The next morning, kicked out of our hospedaje at a chilly 6:30am when the owner had to go to work (something she neglected to tell us about the night before until after we had checked in), we descended the rest of the way to Andahuaylas…
…where we took up residency in the Plaza de Armas, drank (half-decent) coffee and had some breakfast.
Since Ayacucho, we had been following the PE-3S (one of the main routes heading Southeast, albeit with remarkably little traffic) so, after a short climb out of the city, we decided to take an alternative, scenic route past Laguna Pacucha which, whilst a dirt road, involved less climbing for once!
On the way out of town, we met an absolutely inspirational one-legged cyclist (whose name I forget) on his road bike and chatted a little. The thought of tackling these mountains with only one leg is quite staggering… (excuse the distant, grainy photo and the entirely unintentional pun!)
After passing the lake, we had a short climb up to see some Incan ruins at Sondor. With the sun low in the sky, we decided that it would make a pretty special campsite once the locals left! It’s not every day that you get to camp on Incan ruins at 3250m…
Somewhat low on water, the last locals to leave were kind enough to ply us with beer, Coca-Cola and Inka cola! I was particularly fond of their mototaxi, decorated with masked gunmen and dolphins!
Night soon descended on our campsite…
We awoke to find that the cloud had enveloped us…
And fairly soon the rain came too…
With little sign of the skies clearing to dry our damp tents, and hastened by the arrival of two bus loads of schoolchildren, we promptly packed up and slipped out the ‘rear exit’ of the site. The clouds actually looked pretty spectacular down the valley, but it was another reminder that the seasons are on the cusp of changing…
After a descent into the valley below, I pushed on up the next climb alone. Tina hadn’t had a chance to rest up after her food poisoning and was feeling understandably weak as a result, so she and Thomas decided to try and find a suitable spot to chill out. The cloud finally having burnt off, it was quite a hot climb, with the usual array of disappointing views… 😉
Amazing!!! It looks like incredible scenery and an experience that only being on a bike could make even more unforgettable. Take care, Abby xx
Thanks Abby – yep, numerous Peruvians have asked me why I’m not using a motorbike! It’s actually tricky to answer that one! But there’s nothing like cycling for random encounters and to really ‘see’ the country…
I love the beer can stove – great to see a simple lightweight cheap solution, and an impeccable design. X
Yeah, it’s very satisfying! I’ve already given one to someone else. Was contemplating getting rid of my main stove and going super lightweight but apparently pure Alcohol can be a bit tricky to come by in some places so I’ll prob hang onto it! Cxxx
Really fantastic blog and great writing Campbell. Well done and great to see you with that big grin on your face too. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Thanks dude!
Just speechless with admiration at the sheer physical achievement of those rollercoaster rides, more great pics ( including Thomas’s – how very generous of him), and the ingenuity of that beer can stove (can’t stop smiling at that one!).
Thanks! Cxxx
Nice post Campbell. I’m in Huancavelica now. How many days cycling did it take you from here to Cusco?
Hey, I took the direct route on tarmac and it was 11 days. Could prob do it in 9 or 10 if in a hurry! First day out of Huancavelica wasn’t great with roadworks but the rest was all smooth sailing…
Thanks Campbell!
If you want my routes, feel free to follow me on Strava…
Thanks Campbell, will check them out. From the looks of it 11 days to Cusco sounds like a pretty reasonably speed looking at all the climbing. How many days did you take from Rio Blanco to Huancavelica? (Just to know roughly how fast you’re going).
(Feel free to email me directly if you prefer.)
I think I took 10, as I was taking it fairly easy and wasn’t acclimatised to begin with…
I’d say 10 is pretty reasonable with 43+kg and needing to acclimatise. Can’t imagine how biciclown did it with 60kg, must have been a tough!!
Hi Campbell, it was a real pleasure to meet you at the inofficial Casa de cyclista in Cusco and enjoy together great vegan food and all the talks, discussions and funny remarks! Best wishes and hope to see you again latest on the laguna route, Antonia
Hey,
Absolutely! I’m sure we’ll bump into each other sooner or later!
Safe travels…
Epic as always dude!! Love that black n white shot of you! Proper Adventurer!
Haha, thanks!
Oh yes totally agree on hat black and white pic of you, super rugged! Love the random classroom camping and all of your other tales, carry on the adventures for us XXx
Thanks Lorraine!