left: 04.04.'06 Felix and Gabriel at the start of the trek in Cashapampa. We had just rolled into Caraz the day before and within a few hours we had organised all the food and backpacks and so we were ready to hit the trail the next morning, which we did after getting a lift to the start at 2900m.a.s.l.
We had a good start but our backpacks were rather heavy! Filled with numerous 'paltas' (avocados), bananas, marecuyas (passion fruit), onions, tomatoes and huge carrots! Gabriel is a vegetarian and so the amount of fruit and vegetables which he bought was rather a lot but of course very good ! I was interested to eat my bananas and avocados as quickly as possible to get rid of the weight! It soon started raining and so we pitched our tent and cooked our 1kg of potatoes inside the tent while it was pouring down outside. The Hilleberg Namatj GT expedition tent allows this with it's huge cooking and storage area.
05.04.'06 Packing our stuff in the morning at our campsite along the Santa Cruz river at 3600 m.a.s.l. The mist had lifted and the sun came out! But for how long? The weather here changes so fast and reminded me of my treks in Patagonia (Chile) or Iceland. One moment sunshine, the next pouring rain and then sunshine again an hour later!
Gabriel and Felix walking up the trail along the Santa Cruz river. An amazing valley to hike up! The scenery changes constantly and the deeper you enter the valley the steeper the glaciated valley walls get and soon the first huge glaciated peaks can be seen.
left: Gabriel and his Andean girl-friend! The Andean valleys are very 'swiss-alp like' and so one finds horses, donkeys and cows grazing up at 4000 m.a.s.l.
right: Myself having a tea-break at 4000 m.a.s.l. at Lago Ichiccocha
left: Felix on the way up to Alpamayo base camp. By the time we had reached the turn off to Alpamayo base camp the views were getting really breathtaking with glaciated valleys and towering glaciers on all sides! Now what is Felix looking at?....
...of course, on the other side of the valley the huge towering ice needle of Nev. Artesonraju (6025m) had just come out of the clouds. Climbing season begins in June and the area attracts the top climbing 'cracks' to climb some of the most difficult peaks in the world. The Cordillera Blanca is the highest part of the Andes with over 20 summits above 6000m.
left: Pitching our tent just below Alpamayo base camp and just before it started raining again at 4200 m.a.s.l.
06.04.'06: Drying our sleeping bags after a heavy night of rain! No, the tent did not leak but we had a lot of condensation inside the tent after all the cooking and boiling water!
left: At Alpamayo base camp with a huge morain in front of the mountains. Alpamayo can not be seen, it is hidden in the clouds and mist! Felix had been very ill all night so we suggested that he rests while Gabriel and I did a day walk up to the base camp of Alpamayo and then up to Lago Arhueycocha. Unfortunately we did not get to see Alpamayo fully. We saw the ice capped needle of Alpamayo for about 20 seconds before the clouds covered it fully again. (Alpamayo is regarded to be the worlds most beautiful mountain)
right: The view down into the valley from Lago Arhueycocha
We walked back down into the Santa Cruz valley that same afternoon and pitched our tent at a lower altitude. Felix was feeling better the next morning and it was time for a photo shoot before he headed back to Germany two days later.
07.04.'06: Making our usual breakfast: porridge. (boiling water with oats, sugar, salt and raisins). For many people it does not sound good but it is the perfect source of energy when cycling and hiking. A kilogram of oats is cheap and lasts for numerous breakfasts!
It was time to end our hike! Felix was ready to run down the mountain, not to miss the bus to Lima and to catch his flight back to Germany. It was great to have had Felix on the trip during the last 6 weeks! We had so much fun and even when one of us was feeling weak or tired we kept up the motivation and jokes! Thanks for filling my tube in the back tire with water, Felix!!! But remember you still hold the banana-peel record! Sitting on his saddle with a banana-peel under his ass for 7.5km!!
