Saturday, June 14, 2014

La Cordillera Blanca: More to Peru than Jungle and Beaches

Dividing the arid Peruvian coast from the Amazon rainforest, the Cordillera Blanca is the highest tropical mountain range on earth. With 33 summits over 18,000 feet high, only the Himalayas boast more peaks in such a small area. This is probably the most visually stunning place I have ever seen and an incredible, unplanned detour from my South American surf tour.

Nestled between the Cordillera Blanca and the less impressive Cordillera Negra, the city of Huaraz is bustling commercial center of about 100,000 people and the place I have called home the last several days. The city itself is quite ugly with the most horn-happy cab drivers in Peru, though the city's lack of architectural beauty cannot be blamed entirely on its citizens as a massive earthquake in 1970 leveled virtually the entire city. Two hours north of Huaraz during the same earthquake, a landslide broke free above the town of Yungay burying the entire population of 20,000 alive. A tragic reminder that these mountains and altitude are to be taken seriously.


Huaraz sitting far below the Cordillera Blanca. Peaks like these make a semi-circle around the city.

Surprisingly, Huaraz is lively, congested city and was my first introduction to the more bizarre foods you find here in South America. Meat is not kept cold and slabs of cow, whole chickens, gutted guinea pigs, cow hooves and chicken feet.


Looks appetizing, huh?


After taking a day to acclimatize to the breath-taking altitude, I took a day hike with a couple new friends to Laguna Wilcacocha in the Cordillera Negra to get views across the valley.




At about 12,300 feet, Laguna Wilcocha is a small, deep lake with a pretty impressive backdrop. An amazing way to kick off my intro to the highest mountain range I've ever been in.

More to follow...




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