For a full account of the trek, please visit Sacrificio de las Rodillas.
The train, with the river valley of Matacancha rising away behind us.
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Cordillera Huayhuash Galleries
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| I was told by an Italian gentleman in Huarąs who has made just about every major trek to be made, that the Cordillera Huayhuash is one of the top three treks on the planet. I haven't trekked enough to know, but what I do know is that it was sheer splendor. We set out at the beginning of the rainy season, so partial cloud cover ruled the morns, and sleet reigned the afternoons. The lighting was therefore not ideal for photography. Nonetheless, I have chosen to include every photo taken, with no cropping. Who am I to edit the Creator-manifest magnificance that is the Cordillera Huayhuash? Any dulled brilliance in these photos is due solely to the limitations of the camera, of the film, and of my poor grasp of photography, because, I assure you, every view, every sensation, every moment and instant, even the freezing, wet, and dark ones, were exquisite, a complete rapture of grandeur. I hope that through these photos, you might experience a bit of the tremendous power and raw wilderness of this harsh heaven atop the world.
For a full account of the trek, please visit Sacrificio de las Rodillas. | |
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The jungle bag loaned to me by a dear friend had served me well through the jungles and lowlands of Central America, but a more fuerte bolsa de dormir would be needed for the Huayhuash. Being naturally cheap, and the now broke bloke that I am, I passed on the $300 alpine bags in Huarąs and opted instead for an $8 alpaca blanket from the local market, had it sown into a bag for another $2, and stuffed the jungle bag inside. Here are those $2 hard at work. |
| During a pee stop on the three hour journey to Matacancha, we were awed at the promise unfolding before us. | |
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Matacancha. Indicated by a dot on the map. Two stone huts with grass roofs and some flocks of sheep. The last road, and the end of it at that...we wouldn't see another one for ten days. |
| Climbing our first pass, away from the bustling metropolis of Matacancha, destined for the wild. The lovely Caryl, Tito, Flacchon, and half of Gringo. | |
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Still climbing, Matacancha a barely visible pile of stone below. |
The train, with the river valley of Matacancha rising away behind us. |
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The river valley of Matacancha unfolding into the horizon. |
| The first laguna, from atop the first of many strenuous passes. There would be many firsts... next gallery |
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Cordillera Huayhuash Galleries
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