Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca

Thursday the 21st of October 2010
6am Thursday morning Max was awaiting us in the lobby of our Hostel. He led us to the mini-van that would take us to Cashapampa, the starting point of our trek in the Cordillera Blanca. After a descent breakfast and a journey of about two hours (slowed down by a colourful procession in the mountains) we reached the point of departure. About one km before reaching this point our driver had addressed a man that later turned out to be our arriero. The arriero is the donkey-driver. We would begin the trek with 3 donkeys that would carry all the cooking and camping equipment.
The first kilometers of the trek were very promising, we immediately climbed up the sides of a gorge to a riverbed in the mountains. Our guide, Lucas, explained us from the start that it is important to find your own pace when walking uphill. He encouraged us to keep this pace for about an hour and then to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Lucas' "pace" was pretty challenging for most of us. Our group of 6 (Lucas (PER), Sam (FRA), Nick (SUI), Johannes (AUT), Nele and I) nevertheless managed to stay as one on that first day.
That day we walked 4h to our first campground at 3760m above sea level. A few moments after arriving we were all pretty impressed by the timing of the members of the Galaxie-expeditions team. Not more than 5 minutes after our arrival our cook, Umberto (PER) and our arriero with his 3 donkeys arrived. Ten minutes later our three tents, the comedor (dinning tent), the "cocina" (the kitchen) and the toilet tent were erected. We were thereafter served our first coca tea of the trip. The coca leaves give you the necessary strength to recover from the exertions at high altitude or the strength to deliver the efforts. To the local population coca leaves are an essential part of their diet. The dark side of the product lies in the production of cocaine, which mainly happens in Colombia (were the coca leaves are not, or rarely grown). For 1kg with powder, you would need about a ton of coca leaves. Another interesting fact about the leaves is related to the most popular soft drink worldwide. Coca cola is in fact based on "mate (tea) de coca"...
The tea and cookies were nice, but when we interrupted our game of cards at around 6 for our dinner we knew for sure we were hiking with an excellent team. The meal we were being served was the best we had eaten up to that point in our South American journey. Everybody in our company (some of them already travelling for 6 months) thought about it just so. We had enjoyed a beautiful, sunny first day in the Andes, our stomach was nicely filled, a full moon and 3 little donkeys guarding on us and thus we went to bed early but satisfied for what would be quit a cold night.

Friday the 22nd of October 2010
To take full advantage of the morning sun, the Andes wake-up call coincides with sun rise. At 6h30 our guide knocks on our tent (if that is at all possible) and at 7h we are having breakfast. By that time, our backpacks are ready and all the tents have been arranged. At 7h30-8h we take our first steps towards the next destination. On day two we are following the same river that is responsible for the gorge we climbed the day before, we are passing a couple of seemly lost horses en encounter the first mountain lakes of our trip. The snow-capped Andes peaks (some of them higher than 6000m) are approaching. The solidarity in the group has dropped compared to the day before. It will be a though day and Lucas recommends us to walk at our own comfortable pace. Nick has some trouble with the altitude (and from a digestion that works a bit too quickly) and follows at a small distance. Nele is doing fabulously as the only female in the group but has to give in 10-20m now and then. I am hovering in between the head of the pack and the photographer on duty (Nele). At regular intervals we stop to regroup, to learn about the surrounding mountains, the local beers, culture, politics, the country, or just to enjoy the scenery.
The first league of that day we were advancing swiftly, Lucas thinks we all still look pretty good and therefore we decide to make a 7km detour towards a viewpoint and a glacier lake. Once embarked on that road it turns out not to be just a simple detour, but a detour that brings us much higher in a short time interval. Quite a climb that means. The view however, once we reached the next plateau, is amazing. A bit further we reach the glacier lake, where I cannot resist a very short and very refreshing skinny dip. We have our lunch while gazing at the roaring and cracking glacier and then set course for camp 2 at the base of the Taullirahua (5380m) mountain. The last league of the day’s route lies a bit higher on the flank of the valley, which offers a nice view on the road we had traveled that day. Apart from being impressing, it gives you a big feeling of accomplishment to see how far you have walked.
Our donkeys and cook had in the meantime arrived on our camp site and 5 minutes after our arrival we were having coca tea while we were jointly demonstrating how flexible we are. I won the competition as I was, by far, the least flexible of our company. I am working on it. Later that day, a game of cards, a full stomach, all our clothes put on (it can be cold at night at 4250m above sea level) and in our sleeping bag. Day two had been even better than day 1.

Saturday the 23th of October 2010
At 7h30 we are already heading for the pass next to the Taullirahu that we would cross that day. The first two hours of that day would bring us 500m higher. Lucas again gave it his best and, in the knowledge that after the pass all would be downhill, Sam and I decided to try to keep up with him. Absolutely exhausting, but it makes you feel so alive. Two hours after leaving camp 2 we regrouped at Punta Union (the mountain pass) for a magnificent view across the Santa Cruz valley. We had crossed the Cordillera Blanca. A glimpse at the map was reassuring, from here on, downhill. The landscape across this first range (as said, three ranges in the Andes at this point), was different but as beautiful as the one we were hiking through before. The biggest difference maybe, one that you will no notice immediately, is that all the water we saw flowing from now on was on its (very long) way to the Atlantic Ocean. Before all streams ultimately lead to the Pacific Ocean.
The altitude (Nick) and improper shoes (Johannes) caused big distances between the members of our expedition, increasing also the waiting time when regrouping. We saw our donkeys pass safely and were assured of a good coca tea upon arrival. We further crossed another group that was doing the same trek but in the opposite direction. They were looking much less happy than we were. In the other direction the trek must be twice as hard, because you are climbing for 7-8 hours on day 2. We were descending all the way to our final campsite where we were welcomed by the local population with coca cola and beer at Andes prices. Nick couldn't resist, but the rest of the group was satisfied with the regular coca (without the cola).

Sunday the 24th of October 2010
Sunday, so we can sleep a bit longer; we thought,.. but no. Our arriero would have to start the way back today en so we helped him a bit by not leaving too late. On our way at 7h30 that means. We obviously had entered the inhabited world again and made frequent encounters with domesticated animals. In Valqueria - the finish of our trek - we waited 3 to 4 hours for the van that would take us back to Huaraz. Our little donkeys were already on their way home, 45 km in two days through mountainous terrain. We had walked 52km the last 4 days (including the 7km detour) and that we considered far enough.
The ride home was far from boring. We passed the Pisco, a +6000m peak. Two years ago an American skiing world champion tried to ski it down... He didn't make it back to the US. We witnessed global warming at work in a glacier that had obviously melted in the last few years, passed an impressive (and terrifying) mountain pass and stopped at a beautiful lagoon (Churup). After a 6 hours ride we arrived in Huaraz. We had experienced a beautiful 4-day trek that - without a doubt - was (and will be) one of the highlights of our trip.