It is unbelievable how pristine and untouched Huascaran National Park is at the end of November. All peaks above 5000m are covered with white powder and genuinely represent mountain chain name – Cordillera Blanca. Climbing season just ended and most of avalanches on their way, so everybody is out and I am in to this emptiness, which is just perfect for staying and exploring magnificent peaks or just simple living at the bottom of the highest roof in Peru. Driving up to this bottom, called Llanganuco Mountain Lodge, from the down laid village on bumpy, dirty “highway” is an experience, which I won’t forget. Taxi driver charges 50 soles for 45min drive with 1000m ascent and gives local language lesson, though I am just nodding, as it is something I hear for the very first time in my life. Having this friendly “chat” we are passing villages, which are no different from other poor countries and seems that every building is on constant construction, which will never end. However, one thing distinguishes them from others – high snowy peaks all around the area. Even though it is my recovery week post Marathon Des Sables PERU, hopefully I will be lucky enough to get a bit of sunshine doing some vertical traveling on those peaks or enjoying splash-runs through the super gorgeous lagoons surrounded by old Inca trails, which are wild, original and not touristic at all.
Being in such a remote areas is already rad adventure itself and though, as Inca civilization thousands years ago local people taking those magic trails and mountains for granted, I feel blessed just being allowed to touch “second” Himalayas with my feet. Travelling thorough the life is always fun, but it could be that one-day I will be totally wasted. It won’t be me anymore, it will be mixture of wisdom and cultures, which I have been collecting for years and exchanging life experience with newly met people and places, who consumed and absorbed my energy no less than I theirs.
