Climbing in the Cordillera Blanca

Me and a plastic chicken pizza-delivery box
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Ok, so a really lovely 26 hour journey involving 3 different buses and a taxi was all it took to get out of Cuenca and into Huaraz.  Could have stopped on the coast in Peru on the way but it looked fairly rubbish and I've been to the Carribean so it will just be a disappointment.  If only the bus could have taken a route like the one on my map in the top left corner.

Had expected to spend a good 3 weeks here doing some climbing and trekking but when I arrived everyone said the season had pretty much closed and the place was really quiet.  Managed to get a days climbing with some American guys in my hostal.  Sound guys and some nice fairly easy climbs to get back into climbing after not doing much for 7 months.

Me and my chicas!
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Joined a group for a tour to climb Pisco (5750 metres above that there level of the sea).  Not a massively technical climb but haven't done this sort of nonsense before so better safe than sorry.

Sound group of people - Rob the Kiwi, Mike the Scot and an Israeli couple.  Rob and Mike were leading the way up Pisco for most of the climb with me in the middle and the Israeli's bringing up the rear.  Had a nice early start with breakfast at midnight and a nice hour or so walk to get to the bottom of the snow and ice.  The full moon just lit the place up and you didn't really need your headtorch.  The actual climb was more of a walk on snow but the altitude made everything so much harder.  The guide just let Rob, Mike and myself wander off in front and we reached the top about 20 minutes before he and the Israelis did.

Climbing up Pisco with a full moon.
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Amazing view from the top and on the way up and down.  You do get hooked on this kind of thing when you see some of the views from the top.

After this, I spent a few days chilling in Huaraz (mainly involving wandering to 1 of 2 cafes and spending an hour reading and drinking chai).  Met an American in the hostel and she dragged me along on the Santa Cruz trek (well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)  Not the most amazing views I've got to be honest and you could easily do the trek in 3 days.  Still, the South African couple, Jamie and Karina, and Sylvia were really nice and we had a really good time.

Rob and Mike setting the pace.
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Finally got to meet the infamous Jo from Jo's Place.  He's a really great guy who can often be found in the shop over the road getting .  Or failing that, the shop next door getting .

Sylvia and the South Africans left the night we finished the trek and a load of people doing a tour on a big yellow truck turned up.  It was time to leave.