Day 68: Huaraz – Cuartelhuain – Stefan, on the run

Tuesday June 4th, 2019.

Day 4 of Trekking the Huayhuash Circuit by G-adventures

Todays plan:

“Huaraz to Cuartelhuain

Travel by private vehicle into Huascaran National Park, gaze out the window and enjoy the Andean scenery passing by. Arrive at Cuartelhuain, the camp for the night (4,200m/13,780 ft).

Enjoy the ride through Huascaran National Park. Stop to view Puya Raimondi trees, distantly related to pineapples, these strange plants are worth a second look. Snap some photos at Yanashayash pass before taking a break in Huallanca village.”

At 07:15 am breakfast, at 08:00 am we will leave with a bus to the first campsite. 05:45 am the first alarmclock starts to ring in super tiny and poorly soundproofed hotel residencial. Everybody has the good idea to take a Last shower before we leave. Unfortunately the water heater is not on that early.

At 06:45 am I go to breakfast through the small patio. Already everybody there. 7 nights in tents above 4.000 masl causes some nervousity. Breakfast is better than yesterday.

At 08:00 am we enter the bus, put our large luggage and dufflebags in the trunk and start to drive in direction Chiquian.

It is a big bus, everybody has his own double seat. One guy, Ian, is occupied the last row with his notebook and starts to work immediately.

We do some banjo stops. Mostly at locations with proper toilets or nice view.

Next stop is in a small village.

With the remarkable possibility to by doping for the hike (all ecologically).

Then we arrive in Chiquian and drop the big luggage in a hotel, where we will end the trek.

In Chiquian there are only indigenous Quechua people visible. The town is sleepy.

After some minutes for banos we drive on and change to a gravel road, which winds itself dramatically in a canyon beside a river. From time to time we stop at indigenous towns at a barrier, Lucy jumps out, shows some papers, gets a stamp and we continue to drive. I sit on the left side of the bus, sun burns through the window and it is very hot in the Bus. Everybody has earphones in the ears, there is a hectic exchange of the USB charge port at the drivers radio. It charges very slow, but we go for hours anyway.

Finally the bus stops at Cuartelhuain campsite at 4.174 masl. The road continues to a copper mine. From time to time trucks transporting ore pass by. There is a lot of cows and cowshit around. And there are toilets with a water flush.

Tents are already built up with air matresses inside. Everybody gets a tent, mine has number 4. I drop my duffle bag and my daypack inside. The tent is huge for two. So far nobody checked any weight. Since the bus is leaving, the Llama will have to carry what’s here …

We have very simple lunch. The amount of food worries me.

Fredy, our CEO informs us about the tip recommendation, guide and assistant guide per head 30 to 4o usd, support team (cook, assistant, 3 horsemen): 60 to 70 usd per head. Not bad, 100 usd tips for 10 days.

After lunch we do another acclimatization walk on a viewpoint on a hill opposite the campsite. We have a marvelous view on the cordillera huayhuash. On the top we are on 4.422 masl.

Viewpoint
10°09’16.7″S 76°55’40.2″W
Huasta, 02415, Peru
google maps

Noah, physician from US struggles with the altitude.