SUMMER  2006: 
 

     Bolivia Trip #1 (May 22 – June 7, 2006)(Chacaltaya, Tarija, Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet) and Illimani (21,125 feet)).  This trip appears definite for next year.  Check our website for the day-to-day itinerary or contact us for more details.  Also, read some newsletters of our past Bolivia expeditions (click on “Newsletters” at our website).
     Peru Trip #1 (June 9 – 29, 2006). Our Huascarán itinerary.   In 2003, we acclimatized on the mountains Ishinca and Urus before our 8-day expedition up Huascarán. Peru’s highest mountain.  For 2006, I’d like to substitute the mountains Pisco (18,867 feet) and Chopicalqui (20,841 feet) for Ishinca and Urus.  So the itinerary would be Pisco, Chopicalqui AND Huascarán – now that’s some serious verticality!!).  If there is excessive snow on Huascaran next year, with a high risk of avalanche, (like this past summer) we will substitute another equally challenging mountain (and there are many to choose from in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca) for the final climb.

     Other Mountains/Other Trips:  Over the years I have received emails asking me when certain trips and climbs will be offered, etc.  If there are particular trips or mountains which interest you but are not discussed above, please let me know.  Climb Ecuador’s motto is “have clients, will travel” so if we can organize a minimum of 4 people, we can plan any trip for any dates.

 

RECENT TRIPS

 

BOLIVIA:  (May 23 to June 8, 2005)

 

        On the morning of May 21, I was sitting in a restaurant in Quito, Ecuador having breakfast, reading the newspaper, awaiting my afternoon flight to La Paz, Bolivia.  On the front page was an article announcing that Bolivia had just declared an ongoing nationwide strike (“paro indefinido”) to begin on May 23.  The start date of this year’s CE Bolivia trip??  May 23 !!!!  This bright, sunny morning suddenly got very dark as I knew then and there that this upcoming Bolivia experience was going to be like no other.  I have experienced a few “paros” in my years traveling in South America and they are never fun.  And the paros in Bolivia are known for their intensity and longevity so this news really got me worried. 
       As I learned later, the people of Bolivia were demanding that the government rewrite the oil and gas contracts between Bolivia and foreign oil companies so that more money remained in Bolivia, and more money got channeled into public works projects, etc. to help the local population.  Someone explained to me that out of all the money earned from the extraction of oil and natural gas from Bolivia, 92% of it went into foreign hands, while only 8% remained in the country.  The people of Bolivia, understandably, wanted this despicable greed and injustice to end and the only way they saw of achieving their goal was through a “paro indefinido.”
       For those of you not familiar with what exactly is a “paro,” basically it is the favored mode of protest in Latin America.  It is the way groups of people, or the population as a whole, seek what they want from the national or local government.  The word “paro” means, literally, “stoppage.”  It comes from the verb “parar,” which means “to stop.” Paros come in all varieties.  There are really quick paros, where the feuding sides settle their differences quickly.  There are long, drawn out paros, where noone can agree on anything.  There are violent paros.  There are rather calm, good natured paros.  There are isolated paros – restricted to a certain region of the country.  And there are nationwide paros that affect most or all of the country in question.  The paro that was brewing in Bolivia turned out to be a particularly bad one.  A nationwide “paro indefinido” meant that it was going to go on indefinitely and affect the entire country.
       Paros compare to “strikes” in our country.  But in our country, people strike by organizing and then refusing to go to work.  In Latin America where poverty is so widespread and many people do not have formal jobs but survive by farming and agriculture, a strike as we know it just wouldn’t work.  Instead, people hit government officials where it hurts the most – in their wallets.  Protesters do all they can to make commerce and travel “STOP,” hence the word “paro.”  They do this by blocking roads.  That is the main focus of their activity – make sure nothing is moving on the highways and thoroughfares of the affected area.  When commerce, travel, tourism, etc. grind to a halt, the government loses tax money that would otherwise be coming in on a daily basis.  It was estimated that the city of La Paz lost about $2 million per day as a result of this latest paro.  That’s big money in poverty-stricken Bolivia.  The paro lasted about 3 weeks total (the exact length of our trip!!) and at its worse, the President of Bolivia resigned, there was no gasoline for sale anywhere in La Paz, all roads into and out of the city were blocked, there were daily protests and marches which usually resulted in violent clashes between the “marchistas” and the military, small sticks of dynamite (called “cachorros” or, literally, “puppies”) were exploding in the streets day and night, there were very few taxis and busses operating making even local travel within the city difficult, and many airlines cancelled all flights going into and out of La Paz.  It was a major mess, Latin America style, but (to make a long story short) Climb Ecuador hung in there and thanks to the resilience and resourcefulness of our clients and guides, we were able to complete most of our trip, climb every mountain on our itinerary and escape the madness that was going on around us.
       Clients for this trip included Rick Burnett, 47, Lothian, Maryland; Mike Grainger, 51, Waterloo, Canada; Rich Johnson, 35, Newcastle, England and Rusty Schlessman, 28, Timonium, Maryland.  Rick and Mike are former Climb Ecuador clients having both participated in CE’s Nov. 2004 trip to Ecuador.  Rick also went with CE to Bolivia in 2004.  Rich Johnson is a medical doctor doing volunteer work in Belize, Mexico.  Rusty came oh so close to getting to Bolivia and climbing with us but after learning of the unstable situation in Bolivia, decided to cancel his trip.  He and Mike were both on American Airlines flight #922 which arrived in Miami the morning of May 23 en route to La Paz.  It was there that American Airlines announced that the flight was NOT going to La Paz, but would instead skip La Paz and go directly to it’s ultimate destination of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  Mike, god bless him, decided to hang in there and flew to Santa Cruz with the hope that he could find a local flight that would take him back to La Paz.  Rusty decided to fly back home. Mike eventually arrived – a day late – somewhat ruffled, but ready to climb, and has since been awarded the “Climb Ecuador Purple heart” for bravery and valor above and beyond that which is normally asked of CE clients.  Here’s the day-by-day call:

