Flipping North: Jaen to Loja

Travelling from Huaraz to the city of Jaen was not enjoyable. Fidgit and I boarded a bus in Huaraz at 9:30 pm; two transfers and 23 hours later we arrived in Jaen. So much time on a bus, especially when we both struggle with motion sickness on the curvy Peruvian roads, is terrible. We couldn't do much other than listen to music lest our motion sensitivity get aggravated. Thankfully we were able to find a decent place to stay in Jaen to sleep it off. We awoke refreshed and ready to go the next morning, and headed out along our route.

As we walked along, it became very evident we were fully in the tropics now. A lower elevation with higher temperatures and humidity were quite the mix. Fidgit and I quickly soaked our clothes with sweat, and each time the sun peeked out from behind the clouds our umbrellas went up in defense. It seemed like the locals were adapted so there were cold beverages and ice cream in nearly every shop. We would stumble into town covered in sweat, buy many cold things to consume, and sit in the shade until we cooled off enough to move on.

Walking from Jaen, it was a gentle uphill along a couple of rivers to the town of San Ignacio. From San Ignacio, it was another hundred or so kilometers to THE BORDER! As we neared Ecuador, I began feeling worse and worse. I thought my illness would pass, but after a couple of weeks of not trusting my farts, I talked with our medical adviser and began a round of Flagyl- bought over the counter for $1.60. We continued walking, though I was tired, feverish, dehydrated, hot, and irritable. I pushed on stubbornly as we crossed the border into Ecuador and kept going.

The border crossing into Ecuador was a river valley with talkative and friendly border control officers. We then ascended away from the river towards the small town of Zumba. Trying to avoid the oppressive heat and humidity, we rested for a few hours until a storm rolled through then walked into the night. The route took us through two more valleys before we arrived in the town of Zumba. I was so exhausted that I laid in my hotel bed as Fidgit went out in search of food and water. I hadn't been that physically tired in a long time, and was annoyed at my body for not keeping up with what my mind wanted to do. I ate and grumpily went to sleep, reminding myself to take it easy as I was healing. A side effect of the flagyl is headaches too, so I would get dehydration AND side effect headaches...

I was more forgiving of my sick self as we continued north, finishing up the round of meds as we made our way towards Loja. Many of the towns were small as we wound along the valley side. The amount of landslides we saw taking up part or nearly all of the dirt road we were following was impressive. The locals seemed to have adapted to that as well, driving through or around the mud as though they'd been doing it forever (which they probably had).

As Fidgit and I continued along our route, we continued mostly ascending, with some  descents in there too. At one point, we ascended to a 4,000 meter pass and into a cloud forest. It finally cooled off and, though still wet because we were in a cloud, I didn't feel the heat as much. After descending out of the cloud forest, it stayed cooler and we made our way into the town of Vilcabamba.

Vilcabamba is well known for its healing properties. We learned that there are apparently two rivers running under the town, through beds of quartz crystal. This makes the town a huge draw for holistic folk from all over the world as well as people wanting to live longer. Fidgit and I were grateful to be on the edge of tourist season so town was still quiet. We found a place and decided to take our first zero day since Jaen. Though I didn't do much on our day off, I felt it was a much needed rest for me and was glad to have the opportunity to do so little.

After our day off, we walked another couple of days into the city of Loja. Along the way, we found a sendero or trail that led us along the river valley nearly the whole way. It was so nice to be off road and feel like we were walking through the forest again. Conveniently, the noise of cars was mostly drowned out by the river we were walking along. We passed National Park Podocarpus and made our way into the city.

Fidgit and I rested for another couple of days in Loja, getting more work done and allowing me to continue recuperating. We were able to slack through and then out the north side of Loja, continuing our way along the river valley. We then followed a dirt track up out of the valley to connect with the main road in the small town of San Luis, walking along that to Saraguro. Our time was running short, so we began our travels back south to Rio Maranon.

To get back to Huaraz (our jump off point for the raft trip), we spent two days of travel going back to the city of Jaen, then flew to Lima and met up with our friend who'd be coming along before flying to Huaraz. In Huaraz, we spent a couple of days preparing for the month-long raft trip by getting supplies and meeting up with our guides. Then we were off to begin our trip down the Maranon!

Huallanca to Rio Maranon

Walking along the lower elevation of the Huallanca valley warmed us up for a couple of days and then we ascended once again up a side valley. It definitely wasn't as frigid as the towering Huayhuash Circuit, though it was chilly enough for comfortable walking.

After a steep ascent Fidgit and I walked through a small town along the edge of the valley rim just in time for lunch. There was a woman cooking meat on a grill along the town soccer field/central park area. We bought a skewer and settled in to eat as the town dog pack crept closer, hoping to grab a snack. We finished lunch, threw our leftovers to the pups and walked on. The high valley was beautiful- a steep descent to a river on one side of us as we followed the Inca Trail north.

