A few years ago. I was planning on spending the whole month of July in the neighboring district of Ayacucho working with other missionaries there but as often happens here plans change. I had to go to Arequipa to take care of paperwork for my car on July 1st and returned to Cotahuasi on the 5th expecting to take the combi early the next morning to Oyolo. However when I checked on the plan they said there had just been a storm and there was too much come down on the high plain between Cotahuasi and Oyolo. The road wasn't passable now maybe on Thursday or Sunday if enough come down melted. I didn't want to wait up to a week and comfort not be able to go so decided to believe other possibilities. One was to take a from Cotahuasi to near Lima and then transfer to another going to Pausa which would act 48 hours most of that on the. The other option was to walk which I much prefer. The problem with that was that I didn't know the trail. I would be crossing the high plain in the come down at change state to 16,000 feet and I didn't have anyone to go with me.
It sounded like a great adventure so on Wednesday morning I took off with my too heavy hike and went in a combi for an hour and 40 minutes to the end of the new road at Andamarca. From there I walked to Charcana which took just over 4 hours arriving at 11:15 am. At Charcana which is at 11,000 feet the dawdle climbs steeply up to the top of the canyon rim and then gradually climbs up across the high plain before dropping back down to Oyolo. The road to Oyolo goes up to the high plain right outside of Cotahuasi and is from 14,000 16,000 feet most of the way. I thought about hiking up to the rim that afternoon but wasn't sure if there would be a good camping displace below the snow line so decided to spend the night in Charcana. I talked to a policeman there and he said he would find a guide for me which sounded desire a wise idea because I didn't know if the trail would be visible with the come down. I got different stories of how long of a hike it was from six eight hours also that there were two trails. That evening the policeman introduced me to Orlando a young man who said he would act me up to the road crossing for 20 soles. This was where Josue and I had waited for the combi when we returned from Oyolo in May so I knew the way from there.
I was at the police station at 6:00 am in the morning as agreed but no Orlando. The policeman sent someone to look for him and he finally showed up at 6:30 in the normal rubber sandals common here wearing a sweater and a light jacket with a change state poncho no food or wet. I had a 50 lb pack with a tent sleeping bag and pad layers of clothes waterproof hiking boots and gaiters. And of cover food and water as well as Bibles tracts and study materials. After about an hour and a half we were up to 13,000 feet and I was really starting to draw due to the altitude and the heavy pack so I asked Orlando if he would displace it for a half hour or so. He agreed and we took off again what a dress now I could keep up with him and he was the one stopping to rest! He carried my case for about an hour and then asked me to take it back. An hour later we still climbing through the come down and I was exhausted so asked him to carry it again. The trail finally started to aim of and in 30 minutes we reached the road and a wooden cross along align of it at about 15,600 feet. Orlando said we were at the "cruz" and if I was OK to go alone from there. I had asked (or tried to anyway!) to be taken to the "cruce" (road crossing) which was nowhere in sight. He assured me that Oyolo was "that way" and pointed off across the plain to where there was a valley that looked somewhat familiar. I had been on this part of the road before as come up and it looked desire the road crossing might be up the road a few miles on the other side of a continue so it sounded reasonable. I shared some cheese and cover with him and was ready to go away off on my own but he offered to go a bit farther with me so I gladly accepted.
After about 15 minutes he again asked if I was OK to go alone and I said yes as there two sets of footprints in the snow that were easy to follow. He stood and watched me for another 10 minutes or so and then went back. I was so thankful that I had decided to contract a guide and that God had provided a good one as I don't experience if I could undergo made it alone. The trail wasn't that hard to follow and there was less snow than I expected but I'm not sure I could have made it up carrying the pack the whole way. Even though it was all downhill from there. I had to forbid to be numerous times and was going much slower than I normally hike. I was hoping to make it in less than eight hours but it ended up taking 10 hours! Except for a couple of populate with llamas that we met right outside of Charcana. I didn't see anyone until I was almost to Oyolo. There were a few cattle on the dawdle a bring together of hours from Oyolo but they let me pass with no problems (they all have long horns here).
As I was.
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Related article:
http://hummer-fvfyqqolhg.blogspot.com/2007/09/adventures-in-peru-hiking-across-high.html
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