Huaraz, Peru

Howdy from Huaraz, Peru.

Huaraz is a town located in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes where I have been staying for the last six nights. This is a view of the roof deck on the hostel I have been staying at, Olazas

View from the deck of the sun setting against the peaks.

View from the deck of the sun rising on Huascarán.

Did several day hikes in Huaraz to some of the high mountain lakes. Most of the hikes involve hiring a car and driver to get you to the trailhead. The driver then waits for you to come back down the mountain. The rides are usually around 2 hours up a dirt road one way.

I shared a ride to Llaguana Llaca with a pair of climbers from South Africa who were spending several days climbing some peaks around the lake. This lake is fed by a glacier coming down the mountain which you can see in the pictures. It gives the water a characteristic grey, milky color. You can hear the glacier cracking and moaning while it´s sliding down the mountain. Could be due to global warning, which we all know that Al Gore invented, right??

Flat Stanley at Laguana Llaca

Hiked to Laguana 69 a few days later with a guide, Freddy.

We accessed this hike through the town on Yungay. In 1970 an earthquake hit this area which trigged an avalanche on Huascarán above Yungay. The avalanche created a mudslide that buried the whole town. The only remaining structure of old Yungay is the facade of the church which stands as a memorial now to the 18,000 people that died. Very solemn.

Views hiking up to Laguana 69.

Laguana 69 is at 4,680 meters (15,354 ft) and is feed by snowmelt only. The water is a super, vibrant blue because there is no plant or animal life in the water.



I also visited some ruins 3.5 hours away called Chavín de Huántar. These ruins were built 3,000+ years ago. Pretty amazing structures to have withstood that long. Most of the important places in the ruins are underground. Very cool that you can walk or crawl around just about anywhere that you want to go.

I´ve created a Peru Gallery on my photo website if you want to see other images feel free to click on the link.
Tim Theis Exposure Manager

Next up Trujillo on the Northern Coast of Peru.

The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends....