CUSO Challenge Day 5 - The Ancascocha Trail: Part 2

Chilipahua (3750m) – the Pass (4550m) - Ancascocha (3950 m) (11 km)

Note: The Inca didn’t have a written language; their language, Quechua, was strictly oral. Modern scholars have tried to create a written form of the language but there is no one accepted standard. It can be confusing to see different spellings of words, especially for names of places.  For this reason, I’m not sure of the name of the pass. I’ve seen it referred to as Chi Chusqasa Pass, Pampaqasa Pass and Quchusqasa pass!

This was the day we were all bracing for. We would ascend to over 4500 m, the highest altitude during the trek. Everyone wondered how they would do.

It started by being woken up with coffee/tea/hot chocolate being delivered to our tent. This was followed shortly after by basins of warm water.

Breakfast was another feast. Bacon and eggs and toast this morning! 

Before we left, Ruben introduced the support team to us. Four kitchen staff were responsible for the amazing meals we were being served. There were two ‘tent-makers’ who put up and took down our tents each day. Six horsemen managed I don’t know how many pack horses.  Some of them came from different areas of Peru, but there was at least one who came from each of the areas where we were camping. The local tour company tries to bring as much employment and economic benefit to the communities that their tours touch. 

We began our ascent to the pass. As usual the pace was slow and there were many breaks, which allowed for everyone to catch up and regroup before heading off again. 

It felt like we spread out more today. I found myself walking alone at times, with nobody else in sight. It was very peaceful, beautiful, and awe-inspiring. Such expansive vistas! 

Occasionally, even at these high altitudes, we'd pass a farm, but we didn't see many people.

I was intrigued by the textures of the Andes mountains – so different from the Canadian Rockies. 

I discovered some of it was due to the Andean bunch grass “ichu” that grows at these high altitudes. Perhaps because of my prairie roots, I was captivated by its beautiful colour and the graceful flow of the grasses in the breeze.  

I learned that it was an important part of Incan life. It was used in making adobes (dried mud bricks), thatch roofs, ropes of all sizes (some big and strong enough to make rope bridges), in storage towers to help preserve agricultural products, and in some food preparation processes such as making papa helados (frozen potatoes). 

The final ascent to the pass was a heart stopping breathtaking affair. 

Uhm, while that IS true, what I meant to say was that it was a heart thumping, breathless affair that required focussing on putting one foot in front of the other and remembering to breathe from the belly! 

Our pack horses passed me shortly before the pass reminding me how grateful I was for them carrying all our gear!

I made it! I wasn't first up but I wasn't the last. 😅

There was much cheering as the final members of the group arrived at the top. 

We were rewarded with a 360 view of the Andes. Stunning!

A very steep decent on the other side required some tricky foot work. I was oh-so-grateful for my hiking poles! 

After about an hour, the site of dining tents ahead was most welcome knowing we had a hot lunch awaiting. 

After lunch we continued on a gradual decent towards Ancascocha. 

We had to traverse some narrow, unstable pathways along the sides of mountains. The earth was a dark red and it was very dusty. My boots and pants were soon covered in a layer of red dust. 

We didn’t encounter many people on the trek, but here we met a couple of women with their horses carrying various goods. I think I saw a couple of guinea pigs wrapped up in those bags!

After about 7 hours of hiking, the welcome site of our campsite came into view with the stunning Huayanay Glacier in the background.