In every inspiring natural
creation there is a realism that speaks to you. In every moment on a
mountain you find it more and more. You discover yourself in ways not
possible through other means. This stays with you and guides you for the
rest of your life. May everyone have this chance at least once.~ Dave
Huaraz
(population 100,000) is the epicenter of climbing in the Peruvian Andes.
This mountaineering city is the heart and soul of the Cordillera Blanca, or
white mountain range, the greatest concentration of high peaks in all of the
Andes. The Cordillera Negro or black mountain range sits on the opposite
side from the Cordillera Blanca. This mountain range gets its name because
it is much lower then the Cordillera Blanca and typically is not covered in
snow.
Jagged glacier covered mountains tower into the sky reaching heights
of well over 6,000 meters. People come from all over the world to climb and
trek in
these mountains. On a small scale, the Cordillera Blanca resembles some of
the highest mountains in the world which of course are found in the
Himalayas.
The Cordillera Huayhuash is also a very scenic somewhat smaller and less
visited mountain range located about 3 hours from Huaraz. Its peaks are
extremely jagged and beautiful and one should take 8 to 10 days for trekking
in this area *after* you have acclimated to the altitude. Parts of the
Cordillera Huayhuash were featured in the book and movie, Touching the Void.
Huaraz like Katmandu in Nepal is a great stop for climbers beginning or ending their trips. It
is the main town that you will go through if you are planning any climbs or
treks in the Cordillera Blanca region. Huaraz is an excellent place to meet
fellow climbers whether its at the hostels or at the number of climbing
agencies scattered throughout town. It is not a huge town and most
everything is within walking distance of each other. Restaurants and hotels
in Huaraz are typically very affordable.
The town and nearby valley suffered a terrible earthquake in May of 1970 and
most of Huaraz was destroyed. The northern part of town suffered terribly as
a huge chunk of ice and snow broke off from nearby mountains and created a
huge mud avalanche which took out most of this part of town. There is one
street that has been preserved from before the earthquake - and its worth
checking out to see the difference in the older construction versus the
newer. The main Cathedral in the central square is still currently under
construction. It has been well over 35 years since the earthquake and this
cathedral still hasn't been finished!
It is highly recommended to spend at least 3-4 days in and around Huaraz
acclimatizing to the high elevation. Take it easy the first few days. The
center of Huaraz is about 3100 meters (approximately 10,170 feet) and as a
result some people find themselves short of breath and with a slight
headache or nausea when first arriving in Huaraz. We cannot stress enough
the benefits of taking ones time to acclimatize and let your body adjust to
the high elevation. We tend to get altitude sickness quickly. We have used
Soroche Pills before and have noticed some definite improvement. Try going
to 5300 meters on day 5 - that's not something we
generally can do but with the Soroche pills we had no altitude problems other than shortness of
breath. Supposedly these pills contain mostly just caffeine and aspirin.
They are made in La Paz Bolivia and can be purchased at most any Pharmacy in Huaraz. Visit:
www.sorojchipills.com
The best climbing months are June and July - hence they are the most crowded
months in the mountains and in Huaraz. However there are a lot of mountains and
aside from the main short trek routes it never gets
that bad! Clear days and cold nights are the norm during these months. May
through September tend to be dry months. November to April tend to be the
wet months in the mountains.
This article is the culmination of multiple trips to Huaraz and covers day
trips, longer treks and other outdoor activities as well as information
about finding hotels, restaurants and guiding companies in Huaraz. Please read on ...