Gabriel and I continued our journey on our bikes through the harsh central Peruvian Andes. See next stage.
left: 04.04.'06 Felix and Gabriel at the start of the trek in Cashapampa. We had just rolled into Caraz the day before and within a few hours we had organised all the food and backpacks and so we were ready to hit the trail the next morning, which we did after getting a lift to the start at 2900m.a.s.l.
We had a good start but our backpacks were rather heavy! Filled with numerous 'paltas' (avocados), bananas, marecuyas (passion fruit), onions, tomatoes and huge carrots! Gabriel is a vegetarian and so the amount of fruit and vegetables which he bought was rather a lot but of course very good ! I was interested to eat my bananas and avocados as quickly as possible to get rid of the weight! It soon started raining and so we pitched our tent and cooked our 1kg of potatoes inside the tent while it was pouring down outside. The Hilleberg Namatj GT expedition tent allows this with it's huge cooking and storage area.
05.04.'06 Packing our stuff in the morning at our campsite along the Santa Cruz river at 3600 m.a.s.l. The mist had lifted and the sun came out! But for how long? The weather here changes so fast and reminded me of my treks in Patagonia (Chile) or Iceland. One moment sunshine, the next pouring rain and then sunshine again an hour later!
Gabriel and Felix walking up the trail along the Santa Cruz river. An amazing valley to hike up! The scenery changes constantly and the deeper you enter the valley the steeper the glaciated valley walls get and soon the first huge glaciated peaks can be seen.
left: Gabriel and his Andean girl-friend! The Andean valleys are very 'swiss-alp like' and so one finds horses, donkeys and cows grazing up at 4000 m.a.s.l. 
right: Myself having a tea-break at 4000 m.a.s.l. at Lago Ichiccocha
left: Felix on the way up to Alpamayo base camp. By the time we had reached the turn off to Alpamayo base camp the views were getting really breathtaking with glaciated valleys and towering glaciers on all sides! Now what is Felix looking at?....
...of course, on the other side of the valley the huge towering ice needle of Nev. Artesonraju (6025m) had just come out of the clouds. Climbing season begins in June and the area attracts the top climbing 'cracks' to climb some of the most difficult peaks in the world. The Cordillera Blanca is the highest part of the Andes with over 20 summits above 6000m.
left: Pitching our tent just below Alpamayo base camp and just before it started raining again at 4200 m.a.s.l.
06.04.'06: Drying our sleeping bags after a heavy night of rain! No, the tent did not leak but we had a lot of condensation inside the tent after all the cooking and boiling water!
left: At Alpamayo base camp with a huge morain in front of the mountains. Alpamayo can not be seen, it is hidden in the clouds and mist! Felix had been very ill all night so we suggested that he rests while Gabriel and I did a day walk up to the base camp of Alpamayo and then up to Lago Arhueycocha. Unfortunately we did not get to see Alpamayo fully. We saw the ice capped needle of Alpamayo for about 20 seconds before the clouds covered it fully again. (Alpamayo is regarded to be the worlds most beautiful mountain)
right: The view down into the valley from Lago Arhueycocha
We walked back down into the Santa Cruz valley that same afternoon and pitched our tent at a lower altitude. Felix was feeling better the next morning and it was time for a photo shoot before he headed back to Germany two days later.
07.04.'06: Making our usual breakfast: porridge. (boiling water with oats, sugar, salt and raisins). For many people it does not sound good but it is the perfect source of energy when cycling and hiking. A kilogram of oats is cheap and lasts for numerous breakfasts!
It was time to end our hike! Felix was ready to run down the mountain, not to miss the bus to Lima and to catch his flight back to Germany. It was great to have had Felix on the trip during the last 6 weeks! We had so much fun and even when one of us was feeling weak or tired we kept up the motivation and jokes! Thanks for filling my tube in the back tire with water, Felix!!! But remember you still hold the banana-peel record! Sitting on his saddle with a banana-peel under his ass for 7.5km!!