 

MAY 21:  I fly from Quito, Ecuador to La Paz.  La Paz is calm.  The calm before the storm.  Rick is already in La Paz, having arrived a few days early to take some independent side-trips and start acclimatizing.
MAY 22:  Mike and Rusty board their American Airlines flights to La Paz.
MAY 23:  The paro in Bolivia officially begins.  Mike and Rusty arrive in Miami only to learn that their continuing flight to La Paz has been cancelled due to civil unrest.  Rusty decides to cancel his trip and returns home.  Mike tosses the dice and heads to Santa Cruz.  Rick and I sip vino and relax in 5-star comfort at the Hotel Europa in La Paz while awaiting the arrival of our comrades.  Rich, by some miracle “appears” in the lobby of the Hotel Europa at around midnight.  TACA Airlines, the airline that Rich used to fly from Lima, Peru to La Paz, was one of the few airlines that did not cancel their flights that day.
MAY 24:  City tour is cancelled due to protest marches all over La Paz.  Mike arrives in the afternoon having caught a local flight that morning from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  Later that evening, we discuss our options over multiple bottles of wine and dinner.  We decide to do as much of the trip as we can given the circumstances.
MAY 25:  Day trip to Lake Titicaca and the Island of Suriqui is cancelled.  The road to Lake Titicaca is completely blocked.  Instead, we do an abbreviated city tour, followed by a visit to the Hotel Europa’s health spa, then dinner.  Yes, the paro is really making our lives difficult!!
MAY 26:  We attempt to drive to Chacaltaya (17,530 feet) for our first acclimatization hike but we run into a roadblock just outside of the El Alto neighborhood of La Paz.  We turn around and drive to an area known as “La Cumbre,” south of La Paz, on the road to Coroico, a popular tourist destination in the temperate area between the Bolivian highlands and the Amazon jungle.  We are able to hike to around 16,000 feet.  The “Zona Sur” or southern part of La Paz – where the wealthy neighborhoods are -- is still relatively unaffected by the paro and travel into, out of and through this area proceeds as normal.  Once back in La Paz, I work the phones well into the evening talking to various guides and drivers trying to figure out a game plan for tomorrow.
MAY 27:  Our guides decide that due to the severity of the paro, the only way we can reach the town of Tuni, where we begin our 3-day climb of Tarija and Pequeño Alpamayo, is to leave the Hotel Europa well before dawn in a 4x4 vehicle and follow a rarely used dirt path that travels through the foothills of the Cordillera Real.  They explain that protesters need to sleep and that many roadblocks and problem areas are unattended at night.  We follow our guides’ advice and get up at 4 AM, set out in a single, overloaded 4x4 vehicle at 5 AM and begin our journey to the town of Tuni.   The guides know of what they speak.  We encounter no roadblocks or resistance along the way and are able to reach the town of Tuni, as scheduled.  The road we took was sketchy in places to put it mildly.  Often we all had to get out while Agustin, our guide and driver, drove over an unstable sand bridge that looked like it might give way at any moment sending the vehicle crashing down into a ravine.  After arriving in Tuni, we loaded all our gear onto mules, and hiked for 3 hours to the picturesque Condoriri Base Camp where we camped for the night.
MAY 28:  Led by guides, Agustin and Juan, Rick, Mike and Rich all reach the summit of Tarija (17,272 feet).  Mike and Rich continue on and climb to the top of Pequeño Alpamayo (17,618 feet).  I hike by myself to the top of nearby Pico Austria.  We all eat heartily that evening and camp that night.
MAY 29:  We spend the morning in Base Camp, trek back to Tuni and begin our fateful journey back to La Paz.  We are lucky that day.  We are able to drive all the way back to La Paz with few problems.  The main roadblock on the route we take is unattended so we are able to drive around the rocks and debris in the road with no problem.  The Hotel Europa is a very welcomed sight.  It is now surrounded by chain link fencing to protect it from the chaos in the streets.  It feels like a war zone.
