...to what is going to be the story of an epic journey. I shall look forward to the next instalments - although, the thought of 4 months in Peru wandering up mountains makes me feel a little envious!
Berg heil Sir!
Mark
I'm so glad to hear Carlos Zarate is still around. One of his guides (son?) took my naive 24 year old self up El Misti successfully and safely in the autumn of 2004. It was the experience against which all my subsequent climbing compares. There seems to be mixed reviews out now on Trip Advisor but my experience, especially the 4,000 of talus sliding after our summiting, was epic. Look them up if you are in Arequipa.
Sure, he's still alive and kicking. And very helpful too.
He gave me useful information about the area; for example he advised against going solo to the Ubinas or Pichu Pichu, but I by now I've forgotten whether that was simply because it would be harder to find good water sources there, or because of less friendly people in the area.
On the other hand, as I later discovered, while he still seemed to know everything I was interested in, his wasn't the most active agency anymore; that's Quechua Exploring. I'll expand on that in the next episode.
Hi Rob,
I really enjoyed your trip report! It made me wish I was still in Peru and could have joined you for part of your time there. I did summit 97 peaks here in the U.S. this year, but still miss Peru. Except for the some of the safety issues of course. I hiked alone all over in the Cotahuasi area and never had a problem, but in some of the touristy areas or near the big cities it wasn't always safe. Looking forward to reading the next 3 parts!
Vic
I always felt very safe in downtown Arequipa and Cuzco, but I have to say that almost always I turned in pretty early. As for Arequipa, I heard that some other parts were less safe, but I had no reason to go anywhere but the center and the bus terminal.
I avoided Lima, since it's not a good base for acclimatization. I passed through it a few times, but only slept there once. The traffic was murderous, and the taxi drivers must be loco to survive, but apart from that, I wasn't really exposed to the dangers of the city, whatever they may have been.
I understand your sentiments about safety outside the tourist areas. On the hike from Chivay to Sibayo for example, I met few people, let alone tourists. In Sibayo I must have been the first foreigner for days. People were friendly and open, and curious about me and what I thought of Peru. I reckon that there is simply no career in being a robber in a tight-knit rural society without a steady supply of fresh victims. If you would steal from other locals, everybody would soon know and you would be ostracized or worse, and if you rob the rare visitor, that's bad for the reputation of the town and everybody will try to find the culprit. There are easier ways to make a living.
In a bigger and more touristy place like Chivay a criminal could stay under the radar. I would watch my gear there. I try to do the same everywhere, but in Sibayo I felt I could have left it unattended on the side of the street and an hour later it would still have been there. As for my rain jacket, I never saw it again. I may have forgotten it somewhere, or perhaps it got stolen on the bus. If it did, I should have paid more attention. I didn't bother filing a police report or an insurance claim.
Last time I've been to the US was more than a decade ago. I wasn't into climbing or mountaineering yet. I must have hiked up to a handful of easy peaks - a far cry from your count this year.
Take your time reading the next parts. As you've noticed, I've written three more so far, but that's not going to be the end of it.
And maybe we'll meet in Peru someday after all.
Cheers, Rob
markhallam - Nov 17, 2012 2:03 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice start......to what is going to be the story of an epic journey. I shall look forward to the next instalments - although, the thought of 4 months in Peru wandering up mountains makes me feel a little envious!
Berg heil Sir!
Mark
rgg - Nov 17, 2012 5:19 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice start...Thanks Mark. If it goes according to plan, I won't need four months to write the rest. Don't hold me to it though! Cheers, Rob
lightstays - Nov 20, 2012 5:12 pm - Hasn't voted
ZarateI'm so glad to hear Carlos Zarate is still around. One of his guides (son?) took my naive 24 year old self up El Misti successfully and safely in the autumn of 2004. It was the experience against which all my subsequent climbing compares. There seems to be mixed reviews out now on Trip Advisor but my experience, especially the 4,000 of talus sliding after our summiting, was epic. Look them up if you are in Arequipa.
rgg - Nov 21, 2012 6:12 am - Hasn't voted
Re: ZarateSure, he's still alive and kicking. And very helpful too.
He gave me useful information about the area; for example he advised against going solo to the Ubinas or Pichu Pichu, but I by now I've forgotten whether that was simply because it would be harder to find good water sources there, or because of less friendly people in the area.
On the other hand, as I later discovered, while he still seemed to know everything I was interested in, his wasn't the most active agency anymore; that's Quechua Exploring. I'll expand on that in the next episode.
Vic Hanson - Dec 26, 2012 1:04 am - Voted 10/10
Homesick!Hi Rob,
I really enjoyed your trip report! It made me wish I was still in Peru and could have joined you for part of your time there. I did summit 97 peaks here in the U.S. this year, but still miss Peru. Except for the some of the safety issues of course. I hiked alone all over in the Cotahuasi area and never had a problem, but in some of the touristy areas or near the big cities it wasn't always safe. Looking forward to reading the next 3 parts!
Vic
rgg - Dec 26, 2012 12:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Homesick!I always felt very safe in downtown Arequipa and Cuzco, but I have to say that almost always I turned in pretty early. As for Arequipa, I heard that some other parts were less safe, but I had no reason to go anywhere but the center and the bus terminal.
I avoided Lima, since it's not a good base for acclimatization. I passed through it a few times, but only slept there once. The traffic was murderous, and the taxi drivers must be loco to survive, but apart from that, I wasn't really exposed to the dangers of the city, whatever they may have been.
I understand your sentiments about safety outside the tourist areas. On the hike from Chivay to Sibayo for example, I met few people, let alone tourists. In Sibayo I must have been the first foreigner for days. People were friendly and open, and curious about me and what I thought of Peru. I reckon that there is simply no career in being a robber in a tight-knit rural society without a steady supply of fresh victims. If you would steal from other locals, everybody would soon know and you would be ostracized or worse, and if you rob the rare visitor, that's bad for the reputation of the town and everybody will try to find the culprit. There are easier ways to make a living.
In a bigger and more touristy place like Chivay a criminal could stay under the radar. I would watch my gear there. I try to do the same everywhere, but in Sibayo I felt I could have left it unattended on the side of the street and an hour later it would still have been there. As for my rain jacket, I never saw it again. I may have forgotten it somewhere, or perhaps it got stolen on the bus. If it did, I should have paid more attention. I didn't bother filing a police report or an insurance claim.
Last time I've been to the US was more than a decade ago. I wasn't into climbing or mountaineering yet. I must have hiked up to a handful of easy peaks - a far cry from your count this year.
Take your time reading the next parts. As you've noticed, I've written three more so far, but that's not going to be the end of it.
And maybe we'll meet in Peru someday after all.
Cheers, Rob