Some trips are born twice - Peru April - May 2025 (page 6 of 13)

Hi Carmen, I’m following you along the slopes of Peru. Your words and photos transport me to a country I’ve so often imagined through Tintin’s adventures ("Prisoners of the Sun") and the very real travel stories of an old friend from Narbonne who’s in love with the Andean Americas. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Richard, We’ve all definitely dreamed of Peru while reading the comic [*The Temple of the Sun.*:)]

Tuesday, April 29

Breakfast is excellent and very varied—perfect for starting the day right before our exploration of Cusco. We head on foot to the San Pedro Market. The streets around the covered market are lively, with locals enjoying breakfast on the go. Numerous stalls and small shops sell a bit of everything. The atmosphere is friendly, and there are very few tourists.





We then head to Plaza San Francisco and take a break at the Choco Museo for some hot chocolate before continuing to Plaza de Armas. We visit the Church of the Society of Jesus, followed by the cathedral. It’s huge—too bad you can’t visit it with an audio guide anymore.

At the Mundo Alpaca shop, the small exhibit on the history and production of alpaca clothing is really interesting.





We pass by the famous Twelve-Angled Stone and continue our stroll through the streets of the San Blas neighborhood. Everything is on a slope, and some streets are pedestrian-only, which gives the area a lot of charm. We climb up to the San Cristóbal Church to enjoy a beautiful view of the city.









At noon, we grab a quick snack before heading back to the hotel to pack for our three-day trek. We have a meet-up at 5:00 PM at the Xtreme Tourbulencia agency.

At the agency, we receive all the details about the trek’s itinerary and what to bring. They give us two bags for our personal belongings, which will be carried by horses. We brought our own sleeping bags, and the weight limit is 6 kg per person.

After the briefing, we have dinner at the restaurant A Mi Manera. The food is really good, though we preferred the dishes at Rucula.

Wednesday, April 30th

The driver, accompanied by our guide Cristian and the cook Armando, picks us up at 5:00 AM. The hotel prepared a takeaway breakfast that we eat before leaving. We stop along the way at a restaurant. Cristian, Armando, and the driver have rice with lamb stew; we settle for bread and a cup of coffee.

At 9:00 AM, we arrive in Upis, at 4,425 meters above sea level. The horses aren’t there yet, so we leave our things with the cook and start the trek. The horses walk faster than we do and easily catch up with us.





Armando carries the eggs for the next few days



We take a small detour to Lake Upis Cocha, at 4,549 meters above sea level, at the foot of Ausangate. The place is stunning, with a breathtaking view of the glacier. A filming crew from Arte TV is on-site—they’re preparing a documentary about glaciers that will air in 2026.





The small Lake Upis Cocha

We continue our hike to the campsite, at 4,500 meters above sea level, where lunch is set up. The tent serves as both a kitchen and a dining area. Everything Armando prepared for us is amazing. We feast and, between bites, wonder how we’ll even manage to keep walking with our stomachs so full.

The water for cooking is taken from a stream

Next, we head up to Arapa Pass, which peaks at 4,753 m. The landscape is absolutely stunning, with different shades of gray and beige that are simply breathtaking. We spot a few viscachas that quickly hide as we pass by. This rodent reminds us of our trip to the Southern Lipez in Bolivia.















Then we descend into a valley to spend the night. Two young travelers, accompanied by their guide, are already settled in the valley. As a result, Filemon, the muleteer, doesn’t want to stay here and prefers to camp a little further away. We’re exhausted, and the rain starts to fall. After an extra hour and a half of walking, the sky clears, and we get to admire a magnificent rainbow over one of the Ausangate glaciers.





We arrive at the campsite completely worn out as night falls. We take comfort in thinking about that rainbow and the fact that we’ll have less walking to do tomorrow morning.

We’re set up next to the small lake Pucacocha, at 4,700 m altitude. After a "cat wash," we bundle up quickly. The temperature drops fast, and the cold really sets in. Dinner is just as generous and delicious as lunch was.

Thankfully, our sleeping bags keep us warm through the night. The mattresses aren’t very comfortable, and my back is a bit sore. We wake up in the middle of the night for a pressing need. The sky has completely cleared, and the Milky Way is stunning. The view from our campsite

You’ll find the rest of the travel journal here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=11464147;a=11464147

Wow Carmen, I’m so jealous you get to do these hikes—it’s absolutely stunning! 😍 I know I won’t be going back to Peru despite these incredible landscapes 😒 So I’m living vicariously through you... that way, I can handle the altitude! 😉

It's all so beautiful! 😮 And it must be even more so under the sun (yes, I have a bit of a fixation on blue skies 😊).

Like Isabelle, I'm enjoying it through pictures (which is already not bad) because I know I won't be taking such a trip 😉.

Hi Carmen

Cuzco and the landscapes you crossed at the start of your trek are stunning! The view from your campsite is incredible. It makes me really want to go!

