The high mountains of Peru

Road from Antabamba to Izcahuaca

I continue my journey with the two Thierry on high mountain trails. As you can see from the photo, we're at a pass at almost 4,500 metres altitude. One of the advantages of travelling with two partners is that we can take on more complicated roads in remote areas without fear of mechanical problems or punctures.

We sleep in tents just about anywhere; in fact, the only constraint is to try to sleep at an altitude below 4,000 metres to avoid acclimatization problems and, above all, the cold at night.

The road was blocked for a few hours by blasting carried out by the workers. Many cars and buses are waiting patiently for the road to reopen. Bypassing this section of mountain road would take much longer than waiting for it to reopen.

Camping at 4,140 metres

We have to sleep at 4,140 metres, as there are no other options for descending to a lower altitude. We're on the land of a llama and alpaca breeder, but the owner gives us permission to set up camp. He's surprised, though, as we'll be sleeping in tents, and they think we're a bit crazy because of the cold.

The farmer was right, it was a cold night, but we all managed to sleep without getting too cold.

Icy water at dawn.

Alpaca and llama farm

Before leaving, we take the opportunity to visit the animal farm and have a chat with the breeder. These are difficult times for him, as wool prices have dropped drastically compared to the pre-pandemic period... almost by half.

Road from Izcahuaca to Vilcar

The locals are always curious to see us.

Road from Vilcar to Cotohuasi

In Vilcar, we find this little camping paradise next to a beautiful river. We're in a valley where the altitude is only 2,286 metres and the temperature is very pleasant.

In the distance, a swirl of dust.