Huascaran, as seen from my hostel in Huaraz
I arrived in Huaraz (elev: 3,100 meters), at the foot of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, just as the rainy season was getting underway.
I didn’t care.
This was the gateway to Peru’s tallest mountains, including Huascaran at 6,768 meters (22,205 feet), and I wasn’t going to miss it on my first visit to the country.
After all, it was here in the Huayhuash region that Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void, a legendary tale of mountaineering and survival, took place.
It was the early morning, and despite catching a few hours sleep on the overnight bus from Trujillo, I immediately closed the curtains and crashed on my bed in Hatun Wasi Hostel.
Huascaran's north face
The following morning, I opened the curtains to a spectacular view of Huascaran looming on the distant horizon.
I had to get closer.
The memorial / gravesite for the thousands who died in Yungay and Ranrahirca after the 1970 earthquake, and resulting avalanche
At 3:23 PM on May 31, 1970 an undersea earthquake off the coast of Peru rattled the region for 45 seconds.
The force was strong enough to destabilize a large section of rock and glacial ice on the north face of Huascaran.
The resulting avalanche and landslide, traveling at approximately 300 kilometers per hour, buried the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca in the valley below.
In Yungay alone, an estimated 20,000 people were killed. The Peruvian government later declared the original site of Yungay a national cemetery.
Peruvian women in traditional dress pay their respects on the Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, is a religious holiday that originated in Mexico, and is now celebrated throughout Latin America and the world every on the first and second day of every November.
The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to remember loved ones who’ve passed away.
As happenstance would have it, I booked my day trip to Huascaran for November 1.
Old Yungay’s cemetery was essentially a large, round series of several terraces, kind of like a layer cake.
Built into each terrace were what appeared to be graves marked by small alcoves where flowers could be placed.
I was enamored with the dress of the local women. I’d already been exposed to it on the streets of Huaraz, but it seemed more fitting in the countryside.
View of Huascaran from Yungay's old city center, which was destroyed by the 1970 avalanche
A mangled bus was left as a memorial to those who died
The location of the old Yungay is now a memorial. A somber space filled with colorful rose gardens.
Walking around, it’s hard not to take your eyes off the omnipresent Huascaran.
In the shadow of Huascaran
After the “sad” part of the tour, as our guide put it, we loaded up the minivan and zoomed toward the valley running along the east side of Huascaran.
The tour is actually billed as a visit to Laguna Chinacocha (elev: 4,420 meters), so the visit to Yungay had been a surprise.
After a short, off-road drive up the valley adjacent Huascaran, we were deposited on the shores of the blue lagoon.
As I learned in New Zealand, mineral rich, glacial lakes, lagoons, and rivers often have an otherworldly color to them.
Shades of blues and greens you won’t find in other bodies of water. 
The glacial fed Laguna Chinacocha
_______
What You Need to Know
You can visit old Yungay and Laguna Chinacocha independently, or more easily, as part of a group tour.
How Much: $20 + tip ($13 for transport/guide, $0.75 for old Yungay entrance, $1.75 for Huascaran park, $4.50 for lunch)
Difficulty: Easy
Where to Book: Tours are easy to arrange through any of the hostels, or offices located around Huaraz’s main plaza. If you’re not fluent in Spanish, make sure you’re getting an English-speaking guide.
What to Bring: Camera, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen. There are plenty of vendors from which to buy snacks and water along the way.
About the Author:
Dave is the author of 1574 posts on Go Backpacking.
Dave (Editor-in-Chief) blogged his way around the world from 2007-2009, and then started Travel Blog Success to teach others how to do the same. When not writing, he can be found salsa dancing in Medellin. Follow him on Twitter @rtwdave or look for him on Google+
The Travel Blog Success community offers practical resources and personal support to help you build a better travel blog.
Whether you treat blogging as a hobby, or dream of building a location independent business, you'll learn what's required to create a name for yourself in the online travel world.
Benefits of Joining:
- Personal support from Dave, including site critiques and tips on negotiating advertising deals.
- Ability to learn from others' mistakes, and save yourself time, energy and money.
- Chance to network with other travel bloggers of all levels, from around the world.
Categories: Features, Peru
Post tags: blogsherpa, huaraz, mountains, peru
2 Comments
I cannot wait to return with all of my climbing gear. I don’t know about you but I could definitely spend a few weeks to a few months exploring PN Huascarán.
I visited Huascaran in July of 2008. Absolutely the most awesome peak I have ever seen. Spent four days hiking in the National Park, overnited in Huaraz. Perfect weather the enitre time–the dry season. Saw both the front and less visited back side of the peak. Even the hundreds of photographs I took don’t do it justice. You have to see it to believe it.