MAY 30:  We cancel our trip to the 7th century Indian ruins at Tiahuanaco, since all roads into and out of La Paz are blocked.  We are able to do our "La Paz by Night" dinner and show since the restaurant is within walking distance of our hotel.
MAY 31:  It was around this time that the President of Bolivia, Carlos Mesa, resigns.  We watch his resignation speech on the television.  This does nothing to stop the protest marches and road blocks – the paro not only continues, but intensifies.  The people of Bolivia realize that this is just “window dressing” and that the unjust oil and gas contracts are what need to be changed, not the person occupying the office of President.  We follow our guides advice once again and repeat the game plan that worked so effectively for our last climb.  We get up at 4 AM and leave the Hotel Europa by 5 AM.  We drive to base camp for our next mountain, Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet).  Rick goes with our guide, Elio, to climb the mountain Mururata (19,500 feet).  Rick had climbed Huayna Potosi last year with CE so decided to climb Mururata for a change of scenery.  Mike, Rich and I take advantage of our “early start” and after arriving at base camp, hike to the base of Huayna’s main glacier in the afternoon to do some ice climbing.  Well, Mike and Rich practiced some ice climbing -- I took pictures.  We spend a quiet evening camping under star-filled skies, far away from the turbulence in La Paz.
JUNE 1:  Mike, Rich, with our guide Juan, a cook and 6 porters climb to High Camp ("Campamento Argentino") on Huayna Potosi and set up camp.
JUNE 2:  Mike, Rich, and Juan reach the summit of Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet/6088 meters) on a picture perfect day.  They then descend to High Camp, then down to Base Camp.  We load our gear into the van and begin the drive back to La Paz.  Once near La Paz, Agustin and Juan decide to turn off the main road and head “off-road” so as to avoid problems.  We encounter a small trench dug across the dirt path.  We spend 20 minutes filling the trench with rocks and sand so we can continue on our way.  Once near the city limits, Agustin stops the truck and walks up ahead to see if there might be a group of protesters waiting “in ambush.”  There have been reports of protesters attacking vehicles with rocks, and pulling the occupants out to rob them, etc.  Agustin wants none of this so he scouts the route ahead.  He eventually returns to report that the road is clear up ahead so we continue slowly down into the city.  Even though it is now dark we proceed without headlights.  As we get closer, we see what remains of the marches and violence that occurred that day.  There are fires burning on the main highway.  Piles of rocks and debris block many streets and intersections.  Bands of rock throwing protesters are scattered about.  No police can be seen anywhere.  There is a feel of “anarchy” in the air.  We snake our way back to town without incident (only one rock hit our vehicle!!) and eventually arrive back at the hotel.
JUNE 3:  Rest day.  The protest marches continue unabated in the streets.  Some of us walk to the central plaza to take pictures of the thousands of Bolivians marching, chanting, waving flags, igniting small sticks of dynamite, and challenging the police.  I witness some random acts of violence such as a man tearing down a street vendors stand and someone else grabbing a policeman’s shield and fighting with him.  Later that day, I go to the main supermarket in La Paz to buy food for our 4-day trip to Illimani and am thrilled to see that most food items are still available despite rumors to the contrary.
JUNE 4:  This is the first day of our 4-day expedition to the mountain, Illimani (21,125 feet).  Since the road to Illimani passes through the Zona Sur, we are able to leave at a normal hour, since this part of La Paz is still unaffected by the paro.  We drive 4 hours from La Paz to the picturesque village of Pinaya.  Here we load our gear onto mules and hike 3 hours under the beautiful snowy summits of Illimani to Base Camp.  We set up camp, play some frisbee, have dinner and go to sleep.
JUNE 5:  Led by guides Elio and Juan we climb, aided by porters, from Base Camp to High Camp ("Nido de Cóndores" or "Condor's Nest")(18,200 feet) on Illimani.  We set up camp on this lofty perch with the summit of Illimani looming right in front of us.
