shaun_sager4
Towering Inferno
At the onset of blue hour, C39-8 #1032 emerges from the towering rock walls of the high Andes, flying high over the trestle at Inferno. The FCCA climbs almost 16,000 feet between the port of Callao and the summit at Galera, passing through countless switchbacks and tunnels, and over several majestic trestles.
We are at approximately 11,000 feet (3,350m) here at Inferno, but the biggest hazard is not the high elevation nor is it the treacherous climbs to the shots…rather it is the completely unhinged, chaotic, lawless, and often lethal highway that parallels the mainline. Up-grade, slow, overloaded, unregulated semis meet down-grade, aggressive, and often erratic counterparts on narrow roads, all the while cars, motorbikes, and buses alike zip in and out, often flipping into opposing traffic with reckless impulse, and at the narrowest of margins. Turning a bend to find a wrong-way semi barreling down at you is commonplace and often involves a split-second swerve (hopefully not over the cliff) into the shoulder (if it exists) or opposing lane (if empty), all at dizzying heights. We came within inches of our life multiple times. We saw the aftermath of several gruesome and fatal collisions. Navigating Peru’s mountain highways are not for the faint of heart and by God’s grace, we made it out alive.
Towering Inferno
At the onset of blue hour, C39-8 #1032 emerges from the towering rock walls of the high Andes, flying high over the trestle at Inferno. The FCCA climbs almost 16,000 feet between the port of Callao and the summit at Galera, passing through countless switchbacks and tunnels, and over several majestic trestles.
We are at approximately 11,000 feet (3,350m) here at Inferno, but the biggest hazard is not the high elevation nor is it the treacherous climbs to the shots…rather it is the completely unhinged, chaotic, lawless, and often lethal highway that parallels the mainline. Up-grade, slow, overloaded, unregulated semis meet down-grade, aggressive, and often erratic counterparts on narrow roads, all the while cars, motorbikes, and buses alike zip in and out, often flipping into opposing traffic with reckless impulse, and at the narrowest of margins. Turning a bend to find a wrong-way semi barreling down at you is commonplace and often involves a split-second swerve (hopefully not over the cliff) into the shoulder (if it exists) or opposing lane (if empty), all at dizzying heights. We came within inches of our life multiple times. We saw the aftermath of several gruesome and fatal collisions. Navigating Peru’s mountain highways are not for the faint of heart and by God’s grace, we made it out alive.