Parque Nacional Huascarán
Saturday, February 10
After having spent a whole week in Huaraz, during which we slowly got used to the altitude, we set off on our first day trip/hike this weekend.
The city of Huaraz is located in the heart of the Andes at an altitude of 3,000 meters, but the truly beautiful hiking trails start many kilometers further away. Since the Andes and the altitude should not be underestimated, even after acclimatization, you should not venture into the mountains alone, but only with a guide. We sought advice in the city of Huaraz and ultimately booked a group day tour to one of the many beautiful lagoons in Huascarán National Park. The tour operator not only provided an experienced guide but also organized transportation to the national park entrance and back to Huaraz.
Our day started very early in the morning, and the tour bus picked us up from our home shortly before 5:00 a.m. Together with a small group of Peruvians, for several hours we drove through small Andean villages, going higher and higher up into the mountains. The landscape and the mountains looked amazing and the view from the bus was breathtaking! After a short breakfast stop, we continued our bus ride until we finally reached the entrance to the national park. Huge rocks, lush meadows, and moss-covered trees were surrounding us. The landscape looked like a forest from a fairytale.
Having arrived at an incredible 3,800 meters, we left the bus and started the actual the hike. After just a few meters, the altitude became noticeable, and we got out of breath much more quickly than we would have at lower altitudes. For the first hour of the hike, we walked through flat, green meadows and followed a stream. The narrow path then slowly led us higher and higher up the mountain. The climb became increasingly strenuous. However, the landscape around us was so special and unique that it was worth all the effort! The higher we climbed, the colder it became. While we started the hike in sweaters, we gradually put on several layers of sweaters and jackets as the hike progressed. We took frequent short breaks to catch our breath, and then continued on. The last half hour of the climb was by far the steepest, highest, and therefore most strenuous part of the hike. In total it took us a bit more than three hours to finally arrive at the incredibly blue lagoon below a glacier. We were thrilled to have made such a successful climb, which had only been so smooth and without any symptoms of altitude sickness thanks to our week of acclimatization to the altitude. We now found ourselves at an altitude of 4,600 meters, where we sat down and admired the impressive lake. A few minutes later, however, after our breathing had calmed down a bit, it became very cold, and we could feel the 4,600 meters altitude and the snow and ice around us. We drank a cup of hot tea that we had brought with us in a thermos, and shortly afterward, we set off on the return journey. Eventually, we were on the bus back to the city. Exhausted from the hike, but grateful to have experienced such a wonderful day.