JUNE 6:  Rick, Mike and Rich set out with guides Elio and Julio at around 2 AM to begin the climb to the summit of Illimani (21,125 feet/6439 meters).  Due to the affects of global warming, the upper portions of Illimani are hard and icy.  Rich and Mike take advantage of their previous ice climbing experience and are able to reach the summit.  Rick, who is not comfortable on steep ice, makes it to about 20,000 feet before turning around.  The weather is perfect once again.  All return to High Camp, strike camp, then continue descending to Base Camp where the fun begins.  It has become a CE tradition on our final night at Illimani Base Camp, which is our final night in the mountains, to PARTEEEEE!!  Bags of icy cold “Paceña” beer, in bottles, await us in the nearby glacier stream, the porters and their wives have prepared a delicious meal of hot tubers (a variety of potatoes indigenous to the area), cooked lamb and steamed vegetables, and frisbees are flying everywhere – all CE staples.  We eat and drink heartily and enjoy a beautiful sunset with the moon rising behind the summit of Illimani before retiring for the evening.
JUNE 7:  The guides decide that it is best to spend most of the day here at Base Camp so that we arrive in La Paz at night, hopefully when protesters have gone home for the evening.  We hang out in Base Camp until around noon before hiking out.  We load our vehicle, say goodbye to the ever sweet and friendly local people and begin a nervous drive home.  We encounter no problems on the road between Pinaya and La Paz, but run into a vigorous roadblock “party” near the city.  Elio gets out to “negotiate.”  I dig into my wallet.  Eventually we are allowed to pass.  We arrive back at our hotel late in the evening.  The Farewell Dinner is cancelled.  We begin making preparations to leave the country.  The paro is still going strong.  There is a feeling of desperation.  Will we be able to leave the country or not?  Mike decides to leave immediately for the airport, spend the night there, and try to find a flight out of La Paz – going anywhere – so he can then board a connecting flight to the states.  I am scheduled to fly to Lima, Peru the next day (to meet my Peru group), aboard TACA Airlines, one of the few airlines that is still operating into and out of La Paz.  Rick and Rich have an extra day in La Paz.  We say our goodbyes now.  We are all feeling tense and uncertain about what awaits us.
JUNE 8:  I leave the hotel at 4 AM (our old plan!) and arrive at the airport about an hour later.  El Alto, the poor neighborhood of La Paz, where much of the protests and marches have been occurring, looks like Berlin at the end of World War II.  Or Baghdad after “shock and awe.” The airport is being protected by the Bolivian army.  They have set up an encampment by the airport entrance and check thoroughly any vehicle trying to enter.  I tip my cab driver handsomely and walk into the airport building at around 5 AM to find scores of people sleeping on the floor apparently waiting for a flight out.  Many people look like they have been sleeping there for a week.  I look for Mike who set out for the airport last night.  He is nowhere to be found and I learn later that he was able to get on a flight immediately to Santa Cruz, Bolivia where the next day he boarded an American Airlines flight to the states.  Luck is on my side as well.  My TACA flight leaves as scheduled at 10 AM and I arrive in Lima, Peru later that day.  A cup of coffee and a donut at the Dunkin Donuts in the Lima airport never tasted better.  It is a great relief to have “escaped” Bolivia but the relief is only temporary as I remember that Rick and Rich are still there, and that our guides and their families, who did so much to make us safe during our trip, have no choice but to live through this paro until it ends.  Rick and Rich did indeed make it to the airport the next day and fly home.  About a week later, Elio, our lead guide, informed me by phone that the paro ended a few days after we left and life finally returned to normal.  Did the people of Bolivia get what they wanted from the government with regards to the oil and gas contracts?  I didn’t ask, but I doubt it. 

