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If I went to Peru and wanted to climb a bit in the Cordilleras (i.e. having ice tools, boots, crampons, 4 season tent etc.) and then wanted to stay a bit longer and do some more "touristy" travelling (e.g. Machu Piccu), what would you suggest I do with the climbing gear? Are there any safe storage options in Huaraz, Lima or somewhere else? I would also have the same question about Ecuador and Chile... Any thoughts, suggestions? This would be my first time in South America, so I have nooooo clue. Thanks much!

We stored gear in our hotel in Cusco. You'll most likely be in Cusco to go to Machu Picchu, and most hotels there offer storage if you stay with them before and after your trip. They didn't even charge us, and kept it in a locked room.

Another option, either in Cusco or Lima, is to join the South American Explorers Club. Then you can store gear up to a year at their clubhouse in those cities (and Quito). Membership is worth it just to have a place to go and relax, research, read etc that isn't your hostel/hotel room.

If you haven't found Lonely Planet's books and website yet make sure to give them a look. Plenty of useful beta for trip planning. Cheers!

Arise, fallen thread! I'm spending a good part of this summer in Peru. My plan is to fly into Lima, then head to Cuzco to see Machu Picchu and climb Ausangate. Afterwards, I'm headed back through Lima and up to Raura, then Huaraz, then back to Lima and out.

I'll have mountaineering gear (boots, crampons, tools, warm clothes), some trail-running gear, and a bare minimum of city clothes. I imagine I can leave a gear cache at the Lima airport or central bus terminal. Will hostels in Cuzco and Huaraz let me stash stuff during gaps in my stay, i.e. when I'm climbing, or do only hotels do that? (Not that hotels are horribly expensive down there...) My biggest concern is Raura, a mining town that serves as basecamp for the Cordillera Raura. A quick look online suggests that the closest accommodations are 20 miles away in Churin, which would work fine, since you can supposedly get food in Raura. I poked around the SAE site, but they seem to do a good job hiding their "become a member" button.

I'll definitely go get the Lonely Planet guide, but thanks in advance for any additional suggestions and/or first-hand experience!

BTW, I got around these problems last summer in the Alps by renting a car, which acted as gear locker, sleeping place, and transportation all at once. However, unlike in the Alps, I don't think I can do the Cordillera peaks car-to-car in a day.

I noticed your comment on SAE so thought I'd check it out. I've been a member off and on since 1993, depending on my travel plans. I was surprised to see your mention of it since I thought it had closed a few years ago, so I punched it up to see if it was still open.
The samexplo.org website came up with an Ithaca, NY phone number stating that there were clubhouses in Lima, Cusco, Quito, etc. No other info about them. The website is obviously written by someone who is not a native English speaker, few of the links go anywhere, "news" articles that have nothing to do with South America.

I'm suspicious. Area code 607 seems to be one of the more popular ones for scammers. While I can hope that it's someone's good faith attempt to get the club operating again, I don't think I'm going to email them and send them my $50 for a membership. If you get any more info on these guys, I'd appreciate it if you'd post it.

There's a new edition of the LP Peru guidebook coming out later this month.

JimS

seano wrote:Will hostels in Cuzco and Huaraz let me stash stuff during gaps in my stay, i.e. when I'm climbing, or do only hotels do that? (Not that hotels are horribly expensive down there...) My biggest concern is Raura, a mining town that serves as basecamp for the Cordillera Raura.

I haven't had a problem, though I'd imagine some hostels might have different policies. In Huaraz especially, hotels and hostels are use to mountaineers stashing gear.

I'm not sure about Raura though.

Scott wrote:I haven't had a problem, though I'd imagine some hostels might have different policies. In Huaraz especially, hotels and hostels are use to mountaineers stashing gear.

I'm not sure about Raura though.

Thanks! After looking more into transportation and places to purchase camping supplies, it seems easiest to base everything out of Huaraz, despite minor backtracking from there south to the Cordillera Raura. Of course no plan survives first contact with the enemy, but I have sufficiently low standards for hygiene and comfort that this one should come close to working.