Huaraz and the Santa Cruz Trek

This is an entry that is almost a month overdue.  I will be honest, I have not written it because it just wasn't one of my favorite experiences in Peru.  I went to Huaraz, a beautiful city in the mountains (where, incidentally, Luis' family is from, and some of them still live) with Leia, Kelly, Colleen, and Sarah. The second day we were there we set off for the Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Andes.  It is the "classic trek" that is one of those things that all outdoor enthusiasts are semi-required to do while in Peru (at least while in Huaraz it is "not to be missed") I am not very interested in summing up everything that occurred so I will say a bit then link you to Leia's much more thorough explanation and my photo album of the experience.

My days on the Santa Cruz trek were very, very challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. The altitude was rough, it was a long distance, in the cold, with rain every day and simply not enough air to breathe. On top of that, a number of things happened that really scared me and were quite frankly unsafe, and in one circumstance, life-threatening. We were nearly robbed one night in our sleep (which Leia had to experience while I was too busy focused on my aching body to notice), and the next day, after peaking our hike at over 15,000 feet we trudged through pouring rain for 3 hours, got separated from our group (and our guide), and as it got colder and colder, darker and darker, we realized that without food, shelter, warm clothing, fire, or light, we were screwed and our lives were seriously in danger. In the end one of our guides found us by the grace of God, and we were saved but a bit traumatized and quite upset with our guide and not pleased with the trek in general. That night really tainted the experience for me, which is too bad because the place was really beautiful and I do enjoy a challenging hike, but I really was not cut out for this experience.  It was one of the first times in Peru that I was happy something was over.

I don't like being negative like this, because this is honestly one of the only things I have not adored in Peru. On that note I will end with a link to Leia's entries: day one, day two, day three, and day four. This is my photo album of the whole experience in Huaraz. Enjoy the beauty without the altitude, fear, and rain!

p.s. Despite the hardships...there's no denying the breathtaking beauty of a snow-capped mountain!