First Trek

On Thursdays there are no school lessons so I have the day to do whatever I please with. On the Wednesday morning I had gone into Huaraz and booked a day trek to Churuc Mountain. I did not think about it enough to realize that this was a 5,500 m high mountain I was to climb and was 17km there and back! The trek started at 7.30am with a bumpy bus ride to a village called Pitec, a small rural farming community and still speak the native Peruvian language Quechua. From there we started the trek to the mountain. Unfortunately the weather was not so good that day and the mountains were dressed in cloud.

The trek to the mountain began with a gradually inclining path in between farming land and the surrounding hills. Then the real strain began. The mountain had a steep incline and clambering up the rocky path took my breath away, literally. I needed to take breathers now and then to deal with the effects of the high altitude. The further we climbed the steeper and more rugged it became. With the altitude came a slight nausea and light headedness which did not improve until we were back down the bottom of the mountain. 4,500m high is Churup Laguna (lake) which is the first stopping point. To make it there, the final part of the climb consisted of climbing the very steep slope with the aid of steel ropes attached to the mountain side. The climb to the laguna really took its toll, but it was worth it upon reaching it. The laguna had crystal clear blue water with the white peak of Churuc set in the background. The tranquility of the place with just the dim raw of the waterfall down the mountain made it pretty special. The stayed there a while and had lunch and a bit of recuperation time. I was however unable to climb any further to reach the mountain summit, which, was still a 1000m above. With that as well as the time we began our descent.

Still a long way to go!

Lake Churup

My guide, Iban

Me

I made it back to the house at 2pm having walked 15 hard kilometers. It was satisfying to have done it. Next Friday Wyatt (my American housemate) and I will be doing a 4 day trek across The Cordillera Blanca Mountains, which includes a crossing at 4,700m high. I have some more training to do this week!