We were able to go generally up towards a pass at the end of the valley before a mellow descent into another lovely valley. Setting up camp for the night next to a clear stream under partly cloudy skies was refreshing. The bonus of not setting up in the rain with all my layers on was also enjoyable.

As we settle in for the night, Fidgit suggested setting a goal for the next day to encourage us to cover ground. Tired and already unsure of completing a different goal I had set, I wasn't interested. Sharing my thoughts with her was not well received. The next morning, she asked me to explain my thoughts on goals and failure, which didn't go over well either and we ended up walking separately for most of the rest of the day. Towards the end of the day, we were once again able to talk and decided to walk separately for a while.

Fidgit and I ended up sleeping at the Municipal building of a small town that night. I woke up early the next morning and set off alone, continuing to follow the Inca Trail as I ascended up towards another pass. The morning was beautiful- the cool air, morning dew on the plants, watching the sun rise over the hills, seeing some kids walking to school and adults heading to their fields for the day- all while ascending toward the pass. I crossed one pass and made it slightly down then back up steeply to higher pass before stopping for lunch. The breeze blew clouds over the pass as I sat eating lunch, feeling accomplished and hoping for good weather to allow Fidgit to get over the pass later that day.


After lunch, I began my descent. Down I went along a wide Inca route, past multiple farmhouses and fields, through a couple small towns with kind old women sitting outside to give me directions or encourage me along, through some interesting Inca ruins, and to a dirt road. I ended up at the bottom of the descent in the late afternoon, and decided to walk the last few kilometers into the town of Huarituna. Fidgit and I had agreed to meet in Huarituna at a hostel I had found on google. I was so tired when I got there that I didn't have much energy to feign interest in the hostel owner's idle chit-chat. I did my best, and then scurried into my room at the first opportunity.

I slept late the next morning, figuring Fidgit wouldn't arrive until late morning at the earliest. She walked in around 11AM and informed me she'd like to continue walking alone to have time and space to think. We were able to have lunch together before departing separately- her with her full pack, me with only a day pack- my plan was to slack pack down the Maranon River. We were walking down to the river because we would be rafting it in June and wanted to connect our foot/boat prints as much as possible.

I walked about half way to Rio Maranon following a dirt road along Rio Putchka and its valley before hitch-hiking my way back to Huarituna for the night. The truck that picked me up was full of kind and informative people, talking with me a bit and then talking amongst themselves for the majority of the drive. I ate some dinner and curled up in bed for the night. I had forgotten how tiring walking in heat can be and slept soundly that night.

Waking up early, I went out to get a ride back to where I had left off. Unfortunately there wasn't much traffic so it took me two and a half hours and three vehicles to get there. Thankfully the valley sides were steep enough to keep the road shaded until late morning and it was mostly downhill to the river. Multiple cars, trucks, and buses passed me once I was walking, so I had a good feeling I'd be able to get back to Huarituna. Along the narrower sections of road I was relieved to not be passed by a vehicle, though got nervous as I approached Rio Maranon. The wind picked up as Rio Putchka's canyon met Rio Maranon's and I nearly lost my hat a couple of times. It was so cool to see something we had been talking about for so long that I pushed against the headwind with more vigor than I knew I had. Crossing the bridge and heading towards where the put-in was marked on the GPS, I heard the distinct sound of a motor- a bus coming from the opposite direction was trundling along the road ahead. I was now racing the bus to see how close I could get to the put-in before I caught that bus. Near running along the roadside, I made it within a kilometer before flagging down the bus and hopping on, ready to make my way back to Huarituna.

The bus made its way along the narrow dirt road, coming so close to getting me home in a timely manner. It then decided to stop and wait for an hour or more at the small town before Huraituna. I attempted to get a car, but the drivers were unwilling to go such a small distance. I was so exasperated that I decided to walk the few kilometers. Just as I walked out of town, I was able to flag down a passing vehicle and they took me the few kilometers to Huarituna. I was then able to pack up my bag and await Fidgit's arrival so we could head to Huaraz together. I sat outside so she could easily see me, and the hostel owner even gave me a chair then proceeded to ask many questions from the front passenger's seat of his parked car while his adult daughter took a bunch of photos of me sitting in front of the hostel. It got later and later and still no Fidgit. I had seen her along the road, so I figured she wasn't able to catch a ride back that night. Around 10PM, I settled in for another night at the hostel.

The next morning, I set a time limit to wait and then my plan was to head into Huaraz where I would have phone service and wait for Fidgit there. Thankfully Fidgit showed up, and we got to wait for the vehicle to Huaraz together. We were able to talk out some of our frustrations and concerns as we waited, which assuaged some of my concerns. We then caught a ride into Huaraz and spent the next couple hours trying to not get carsick.

Arriving in Huaraz having successfully abstained from vomiting, we were able to fill our growling stomachs and find a place to stay. Over the next couple of days, we rested, ate, worked, and planned our journey north. We had arrived at Rio Maranon a month earlier than our planned raft trip was scheduled to begin, so we planned to go up to northern Peru, where the raft trip would end, and continue north into Ecuador. Bus tickets were bought, routes were checked over and then we made our way north for a month(ish).

