incredibly steep. There was hardly any path to see, only rock walls that we "climbed up". But at the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view and an additional view of a turquoise lagoon. After taking a break at the top, we walked down another 200 meters in altitude. Our tents were set up 200 meters lower, so we slept at 4600 meters. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a soup and the bright sun. However, both Emily and I had pretty bad headaches. In the evening, I couldn't eat anything anymore because I felt sick. Now I know what it means to be altitude sick, as I had to throw up three times during the night.

Day 3:

Yesterday morning we got up again around 6:00 a.m. We had delicious pancakes for breakfast and I was already feeling much better. But of course, I still didn't feel completely well, as my body was quite empty😂. On the third day, we walked for 8 hours with short breaks. The landscape was beautiful and luckily the route was mostly flat or downhill.

In the morning, we filled our water bottles with boiled river water. When I later drank from it, I immediately felt sick again, as it seemed that the pot was not properly rinsed and it felt like drinking pure fat.

In the last two hours, we walked alone to the campsite, as the guide wanted to sit in nature for a while to have a beer. Throughout the trek, we already thought that he smelled quite strongly of alcohol. The others also said that he drank quite a lot and often alcohol during the trek.

Highlight of the day: after 8 hours of endless walking, there was a mini kiosk where I could buy a cola.

Day 4:

Today it was time to get up at 5:30 a.m. and have breakfast at 6:00 a.m., as we were supposed to arrive in the village around 10:00 a.m. The path was mostly flat, only the last hour was downhill. Then we took the bus back to Huaraz.

According to the internet, the Santa Cruz Trek is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world. I have no idea if that's true, as I haven't hiked enough for that. But for sure, the Santa Cruz Trek is beautiful and definitely recommendable.

Tonight we are taking the bus to Trujillo.