That famous bag with the eggs 😉

I remember you told me about your problems with altitude. Getting soroche can really ruin a trip. 😕

It's all so beautiful! And it must be even more so under the sun (yes, I have a bit of a fixation on blue skies ).

Yes, the landscape around Ausangate is stunning.

There were lots of clouds, but we had some nice breaks in them, so the light wasn’t too bad. The last stretch in the rain—luckily it was fairly light—was less pleasant.

Blue skies are coming… 🙂

The famous bag with the eggs 😉

We spent a long time wondering why he was walking around with a plastic bag in his hands. It wasn’t until the second day that we found out the answer… He wanted to avoid turning the eggs into an omelette and didn’t load them onto the horses.

Wow, what landscapes! Goes to show you really need to do your research to find amazing spots off the tourist trail

What an incredible trek, especially at those altitudes!

As I read through your travel journal, I realize I really missed out on so much!

Just so I know, could you tell me how much 3 days of trekking costs, in case I get the urge to go back?

Proof that you really need to do your research to find amazing spots off the tourist trail

It’s definitely one of our goals every trip. 😉 And when it’s not possible, we at least try to adjust our schedules to avoid the crowds as much as we can.

What an amazing trek, especially at those altitudes!

As I read through your travel journal, I realize I really missed out on so much!

I need to plan a second trip to Peru.😉

Just so I know, could you tell me how much 3 days of trekking costs, in case I get the urge to go back?

I’ll look this up in my documents and get back to you.

Thursday, May 1st

Woke up at 6:30 AM. Armando brings us hot tea right into the tent. Breakfast is excellent—he made caramel pancakes. We also have bread, butter, jam, and fresh fruit.



We leave the campsite at 8:00 AM under beautiful sunshine and follow the valley. The landscape is breathtaking—mountains reflect in small lakes, glaciers sparkle, and the turquoise waters are simply stunning.







We hike up to Pucacocha Pass, at 4,915 meters above sea level. A family runs a small stand there, offering hikers drinks and some snacks. They’re up there with their two-year-old son. We have tea, while Armando (the cook), Cristian (the guide), and Filemon (the muleteer) prefer a local beer. Little Frank Edisson, Filemon’s son, is thrilled to drink a sugary drink. At just six years old, he impresses us throughout the trek with his incredible stamina.

At the pass, the landscape is very different from what we’ve seen so far. We find the colors of Palcoyo Mountain, with red, blue, green, gray, and yellow hues. It’s a feast for the eyes.

After sharing a lovely moment with family, we set off again toward Ananta Pata, at 4,730 meters above sea level. Filemon and Armando set up the kitchen tent while Armando prepares a full meal: starter, main course, and dessert. The preparation takes time, and we wait about an hour and a half before sitting down to eat. The wait is totally worth it—everything is delicious.













We set off again and climb up to the Warmisaya pass, at 4,950 meters. Snow starts falling, and we walk for an hour and a half through the flakes. It’s cold, but we’re well equipped with our down jackets, raincoats, gloves, and hats. Little by little, the landscape is covered in a beautiful white blanket.

We finally arrive at our campsite, by the small lake Qellococha, at 4,880 meters above sea level. It’s very cold, but the sky clears up again. While waiting for dinner, we take refuge in our sleeping bags.









Cristian comes to get us because Armando has prepared an aperitif for our last evening together. He made popcorn and little cheese-filled pastries wrapped in brick dough. We skip the Pisco Sour and opt for hot tea instead. As always, the meal is excellent—Armando is truly an outstanding cook.

You can find the rest of the travel journal here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=11464844;a=11464844

That Ausangate trek looks amazing! It's true that the landscapes are breathtaking. I hope you had some sunshine... Do you know if there are any refuges along the route? (If you saw any.) Otherwise, of course, you have to be self-sufficient and carry food and gear with mules. It reminds me of the Zanskar crossing (India) where a mule had tumbled into a ravine!

Just so I know, could you tell me how much 3 days of trekking costs, in case I feel like going back?

We paid $420 per person, based on two participants. The agency we chose only organizes private treks for Ausangate. Group departures with people who don’t know each other are too complicated to set up due to the trek’s difficulty at high altitude and the varying fitness levels of participants.

If you go for a non-French-speaking guide, it’s a bit cheaper.

Everything is included in the price: transportation by car, the guide, the muleteer with the horses, the cook, the equipment (tents, mattresses, chairs, table, etc.), and meals.

Not bad this trek in Ausangate. The landscapes are truly stunning. I hope you had some sunshine...

Yes, as you can see in my last two posts. The sun was out on the second and third days of the trek. Didn’t you see the latest photos before the snow shower?

Do you know if there are any refuges along the route? (If you saw any)

We saw one refuge on the second day. According to our guide, it’s open in July-August. I think there aren’t enough people outside of peak season.

Otherwise, of course, you have to be self-sufficient and carry food and gear with mules. That reminds me of crossing the Zanskar (India) where a mule tumbled into a ravine!

Yes, you have to carry everything. In Ladakh, donkeys carried our bags, but we slept in homestays.