On our way north!
May 5, 2024
On our way north! It feels great. We're again reminded that nothing beats cycling when it comes to connecting with a country and its people. While making our way to one of Peru's most famous mountain ranges, we are greeted by street workers, people working in the fields, children going to school, shop owners, honking cars. A quick "que país?", "a dónde se van?", makes for a fun exchange which sometimes grows into a more elaborate chat, as someone with a bit more curiosity pulls us to the side of the road. It is this level of exposure that makes cycling through these rural areas so special. But it's hard work again too. After weeks of cycling below 2000 masl in Patagonia, we tackled our first big climb again, rising to a 4700 m pass amidst some of the highest peaks in SA.
The day started cloudy. We hoped for clear skies in the afternoon. But we were not getting this climb easy. As the day progressed, so did the clouds. First rains hit hard. Fortunately, we are close to a resting area where we find shelter and a group of Peruvians cooking, and offering us hot water to warm up. We enjoy their company while we sip on our hot coffee, until we see some blue in the sky. A sucker hole? Who knows. We go for it. But it didn't take long before we realized we were fooled. We get rained on every 10 minutes. The road gets muddier and muddier. And with the cold and shortness of breath the altitude brings, we find ourselves struggling again, like we did so many times before in these high mountains. But the legs and lungs have not forgotten. As if slowly transforming during the climb, we go faster and faster. We even finish the climb an hour faster than anticipated. For a second the sky rips open, revealing Mount Huascaran. At almost 6800m the highest peak in Peru. What a sight. Before passing to the other side, we take a break to soak up the environment and admire the snake way we took to get here. And although the dense blanket of clouds makes it impossible to see anything above, the depth from which we climbed made it breathtaking nonetheless. So rewarding. This is why we came back.
