Round the World: Skiing Japan; Walking Peru, Bolivia, France, Spain, Austria, Iceland, Slovenia, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia; Kayaking, Croatia, Australia.
Skiing Niseko, Paddling Myall Lakes, Walking Yangshuo and Ping An, China; Huayhuash circuit, Peru; Inca trail to Macchu Picchu; Cordillera Real near La Paz, Bolivia; Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne from Lescun to Gavarnie, France; Eastern Vercors Traverse, Le Bourg d’Oisans to La Grave, France; Berliner Hohenweg, Austria; Landmannelaugar to Skogar, Iceland; Kayaking Kolocep Croatia; Walking Triglav Circuit, Slovenia; Drei Zinnen, Dolomites, Amalfi Coast, Italy; Asahi Dake, Japan.
Skiing Niseko, Japan
Paddling Myall Lakes
China: Huaxi, Yangshuo, Ping An
Huayhuash Circuit, Peru
We started at Matacancha (dropped off by local bus) where we met Manero and Pablo and went clockwise. We went over San Antonio pass (5000 metres ASL) and finished at Manero’s home at Llamac.
Monday 30 April: We flew in to Lima from Santiago with Rene and Jean.
Tue 1 May: caught bus to Huaraz. Staying at Casa Zarela. (Still going strong in 2024 apparently.) Zarela arranges guides for us to trek Huayhuash and two of the chief guide’s sons meet us in Huaraz to do some expedition supplies shopping (Juan and Zac).
Wed 2 May: Jean has dysyntery, treating with Norfloxin.
Thu 3 May: We go shopping with Juan and Zac. (One of the interesting items was coca leaves. Silly me insisted on buying coffee and alcohol – both a very bad idea at the altitudes we were going to.) Jean better. Now Irene is crook.
Friday 4 May: More shopping. I buy some alpaca pullovers that are still good 17 years later.
Sat 5 May: We catch a minibus which takes us via a mining road and mining town to the foot of Cordillera Huayhuash at Matacancha. We meet our guides Manero and Pablo and their donkeys. We camp in a grassy meadow at an altitude of 4200 metres.
Sun 6 May. Manero is knocked over by a donkey, put his hand on a prickly cactus and has it bandaged up. This causes a minor medical emergency as his hand swells up. We only have betadine and bandaids.
We get up at 6.30 and are away by 8.44. We climb up to a pass at about 4700 metres, then traverse up and down to arrive at a lake by 2.30 pm, well after the donkeys. I have a headache and feel like my eyes are bulging out of my head. We see a boy with a dog herding sheep who asks for caramelos (sweets). Rene gives him 2 mandarins and a Tararua biscuit. I pay a man 60 soles camping fee (about A$25). We have Lomo Saltado for dinner – not feeling very hungry.
Huayhuash Circuit, 7 May 2007
Monday 7 May: to Laguna Mitococha 4230 metres (ascent about 300 metres).
In the morning, one of the donkeys has strayed off a long way and Pablo rides off on the horse to find it. Today Pablo is arriero and Manero is our guide (walking in plastic slippers). He has been doing this kind of work for 35 years – he has six children and ten grandchildren. It’s an easy day today and we are feeling stronger. We climb to an easy pass at about 4500 metres and then down to a beautiful lake with a glaciated mountain backdrop. We see a boy who has broken his arm and give his mother 20 soles. We pass by adobe huts with thatched roofs and beautiful chickens outside. We camp across the river above the lake outlet. At 5pm a man brings some trout and I pay him 10 soles. !Trucha es muy rica!
Huayhuash, 8 May 2007
Tuesday 8 May: to Carhuaccocha 4138 metres (ascent 750 metres)
We set off at 8 am, 30 minutes after the Israeli party and catch them at the next lake. A man is waiting on the other side of the stone wall to collect the 60 sole entry fee. We traverse up a steep grassy hillside, stop at a divvy rock. Rene takes some GPS waypoints. A flat bit then a steep rocky trail to a pass at 4800+ metres. There are stunning views of lakes, mountains and glaciers. The Israelis say that they don’t have enough food – they relied on the trekking company to supply food and their cook is no good. We lunch at the pass then down grassy hillsides and a stupendous bog of hard cushion plants. We arrive at the campsite at 15.05 pm. We wash, have afternoon tea and discuss what’s for dinner. It rains, with some hail. Rene pays a 60 sole camp fee.
Cushion plant meadow, Huayhuash, 9 May 2007
Wednesday 9 May: Huayhuash (locality) 4345 metres
We get up at 6am. There is a good stone latrine here. The weather is cloudy, then showery with snow on the ground up high. We climb steadily up to a 4700 metre pass then down to a lake. We see a flock of llamas. There is a stupendous ice-cap to our east. The lake is dammed and has aqueducts flowing into it but this doesn’t seem to achieve anything. Ali pays 60 soles to pass through a gate – we camp down the valley near some hot springs. The locals are building a big concrete swimming pool but it is a mess at present. Manero gives it a clean up and fills a small bath. The Israelites turn up but soon turn back disappointed. Then it starts to snow and this continues on into the evening.
Huayhuash, 10 May 2007
Thursday 10 May: Atuscancha 4365 metres.
