Journey Return

Monday, May 26
Start: Local Adobe Residence 15,207′ (4635m)
Via: Pampacancha 14,655′ lowest point of trek (4467m)
Via: Jampa Camp
Via: Abra Khampa 16,663′ (5079m)
Stop: Laguna Pucacocha Camp 15,265′ (4652m)
9.96 miles
2,237′ ascent
2,148′ descent
Average O2
60% acclimated to 15,266, 100% acclimated to 10,170

Per the usual, I get up once during the night to pee. Since we are camped inside, my tent is not frozen shut and I sneak out the main door as quietly as possible. There’s no snow on the ground so that’s a good sign.

4:30 am wake-up and 5:30 am breakfast. We emerge from our home for the night to find that zero snow has fallen. Guess that was a false alarm on the snow forcast. I’m outside just before breakfast and catch the orange creamsicle sunrise glinting off the mountains.

About 6 am, we step outside after breakfast and there are a couple adorable puppies that are posing perfectly with the towering Ausangate. They are a bit shy but risk a short investigation of my outstretched hand.

There are still a lot of clouds in the sky as we point ourselves down the canyon at 6:20 am. It doesn’t take long to descend to the junction with the next massive canyon where we take a left turn up the Jampa Gorge or Quebrada Jampa.

Above: Looking down the canyon from our camp.
Below: After descending a bit, looking back up the canyon. Zoom in to find the houses.

The junction of these two canyons, Pampacancha, is like a high alpine prairie and at 14,655 feet, is our lowest point of the whole trek so far.

We ascend only a short distance before passing a group of tents at another homestead. One guy brushes his teeth at the river. Why?

About 7:30 am we pass a small rock house and two barking dogs approach us. They are doing a good job protecting the alpaca. Ronnie is eating a snack and tosses them a couple bites. We continue down the trail but then they keep following us. They aren’t barking any more and dutifully follow our path. We try several times to shoo them away and get them headed back to their home.

Above: Moody clouds and waterfall.
Below: Looking down Quebrada Jampa.

The dogs are now keeping a farther distance behind us but are still following. Our repeated attempts to turn them around are unsuccessful. The Mountain Gods Peru Team catches up with us and they are finally successful in sending the dogs back towards their home. I think they would have followed us the rest of the day.

After passing some viscacha, Ronnie and I take a short sitting break. Be sure to look for the viscacha that has jumped off the rock in the center of the right picture and has nearly flown out of the left of the frame. Ronnie asks if it would be ok to push onto our final destination for lunch. We’re moving quick enough that the team doesn’t have time to set up and prepare lunch before we get there. Plus it’s a lot less work to do the setup once instead of twice. I agree that it’s no problem to push through.

We arrive at Jampa Camp about 8:40 am. No one is camped here but the alpaca herds and llama are hanging out grazing in the sun. Apu Puka Punta and Apu Pachanta rise in front of us and Apu Jatun Uma, Apu Callangate are off to our right.

We slowly climb up away from the Jampa camp as other alpaca homesteads come into view.

Above: Looking down the Jampa Gorge, from where we’ve just hiked.
Below: About to crest a sadle with a creek flowing across it.

Above Left: Rocks with different lichens and a green cushion plant like a Yareta or Azorella.
Above Right: Two alpaca with lateral moraines and Apu Jatun Uma behind them.
Below: Ronnie ahead of me on trail with Apu Puka Punta and Apu Jatun Uma and numerous lateral moraines.

It’s just after 11 am and we keep gently climbing as the trail bends to the left into a new valley along the flanks of Nevado Campa. Ronnie is just ahead of me and once I come across that crest, a blast of wind hits me in the face. My mind was secretly hoping for flat trail but it continues to climb as we pass spectacular rocks covered in lichens and small plants.

Above and Below: Left, Apu Pachanta and Right, Apu Jatun Uma with a giant glacier between them and moraines exposed by the retreating glacier.

Above and Below: Blue Gentiana flowers, multiple crustose lichens, maybe Colobanthus or Philippiella cushion plants, Yareta or Azarella cushion plants.

The mountains that line this valley are Apu Puka Punta and a bit downhill, Apu Jatun Punta. The valley bottom is dotted with unnamed glacial lakes which the retreating glaciers are in the process of abandoning.

Above: Looking down the trail behind me.
Below: Passing cushion plants as Ronnie ascends ahead of me.

At some point, we stop for a very brief break as the wind continues to beat on us. I admire the fascinating and striated metamorphosed rocks where even a small alpine lupine manages to grow!

As we push on, and each little crest before me looks like the top. I convince myself that each one is the last until I realize that there is still more up. It just keeps going and going until we finally reach the trail’s apex at Abra Khampa (16,663 ft.). It’s about 12:30 pm and the clouds are starting to thicken and do their afternoon dance.

The trail descends just as gradually as it climbed and we point ourselves towards the Pacchanta Valley. In the valley off to our right, the lakes Tiko q’ocha and Comercocha come into view. They are part of the Ausangate 7 Lakes Loop. We veer to the left and descend towards the main Ausangate 7 Lakes Route.

Above: Looking back up the trail.

The clouds are really billowing overhead as a barking dog runs over to check on us. The dog escorts us to a woman that is seated on the side of the trail where she is selling items that she has made. I’m was hoping that such an opportunity would arise so I’m excited to see if I can find a treasure. Ronnie speaks Quechua with the woman as we look at all her beautiful craftswork. Since I have bigger soles bills, I find the right combo of items so that I don’t require change. I buy an incredible scarf, a vicuña bracelet and a key chain with colored alpaca balls for 100 soles, or about $30 USD. Crazy!

With the help of Ronnie translating, I learn that her name is Julia. Julia has a big smile and seems very happy about my purchase. I wish I could buy all of the things and bring them to all of you. Ronnie suggests that I get a picture with her, for which I’m so grateful (I have the scarf around my neck!).

I ask Julia to explain the different symbols on the scarf which is made of alpaca wool. Julia explains that the symbols represent left to right: Condor, Apu Asangate, Andes mountains around a lake or laguna, and the sun.

The brown bracelet is made of vicuña wool. The vicuña are wild camelids that live in the high alpine regions of the central Andes. The vicuña are believed to be the ancestors of alpaca but they produce small amounts of extremely fine wool that can only be shorn about every three years. The wool’s extreme warmth comes from tiny scales on the hollow fibers which interlock and trap insulating air. Additionally, the vicuña are still wild so a farmer must be able to capture them when they mingle with their herd. Vicuña are the national animal of Peru and protected by law. A vicuña is featured on the Peruvian coat of arms and flag.

Above Left: Perhaps a species of Nototriche?
Above Right: Ronnie and the valley stretching out before us.

Laguna Pucacocha appears on our horizon about 1:45 pm. We make the final descent to the lake and find the Mountain Gods Peru team with everything set up.

We arrive at Laguna Pucacocha Camp about 2 pm and I get everything situated in my tent. There’s a woman and her child who have set up a blanket near my tent. She is selling items that she has made. Unfortunately, I bought all that I needed from Julia but I do have a few treats to share with her child. Within a half hour it starts to hail and she leaves.

The hail is minimal but I’m grateful to be in camp and not having to hike in it. I use the luxurious toilet tent before having an amazing spread of food for lunch. I spend the afternoon bundled in my sleeping bag while writing in my journal and resting. It’s hard to get out of the warmth of my sleeping bag for happy hour pop corn and dinner but the hiker hunger is starting to kick in and I’m already hungry again.