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All the exciting places you can walk to.
1) Around the hill
2) Up the hill and then down the hill
3) Around most of the hill then up the hill and then down the hill
4) Up the hill then down the hill and then around the hill
Sunday 5 July 2015: The Lazy Dog Inn (3650m) - Cruz Cayesh / Quilcayhuanca (4060m)
Cordillera Blanca Traverse day 1.
After another fine breakfast at the Lazy Dog Inn, Claus and the minibus arrived and we drove to Pitec passing Melky and the burros en route.
The Portada de Quilcayhuanca, just past Pitec, was our entry point into the Parque Nacional Huascarán (UNESCO World Heritage Site no 333), and after unpacking the minibus we donned daypacks, paid our park fees and set off on foot along the beautiful Quebrada Quilcayhuanca.
The skies were clearing and the path along the valley floor made for easy walking. Lots of birds - yellow finches and Andean Flickers and Andean Geese - plus a sick calf on the path (Val suspected it had been tempted by the poisonous berries).
A stop for apples, juice and an exploration of the Inca ruins at Nuevo Tambo, with fab views of Nevado Chopiraju at the head of the valley, then onward to the junction of Quebradas Cayesh and Quilcayhuanca, where we planned to camp for the night.
Melky, Claus and the donkeys were following, but only after lengthy negotiations over the increased village payment at the gate, so we got to our camp site well ahead of them. Val sent Barney and me off to walk up the conical, terraced hill at the junction of the valleys. It’s another Inca site, albeit with not so many stone remains, with clear views along the valleys and up to the Nevados Cayesh, Chinchey and Pucaranra. Plenty of photo opportunities.
Spotting two yellow tents going up in the valley below us, we headed back - taking the easier rock bridge back across the river this time. We’d used a fallen tree first time round.
Back at base we sorted out tents - Val and I are in Yerupajá, Barney in El Toro. It had become overcast and with high mountains all around it soon got chilly down in the Quebrada, so our late lunch at 3.30pm segued into tea and Oreos in the dining tent, then dinner. Evening loo trips revealed that our rock-sheltered camp site was also a popular overnight stop for the local horses.
Read more on about our Cordillera Blanca Traverse with Val Pitkethly on Sparkly Trainers.
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A signpost at Chew Green, Northumberland. I actually took this photo on a phone back in 2018, I just like it with the story sky..