Stage 1- 10 km, Hualcayan (3140m) to Calamina (4400m), 1300m elevation gain
To access the Cordillera Blanca Trail,
we took a bus to Hualcayan (3140 m) to get to Calamina ( 4400).
Calamina is a small lake with some grounds to put your tents and get
fresh water. It is only 10 kilometeres but due to the attitude, it is
a good first day. I had taken 1L of water, but that wasn't enough, I
ate before the start and that wasn't a good idea. Fruits would have
actually been better instead of a carby quinoa salad! But we all made
it eventually and settle camp to enjoy our first night under the
stars!
Time needed: 2:00 - 3:00 hours
Difficulties: the heat and attitude!
Stage 2- 20 km from Calamina to Ruinas (4000m), 900m of elevation gain
From Calamina, we followed the water
pip tand came across this beautiful glacier lake as seen on the
center of the collage. We then carry on to go throgh Toropishtanan
pass (4800m). It starts flat to warm you up and then starts to climb
up gradually. When you reach the pass, you then go down on a nice
downhill to go back up to the next pass Vientunan ( 4750m). From
there, the hard climbing stops for you to enjoy a nice downhill,
reach a long and flat ( 7-8 km) river trail to get to Ruinas (4300m)
, where we set camp again.
Time needed: it felt like we spend all
day, the flatshish section felt longer than any of the climbs….but it actually took the fasted guy 4 hours and the slowest group 6 hours
Difficulties: to join the Vientunan
pass, you really need to look for the trail as it is in between rocks
that look the same! If you are going down, you are on the wrong
path...
Stage 3- Ruinas to Huilca (4000 m) - 13km, 750m of elevation gain, 900m descent
After a good night sleep and sharing
the makeshif camp ground with a nice bunch of American, we started
our day by going through some very wet grassy pass jumping from grass
patch to grass patch before reaching a long and sharp mountain pass.
The path is not easily identifiable. If you are lucky you find it, if
you are not so lucky ( like Mick and I) you will end up making your
own way which will take you much longer than the official one...so
good luck finding the official one. Not impossible but very
difficult. The good thing it is only for 150 m of ascent before
reaching the official one no matter what so, I bite my tongue and
carried one. When you reach Garagara mountain pass (4800m), you will go down
keeping the river onto your right (otherwise it will be boggy and you
will waste quite a bit of time and dry socks) before reaching the
second pass of the day while looking up for condors ( national
Peruvian bird, HUGE but harmless). Huilca is a one hut, where you
will have a nice river with fresh water and set camps among the lama
fields.
Time needed: 3 hours
Difficulties: the boogy pampas if you
don't stay on track
Stage 4- Huilca (4000m) to Pingospampa
(3800m) – 13km 650 elevation gain, - 1400m descent
Another good night of sleep, with some
coca tea and banana porridge for breakfast and we are set to do our
last short stage ( by then we should be more accustomed to the
attitude and push the distance without too much drawbacks)
The trail will be on the right side of
the hut towards the Yanayacon pass (4330m), you will cross a wet
pampa before reaching a small rocks mountain pass. From there, you go
down to a very wet flat pampa, stay on the left of the mountain or
you will again enjoy some wet smelly socks and shoes. :)
Enjoy the nice trail to reach the
second mountain pass Ventanilla (4350m). It is a sort of a cliff with
tunnel looking parts, not long and enjoyable so keep a eye on the
trail or you'll find yourself in another cliff and not in
Pingospampa. Which would be a shame because where the villagers will
be waiting for you with fresh beers and ocras. We set camp on a dry
part of flat pampa with again a nice small river ( you could catch a
fish for supper, but don't really count on it, we didn't get any…)
Time: 3-5 hours
Difficulties : The wet pampa made if very difficult to get on the right trail.
Stage 5 - Pingospampa (3800) to Yanama (3400m), 33km, 2000m elevation gain, 2100 of descent.
From Pinfospampa, we are going to Yanama, a small village where we will be sleeping in a hotel and have our first shower since the start! It was worth the extra kilometres!
We first went up towards the mountain pass of Tupatupa. Quite long first climb to then go down towards a small village full of eucalyptus trees, to go back up another while…Then it's all down towards the river crossing before climbing up to Yanama. It was very hot, and water was very dear. Peruvian are awesome at sharing with you the little they have with a big smile! As you can notice the kilometres are longer, why? the attitude is lower and you should be more accustomed to the attitude. :)
Time: 6 to 9 hours
Difficulties: finding our way after that first downhill and bull chasing!
Alternative: If you are too tired to go to Yanama, when you cross the village just af
Stage 6- Yanama (3400m) to Chacas (3360m), 36 km, 1300m of elevation gain, 1350m of descent
Another long day to enable us to reach another village Chacas, where we will spend another night in a hotel.
The scenery makes up for the fact that for 20km you are on a jeep track, you go up to a Pusha mountain pass (4050m) go down while crossing tiny villages smelling eucalyptus, reach the main road where you can load of powerade or anything you fancy in Acochaca, cross the river to then finally go back up again on a school kids paths who will be walking along with you while chatting (a lot!) and with no effort before reaching the small village of Chacas. There we had time to visit the town centre made of wood and ate a very nice Causa Limena avocado peruvian mash!
Time: 4 to 7 hours
Difficulties: None, it was quite straight forward
Alternative: If you are too tired to go Chacas when you arrive at Acochaca you can take a bus.
Stage 7: Chacas- Huari (3150m), 36km, 1600m of elevation gain, 1400m of descent.
Another long one to reach the Lake Huari where you'll have a nice little cafe and relax your legs in the lake. You first start nicely in the woods, crossing the river and getting into some wet pampa with waterfalls on your left. You then have to climb at 4650m ( very cold and windy) to be able to join the path for the lake, more went pampa after the rocky downhill to cross a river before arriving on another mountain grassy trails, there it's a rollcoster until you can finally see the lake. From there, it is a long downhill not too technical to arrive at the bottom of the Lake. Enjoy but be careful of the nasty flies when you get into the tent, or you will itch for days!
Difficulties: the long ascent before reaching the mountain pass at 4650m.
Time: 6-9 hours
To reach Chavin, we took a day off to get from Huari to Chavin by bus…it took from 6 hours in total but at least we got to visit Chavin and relax at the hotel a bit with a warm shower.
The following day, we started the climb to get on the higher plateaux of Chavin to reach Yanashllash mountain pass ( 4600m, you'll feel it!). When you get to the top, it's a long down hill to the pampa which will then lead you to more pampa until you don't want to see pampa again! climb a little more before reaching Oleros and take a bus to Huaraz.
Difficulty: the long way in the pampa is a mental killer
Time: 6-9 hours
There we go, 9 days, 8 stages. Awesome memories in such a short space of time…I miss it very much but we have so much more to see…and the summits to do! So stay tune on Michael's Blog!