 

PERU: (June 9 – June 29, 2005)

 

       I was really looking forward to this Peru trip because to begin with, there was no paro going on in Peru so we would be able to travel freely about the country.  Also, I have grown to appreciate the beauty of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru’s main mountain range.  In my opinion, the Cordillera Blanca offers the most impressive and exciting alpine views in all of South America.
         The clients for this trip included: Lynn Sathrum, 39, Miami Beach, FL; Russ Stark, 44, Las Vegas, NV, and Peter Schnopp, 55, Albuquerque, NM.  Lynn, Russ and Pete are all former CE clients.  Lynn participated in the 2004 CE trip to Bolivia.  Russ, in our 2002 trip to Bolivia and 2003 trip to Peru (Huascarán), and Pete in our 2001 trip to Ecuador and 2003 trip to Bolivia.  CE vets, one and all.  Here’s how the trip unfolded:

 

JUNE 9:  Everyone arrives as scheduled at the airport in Lima.  Continental Airlines loses Pete’s luggage so we never actually see Pete until about 2 AM later that night back at our hotel, the Hotel Rivera (in central Lima).  Continental “regrets to inform” him that his bags are still in Miami and will arrive the next day.
JUNE 10:  Lynn, Russ and I take the bus (8 hours) to the town of Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca.  We check into the Hotel El Tumi.  Pete waits in Lima for his luggage, planning to take the same bus to Huaraz tomorrow.
JUNE 11:  Lynn and I take a guided tour of the Huaraz area.  We visit the town of Yungay.  (In May 1970, a major earthquake hit this region of Peru and a huge piece of Huascarán broke off setting off an avalanche of rock, mud, ice and water that completely buried the town of Yungay killing 18,000 people in a matter of minutes.  A total of 70,000 people died that day in the entire valley that includes Huaraz and Yungay.)  Today, the site of “old Yungay” is a large memorial/gravesite with chilling remnants of what happened that day, such as the brick top of the church sticking up out of many feet of now rock-hard mud, and a bus mangled beyond recognition.  Russ opts out of this tour and explores Huaraz on his own, having taken this very same tour the year before.  Pete arrives in Huaraz later that evening WITH HIS LUGGAGE!!   I meet with Victor, our head guide from last year, and we discuss plans for our upcoming climbs.
JUNE 12:   We drive from Huaraz into the Ishinca Valley, burdened with food and equipment for a week.  We load all our gear onto mules and hike up (with light day packs) to the Refugio Ishinca (15,300 feet).  On the way, Victor meets another mountain guide who tells us that there is excessive avalanche danger on Huascaran and that noone is attempting to climb this mountain.
JUNE 13:    Rest and acclimatization day.  Also, MY BIRTHDAY!!  We relax in the clean, comfortable Refugio Ishinca.  Later we take a short hike and play some frisbee.  That evening we celebrate my finally reaching the big 3-0 (NOT!!), with a lavish meal, a huge cake, and endless bottles of champagne (NOT!!).  Russ does, however, buy a round of warm beers from the hut’s commissary.
JUNE 14:    We hike up to the Refugio Vivaque, a small hiker’s hut situated at 16,500 feet at the base of Ishinca, our first mountain.
JUNE 15:    Lynn and Pete climb to the summit of Ishinca (18,138 feet), with our guide Victor.  I go up with Russ.  After hiking up the glacier for about an hour, Russ says he is not feeling well and returns to the hut.  I continue alone and summit later that morning.  We all meet back at the Refugio Vivaque for soup and sandwiches, then descend to Refugio Ishinca.
JUNE 16:    Rest day.  We talk with other mountain guides with other groups and they repeat the same warning about Huascaran – that the avalanche danger is high and that practically all groups have canceled their expeditions to this mountain.
JUNE 17:    We climb to the summit of nearby Urus (18,023 feet).  Lynn goes up with our guide, Victor.  Pete, Russ and I go up together.  Once again the weather is perfect.  From the summit, we enjoy views of the entire Cordillera Blanca, including Huascaran (22,205 feet), Chopicalqui (20,841 feet) and Copa (20,200 feet).  We descend for our final night at the Refugio Ishinca.