Oyon to Huallanca, Including a Section of the Huayhuash Circuit

From the city of Cerro de Pasco, Fidgit and I rode a bus west to the small town of Oyon. We bounced and wound along the dirt road road for hours, including some hairpin turns that the bus had to back up a bit to get around successfully. We were very grateful to get to Oyon and rest for an evening before walking into the mountains.

Leaving Oyon, we walked up a dirt road that meandered along the valley floor. We followed the road as it narrowed and then ascended into a higher valley, walking below and then alongside a dammed lake. As Fidgit and I ascended into the mountains over a few days, the weather seemed to enjoy playing games with us. The clouds blew over quickly, spritzing rain at us before the sun would come out long enough to fool us into thinking it would stay before ducking back behind the clouds. 'Rain gear on, rain gear off, over the pass, oh now it's snowing' became our daily routine of sorts as we made our way to the well-trod track of the Huayhuash (pronounced why-wash) circuit.

Where we intercepted the tourist circuit happened to also be a hot springs. As we descended towards the hot springs/campsite, we had an aerial view of the multiple giant tents that two groups were already setting up. The number of of people in the middle of this wilderness was overwhelming for Fidgit and me - we've gotten spoiled being the only travelers most of the places we've been through since Cusco. We tried our best to be cordial, though being charged money to camp and one of the guides coming over as we were setting up our tents and openly staring from three feet away did not help. We did enjoy the hot springs and were eventually able to settle in for the night.

Waking up early to the sound of the guides and trekkers packing up and heading off encouraged us to get moving- it was the edge of the rainy season and the weather patterns get less predictable later in the day. Fidgit and I left camp soon after the last pack burro was loaded and led off by a guide who cursed it up the trail.

We made our way along the slippery mud of the well-rutted trail and ascended most of the morning to our first pass. Making it over the pass, we then began our descent, running into another un-guided duo that were excited to see us and shared information on what was coming up. The couple told us that all the camp areas charged fees and how much, as well as the terrain to expect coming up. Fidgit and I shared what little we knew and headed our respective ways. Walking on, we decided to pass through the next camp area to avoid paying- we didn't have much money and didn't think they would charge us for walking through. As we walked through the next camp area, however, a local man came up and tried to charge us. For walking through the camp area. He couldn't tell us what the money was used for, other than "It's for the community", and also wasn't able to tell us why we should pay to walk through other than "everyone else pays". We (mostly Fidgit, with me standing there looking sad) talked our way out of paying to walk through and continued along the route.

As we ascended to another 14,000+ foot pass, we had most of the valley to ourselves. We went up and the valley turned into more of a marshland reminiscent of the turba bogs we slogged through in Patagonia. We made it through the bog/river/trail to the pass in time for the sleet to come in, so the steep descent was....interesting, to say the least. We made it part way to the valley floor, found a flat spot and set up camp. Everything I had on was wet so I stripped down and curled up in my sleeping bag to try and warm up before dinner. The precipitation had stopped and Fidgit said, "Whoa!"- the clouds had cleared, giving us an awesome view of the valley we would descend into as well as the glacier-draped mountains towering around us.

After dinner and a restless night of sleep, we packed up and descended into the damp valley. The morning was astoundingly beautiful and I understood why so many people had been drawn to this area. This included the Shining Path Rebels that had formerly robbed trekkers in this area until the Peruvian government had recognized its tourist potential and cracked down on the group's stronghold.

Fidgit and I made our way down along the valley floor, following a well-worn footpath and passing ways with a couple more guided groups to a kilometer-long lake. The trail went along three sides of the lake, so we decided to walk through a shallow marshland to avoid going out of our way before beginning the ascent to another pass. After our shortcut, we were able to meet back up with the trail, which was terribly rutted out from pack stock traveling through the mud so regularly as well as the lack of trail maintenance. We slip-slid our way up to the pass and descended (once again) as the clouds rolled in and spritzed us enough to dampen our clothes.

Fidgit and I at this point were cold and tired of the elevation/terrain as well as being asked for money at every 'campground'. As I mentioned, we've gotten used to being the only non-locals in the area, and the constant expectation of money for seemingly doing nothing from the locals was reminiscent of negative experiences we'd had in the past. We had seen that we could potentially get off the circuit before originally planned, so after we walked past another campground (where a local again requested money for passing through), we crossed a small stream and walked along a dirt road to get out of the area. We met a few locals along our new route- none of them requested anything of us and they all wished us a good trip as we passed. We felt reinforced in our decision to divert from the Huayhuash circuit even though it meant leaving the beauty of the mountains earlier than planned.

The rain continued on and off as Fidgit and I descended the rest of the way into the town of Huallanca. The dirt road disappeared into a field and we followed faint animal trails to another dirt road that then took us the rest of the way into town over the course of three days. After being cold and wet most of a week, it was relieving to take a warm shower and curl up in a dry bed for the night.