Holy shit living in Cusco for a month was fantastic!!! Besides getting out of the van for a bit and the city being so cool, it was an absolute pleasure sharing an apartment with such good friends. Apartment life with our amigos was everything you would expect of living in crazy, bustling Peru. Sometimes the water would turn off at night, we had to Honnold our way down the street to avoid getting clipped by buses, and as always, not getting electrocuted in the shower takes some care. (more…)
Peru
Peru
Salkantay and Machu Picchu: Part 2
Machu Picchu
The famous Machu Picchu… we weren’t really sure what to expect. Some say it’s the most amazing thing they have ever seen, while other’s claim places we’ve already visited are superior and don’t require dealing with the hoards of tourists and the hefty expense. The day to decide for ourselves had come!
Salkantay and Machu Picchu: Part 1
The Salkantay Trek
Having met up with our most excellent amigos Clayton and Jenny in Cusco, we set about organizing our Machu Picchu experience. The famous and mysterious Incan ruins are fairly remote with no road access whatsoever which makes getting to them a bit trickier than most destinations this popular. Now it probably goes without saying, but we’re not exactly into the whole planning and booking months in advance thing, so the Inca Trail was quickly crossed of the list. We could just take a train there and back, but that seemed a bit boring. We do love the mountains though, and with that idea in mind we decided to tackle the Salkantay Trail. (more…)
Soaking It Up In Middle Peru
Before heading to Lima we turned up an unmarked, very rough dirt road about 40 km south of Huaraz. The road looks to go absolutely nowhere; we pass a loan straw hut housing a shepherd looking after his flock of high altitude sheep. After about 30 minutes we reach the top of the ascent which opens into desolate, rolling meadows and valleys as far as we can see. There, in the middle of this harsh, 14,200 foot environment sits a rock climber refugio, and just behind it an unlikely labyrinth of volcanic rock juts from the earth. Welcome to sport climbing paradise in Peru: Hatun Machay (click for climber specific info). (more…)
