Hello Friends,
Today we ventured into the “Land of 1000 Lakes” and crossed two high mountain passes. We started our hike in Quiswarani (a small village) and headed towards our first pass called Huchuyccasa at 14,505’, where we were rewarded with a grand view. From Huchuyccasa we traversed through mountainous terrain with majestic views in all directions to our second pass called Phonoccassa at 14,475’. Along the way we were greeted by countless llamas and alpacas. Huge limestone spires jut into the air creating very mysterious vistas, with terrain unmolested by humans. From the Phonoccassa pass we dropped down to our lunch spot. Our friends had brought up two tents, one for dinning and the other for the chef. We enjoyed a traditional Peruvian lunch of lomo saltado, which is stir fried beef, peppers, potatoes and rice. After lunch we continued down valley through small villages perched in beautiful mountain valleys. It was a fruitful day hiking in the mountains, which we had to ourselves minus the local llamas and alpacas.
Cheers, Victor
Photos: Huacahuasi Lodge 12,467’, Start of the Hike in Quiswarani, Trail friend, Descending from Huchuyccasa Pass, Hannah Pondering the Andes, Dog friend at Lunch Spot