In the morning, Ali heads off for a bath and comes back enthusiastic, so eventually we all succumb. The water is scalding hot and leaves my legs almost blistered and raw, but clean. Two kids, 6 and 9 turn up to ask for lollies and Ali and Rene give them mandarins and sweets. We head off late, the snow has cleared a little. The donkeys start before us and we don’t see them until we reach the campsite. We climb steadily up to a 5000 metre pass in mud and snow. There are spectacular views of mountains and icefalls. Then we descend steeply a muddy scree then grass to a beautiful valley. We arrive at 2 pm.
Friday 11 May: Cutatambo. Ascent 800 metres to 5000 metre San Antonio Pass.
I am feeling crook today – nausea and headache. We walk steeply up to a pass on the side of Cerro San Antonio. It required lots of willpower on my part. We topped out in snow at 5050 metres. Then there was a tricky route down scree – traversing down – with fantastic views of Siulá Grande, the mountain made infamous by Joe Simpson in “Touching the Void”. There were numerous other mountains, including Yerupaja. Azure blue lakes too. We arrive at the campsite at 2 pm. There is light rain in the evening, then fog. I am taking the altitude tablets again.
Huayhuash, 12 May, 2007 (underneath Siula Grande)
Siula Grande
Saturday 12 May: Cutatambo (day walk) 4265 metres. Ascent 600 metres
It cleared overnight – there is not a cloud in the sky. Pablo is off to Huayllapa to get a few more provisions. We are up at 6.30 am feeling better. We build a stone wall to give privacy to the excellent concrete latrine. We start walking at 10.30 and climb up the side valley to a lake underneath Siulá Grande – except you can’t see the top very well for all the mountains in between. Then we walk back an undulating way, seeing the Lake Estrella del Fondo and the third lake we have seen already. Back by 3.30 pm, raining by 5.30 pm.
Sunday 13 May: towards Huayallapa then up a side valley towards Punta Tapush. Ascent 600 metres.
We are away at 8.30 am – down down into the thick sweet air at 3600 metres. We meet the “controller” at the gate above Huayallapa village. We paid 35 soles each. The vegetation is more lush here and there are a few gum trees and even fewer pines. The rivers are well bridged. Then we head up at an angle of 20 degrees. We have lunch above a bridge on the side creek. We had a boiled egg each with salt and it tasted so good! We finished our climb at 3pm at a lovely meadow with streams on both sides and mountain views.
Rene handing out lollies, near Huayallapa, Huayhuash Circuit, Peru, 13 May 2007
Monday 14 May. Ascent 200 metres then 400 metres on horseback.
A hard day for me – diarrhoea took hold and left me weak. Three watery craps and I was ready to throw in the towel. The second time that Pablo offered me the ride of the horse I gratefully accepted and it whisked me up to the top of the pass like “Beam Me Up Scotty!”. It took me all the rest of the way to the campsite except for a steep down bit that I walked. I took a cocktail of drugs: Norfloxin, Gastro Stop and Rehydration Powders. I ate only spaghetti for dinner then vomited it up again.
Tuesday 15 May. Ascent 500 metres
Feeling better – kept down the porridge for breakfast and a Tararua biscuit for lunch. I managed to walk over a 4800 metre pass (Yaucha) but slowly. Fantastic views of the major mountains of the Cordillera Huayhuash. Trucha for dinner !! It cost us 10 soles. Couldn’t bring myself to buy from the smiling guy who brought around beer and Coca Cola.
Wednesday 16 May: Llamac then Huaraz. Descent 1000 metres.
We walked down the aqueduct to Llamac in about five and a half hours. We stopped at Manero and Pablo’s place and were introduced to the Mother, wives and sisters, then Manero and Pablo came to town with us in the collectivo mini-bus. We had dinner in a very nice restaurant in downtown Huaraz. Pizza, Lomo Fino, Pisco Sours and Jugo de Naranja. Manero and Pablo live in mud brick houses with no chimneys and few windows, a tin roof with a mud courtyard. Pablo is helping put his younger brother through university. They have been excellent guides! I left them the alcohol which I hadn’t touched the whole journey (and I should have avoided the coffee too) – there is so much dehydration at altitude and with stomach bugs.
Macchu Picchu trek, Peru
23-26 May inclusive.
Cordillera Real, Bolivia
Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne, Lescun to Gavarnie
Eastern Vercors, France
Walk from Le Bourg d’Oisans to La Grave
A Walk in the Ecrins
Neuschwanstein Castle
Berliner Höhenweg 17-24 July
The walk was first established in 1889 and the Berliner Huette even earlier (1879).
Sign to Gamshutte
Landmannalaugar to Skogar, Iceland
Sea Kayaking, Kolocep, Croatia
Triglav, Slovenia
Drei Zinnen, Dolomites, Italy
Tour de Mont Blanc, Switzerland, France, Italy
You can start this tour in lots of places and go in either direction. There are some variations in the choice of route, And there is a lot of choice of accomodation including a bedroom to yourself nearly every night (if you book early enough.) We started and finished at Champex Lac, having caught trains from Milan to Orsieres and then a postbus, on 3 September. Then we went anti-clockwise, first, over La Fenetre d’Arpette to Col de la Forclaz etc.
Amalfi Coast
Japan
Bangkok
Hanoi and Halong Bay
Tassie
John de la Roo 