JUNE 18: We hike down the Ishinca Valley and meet our van.  We drive back to Huaraz where hot showers, beers and steaks await.
JUNE 19:  Rest day in Huaraz.  We visit some local hot springs.  The clients, Victor and I decide to follow common wisdom and not attempt Huascarán.  We decide to go to the mountain Chopicalqui (20,841 feet) instead.  Chopicalqui is a steep mountain right next to Huascarán, attached at the hip like a Siamese twin, and although it is not quite as high, “Chopi” proves to be equally, if not more, challenging.  Huascarán normally takes 8 days to climb – Chopicalqui is usually climbed in 6 or 7 days, although strong, experienced climbers often take less than that.  We opted for the 6-day program.
JUNE 20:  After buying six days of food for clients, guides and porters we set out from Huaraz  to the trailed for Chopicalqui.  To get to the trailed we need to drive clear around Huascaran, to the other (east) side (as opposed to the west side which is visible from the main north/south highway).  We load all gear onto mules and hike up one hour from the road to Base Camp.  We are inspired by views of the “back” of Huascarán, and more distant views of Pisco, the steep ice walls of Chacraraju, and the 4-headed (summits) monster, Huandoy.  We set up camp, play frisbee, have dinner and go to sleep.
JUNE 21:  We hike from Base Camp to Moraine Camp at about 16,000 feet.  Porters do most of the heavy lifting.  Due to Huascaran being “closed,” many climbers have come to Chopicalqui instead, and this already small camping area is somewhat congested. 
JUNE 22:  We climb from Moraine Camp, up through loose rocks, scree and sand to reach the glacier of Chopicalqui.  It’s hard to tell whether we are on Chopicalqui or Huascarán since they almost form one huge mountain.  We ascend the glacier and eventually reach High Camp (18,500 feet).  I am endlessly fascinated and excited by seeing the “other” side of Huascaran, with it’s steep rock and ice slopes.  Every now and then an avalanche on the distant walls of Huascarán crashes down and catches our attention. 
JUNE 23: Today is summit day.  Our plan is to set out from High Camp at around 3 AM.  But when we wake up at 2 AM, it is snowing rather heavily.  We decide to remain in our tents until the snow stops.  The snow finally lets up at around 5 AM so we quickly get ready and leave.  Lynn and Pete rope up with head guide, Victor.  Russ and I rope up with our other guide, Glicerio.  Lynn definitely does not need another cup of coffee to wake up, as 20 minutes into the climb, she falls into a dark, deep, frightening crevasse – not once but twice!!  Not to worry, Victor and Glicerio have her roped from above and below and besides a few “cries for mama”, she’s handles it like the trooper and continues climbing.  After the sun comes up, the views of Huascarán’s twin peaks and other sharp, snowy summits of the Cordillera Blanca, are stunning. Eventually we run smack into a large group of Japanese climbers, of the more “mature” variety kind of bunched up at the bottom of a 55 degree section.  Snow on either side of the packed trail is loose and thigh deep making it impossible to pass so we have to wait.  Patiently.  We continue to lose valuable time.  We decide the best course of action is to follow the Japanese since passing is so difficult and they are kind enough to let us use their fixed lines which they’ve installed practically everywhere.  Eventually, the Japanese group turns around at around 20,000 feet.  We continue a bit further but by now, the once clear, sunny skies have clouded over and it begins to snow.  Also, it is almost noon which is a very late hour to be on a glaciated mountain.  So we decide to turn around as well.  Victor tells us we are about 2 to 3 hours from the summit.  Next time.  We once again take our place behind the Japanese group and descend back to High Camp.  Russ elects to continue down with the porters to Moraine Camp.  Lynn, Pete and I decide to spend one more night in this absolutely beautiful perch high above the Cordillera Blanca.  The moonrise between the twin peaks of Huascaran is a sight to behold.
