View of arequipa with distant volcano you can mountaineer
This week I’m going to talk about my time in Southern Peru last September where I ran a fourth class river and soaked in hot springs at the bottom of one of the deepest canyons in the world.
Arequepa (also known as ‘white city’) is a desert city that sits underneath a volcano and on the southern border of Peru with Bolivia. It is about 18 hours from Lima from bus or (2-4x the price) an hour plane ride. The city has some cool architecture but it is far from a city dominated by white buildings. In general I found the city much more touristy and expensive after coming from the adventure basecamp feel of Hauraz.
View from Los Olives of Huaraz as the sun starts setting.
I never got around talking about my time around Huaraz, Peru near the Cordillera Blanca. This city is known as a mountaineering paradise but also has lots of nearby rock climbing. I wrote previously about how I climbed a few of the hundreds of routes in the rock forest of Hatun Machay a couple hours south. However, I also wanted to share on the three other areas I climbed. There is much more than what I’m talking about here so pick up a copy of the regional climbing guide to get some rock down there!
The Cloud Forest: Every wall here is climbable, most don’t have routes yet.
Hatun Machay is a sport climbing paradise with around 26 bolted walls, lots of bouldering and tons of opportunity for more. However, the decade long proprietor of the hostel here who bolted a lot of these routes, offered climbing rentals, etc. was evicted in July from the area. When his lease was up for renewal he tried to buy the land, but the community refused. He put a lot of investment in this area so he tried to go straight to the government, but failed and eventually was forcibly removed.
After a mile on trail I again disengaged straight in the direction of a pass. Crossing a flat basin and then climbing consistently higher towards a single prominent glacial clad mountain.
The Cordillera Huayhuash is regarded by some as the second best trek in the world. It brings you through remote, majestic 20,000+ ft peaks capped by large gleaming glaciers rushing into the turquoise alpine lakes. Then at night you camp in alpine basins, losing yourself in awe of the high andes landscape.
Most people complete this 8-14 day trek using a guide and donkeys, but spiritually I believe (like these people) self-sufficiency is an important part of the wilderness experience so I went solo and unsupported. Not content with the already difficult Huayhuash circuit, I pushed this trip further, driving myself to spend most days off trail or on the alpine circuit using a quality map and guide book. As a result, I spent my 73 mile route constantly above 14,000 ft, climbing over five 16,000 ft passes, and racking up 28,000 ft of elevation by the end of my eight days.
You are all set on going to Patagonia, but don’t know what you want to do down there yet? First thing to know is there are three main regions: Northern (Lakes District), Central and South. Most people however think of Southern Patagonia when they think of Patagonia. Below you’ll find the boots on the ground knowledge I gained from spending three weeks in Southern Patagonia in November 2015.
Argentina’s Torres del Paine and UNESCO World Heritage Site is Parque Los Glaciares. This area features its own glaciers, beautiful mountain vistas and contains the “end of the world.” Below you’ll find the many great experiences available on the Argentinian side of the border…
Activity in Chilean Southern Patagonia centers around Torres del Paine National Park. Torres del Paine itself has many options to experience it, however if you didn’t come to Patagonia to experience among crowds I’d recommend the more strenuous or remote options within the park. Below you’ll find the many great experiences available on the Chilean side of the border…
In my three weeks in South America I found Chile to be raw and local with modest food and accommodation. Whereas Argentina had higher prices, delicious lamb and beef dishes, much more shopping and a large touristy vibe. Read below to learn the essentials regarding the main cities in Souther Patagonia…
The refugio and hotel infrastructure in Torres Del Paine make this landmark accessible through a variety of experience and exertion. Visitors can simply bus into the Lago Grey Hotel to view an astonishing scene of dark jagged mountains, bright green trees, and turquoise blue glacier lakes from the lounge. They can take a boat to see Glacier Grey or the Catamaran to Paine Grande where they can do day hikes. Visitors can hut-to-hut hike with a light pack between refugios or they can carry all their belongings and backcountry camp. Torres Del Paine is a true multi-purpose park. On the trail we saw people from their 20s to their 70s, a very balanced gender distribution, two person partners, solo hikers and guided groups.
On my W Trek I spent two nights at refugio campgrounds, one at a primitive free campground one and ended the trip with two nights in a refugio. I also experienced several meals inside the cooking huts and the refugio dinning halls. The goal of this post is to describe the refugio experiences on the W trek so you too know what to expect.