JUNE 24:  Porters arrive at High Camp at around 8 AM (they had slept in Moraine Camp the night before) to help Lynn, Pete and I with our tents and gear.  We all descend to Moraine Camp and enjoy a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, bread and juice.  We pack up all our gear and continue descending to Base Camp.  For our final night in the mountains, the guides and cook prepare a lavish meal of cream of pumpkin soup (mmmm!!), chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, steamed vegetables – the cupboard gets emptied!  We chat about our adventures until well past dark and later retire to our tents.  The clear night sky above is filled with stars.
JUNE 25: We hike to the road, meet our van, load gear and drive down to the main north/south highway.  Before returning to Huaraz, we stop at a local restaurant for a “Pacha Manca,” or in “gringo-ese,” a Quechua picnic or feast.  “Quechua” is the native Indian language (and culture) that existed in this part of South America before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the 16th century and imposed the Spanish language on the local people, and it is still the predominant language in rural areas.  In Quechua, “Pacha” means “earth (“Pacha Mama,” another popular Quechua phrase, means “Mother earth”) and “Manca” means “pot.  Literally, “Pacha Manca” means “earth pot.”  (We stage Pacha Mancas at Base Camp on Illimani in Bolivia at the end of the climb.)  Basically, in a Pacha Manca, food is cooked the ground (the “earth pot”).  The procedure is as follows:  A hole is dug in the ground, stones are heated in a fire, these red hot stones are used to line the bottom of the hole, a variety of typical South American food, such as potatoes, lamb, chicken, guinea pig, carrots, beans, corn, “humitas” (made from corn meal), etc. are placed in this “oven,” then covered with more hot stones.  Food and hot stones are layered into the hole until they reach the top.  This is all covered with palm leaves, earth and more stones and left to cook for about an hour.  Remarkably, all food gets thoroughly cooked.  This centuries old tradition is still practiced today in the highlands of South America.  After this filling experience, we return to our hotel in Huaraz.
JUNE 26:  Since our original itinerary called for an 8-day expedition to Huascaran, and instead we did a 6-day expedition to Chopicalqui, we had a couple of free days on our hands.  At night we celebrate the end of the trip with the traditional (and always eagerly anticipated) Climb Ecuador Farewell Dinner.  Pete, Lynn, Russ and I put on our Sunday best and meet guides Victor and Glicerio, and porters Jaime and Carlos in our hotel to put away some bottles of “vino” before dinner.  From here we head to the popular “Brasa Rosa” restaurant in downtown Huaraz where we feast on a variety of food and pitchers of cold beer.  We keep the fire burning into the wee hours at a local club before we finally say farewell to our Peruvian comrades and return to the hotel.
JUNE 27:  Free day in Huaraz.
JUNE 28: Russ, Lynn, Pete and I board the morning bus from Huaraz to Lima to meet our overnight flights back home.  We all say goodbye at the bus terminal in Lima as Pete, Russ and Lynn are all flying home later that night, while I am spending one more night in Lima.  Another CE trip enters the record books.
JUNE 29: Clients arrive home.  I fly to Quito, Ecuador and fly back to New York on July 5.

 

       That’s it.  Thanks for reading along!  Remember, Ecuador in late December, Aconcagua in mid January and (hopefully) Bolivia and Peru again in summer 2006.  $75 Referral Reward for anyone who refers someone to CE who then takes a trip.  Hey, that’ll buy dinner for two at a nice restaurant or a full tank of gas!!  Have a great fall.  Happy hiking!  Go New Orleans Go!!!

 

Roger Kovary
CLIMB ECUADOR
147 West 79th Street, #1D
New York, NY 10024
(212) 362-4721 (home)
(646) 812-6407 (cell)
www.climbecuador.com
rkovary@aol.com
rkovary@gmail.com