The city of Huaraz didn’t strike us as a gem, but its location at the foot of the Huascarán Mountains, its lively atmosphere, and a delicious Indian lunch were a delight.

Still, we don’t have the fondest memories of the place. Just as we were ready to leave, David was once again struck by a burst of nausea, which forced us to spend an extra day at the cyclists’ hostel, Tambo. Feeling helpless and sad, we holed up in our room. We didn’t feel like listening to the other guests’ cheerful stories and optimistic plans while David’s stomach was throwing our plans into question. It wasn’t the best day of our trip…

The next morning, David felt well enough to take the minibus back to Catac and pick up our bikes and luggage at the police station. The policewoman, who had kindly stored our belongings in her bedroom, was so delighted with the Toblerone bars we’d brought her as a thank-you gift that her laughter lifted our spirits. With our confidence restored, we packed up our bikes, and David installed his newly spoked front wheel, which spun perfectly smooth. That had to be a good omen! After a meatless chicken soup, we set off at a leisurely pace.

We pedaled effortlessly for the first few kilometers on a good paved road before turning onto an equally good gravel road heading toward Huascarán National Park. The first thing that caught our eye were the giant Puya Raimondi plants that grow here. They were one of the reasons we’d chosen this route. The detour to the Pastoruri Glacier (or what’s left of it) and the mirror-smooth mountain lake at its base also proved well worth the trip. Luckily, we’d arrived before the many tour buses and were able to enjoy the mountain scenery in peace. At 5’000 meters above sea level, even the slightest exertion felt quite strenuous. The local magic potion, tea made from coca leaves, felt really good and gave us the strength we needed to continue our ride along the gravel road, which was getting rougher.

Shortly after crossing an unnamed pass at 4’860 meters, we reached a good paved road again and sped down it quickly into the village of La Unión, only to climb right back up the next gravel road from there. Because of the altitude, the climbs, and the bumpy surface, we made slow progress. This didn’t bother us, though, because the views of the mountains and lakes were fantastic, and the people in the small villages were very warm, friendly, and curious. The higher we climbed, the more the Minera Raura dominated (and disfigured) the landscape. Due to the heavy mining traffic, the first curves of the descent were covered with a layer of the finest sand dust several centimeters thick. So, definitely no place to get off your bike or fall!

Between Catac and Oyón, we’d covered 300 kilometers with 5’500 meters of elevation gain in five days, mostly on unpaved roads. David was feeling better by then, but he was still plagued by morning nausea, so choosing a slightly easier route couldn’t hurt. Starting in Oyón, we took what was supposedly the easiest and most direct route to Cerro de Pasco. But “easy” is relative in Peru😉. We weren’t surprised that the road surface alternated between a bumpy dirt track and indestructible, smooth concrete. But when, after the steep final climb through a dusty mining area at over 4’700 meters, it started to snow and thunder, things got uncomfortable. Above all, the lightning and thunder, which came less than a second apart, had us worried! Luckily, after a short descent, we arrived at a small hamlet with a restaurant. The miners laughed when they saw us “snow people” rolling in, and we were happy to have a warm lunch. The only thing warm, however, was the food, since nothing here is heated or insulated. It was just as cold inside as it was outside, though the restaurant offered shelter from the wind and snow.

Once we’d refueled with food and warmed up with coffee, the weather outside had improved again, so there was no reason not to continue our journey. Right on schedule at the next mountain pass, the snowstorm caught up with us again, this time fortunately without a thunderstorm. We quickly bundled up and set off on the descent. Our destination was a small village where we hoped to find a sheltered spot to spend the night. When we asked at a restaurant there about a dry place to pitch our tent, the owner told us that she rents out rooms. We gladly accepted her offer and set up our tent in an empty room for the equivalent of 2.50 CHF.

It rained so heavily that night and the next morning that we decided to take a day off. With a chilly 6°C, it was really only cozy inside the sleeping bag, but at least we had a dry shelter. After another rainy night, the unpaved road was still pretty wet the next morning. We were optimistic, however, that it would dry out soon, and we set off in high spirits. But as we began the climb, it started snowing again, and the trail got really rough. We had to clean our chains every few hundred meters just to be able to pedal at all. The ice slush was jamming the chain links, so David used rubber bands and zip ties to build a construct with his numb fingers to relieve the strain on our two chain tensioners and somehow keep them functioning. Ever since my broken chain tensioner in Australia, he knows how to do that😉.

At least we made it to the next gas station, 30 kilometers away, before noon. There, we spent two hours cleaning our bikes and bags and getting them roadworthy again. After the hard work came the fun, and in the nearby mining town of Cerro de Pasco, we first treated ourselves to a look down into the deep mine shaft and then to a relaxing coffee with pastries. We hadn’t actually planned to stay at a hotel here, but the late hour made it necessary. Admittedly, it wasn’t a bad idea to take a warm shower again after eight days. But with the room temperature at 6°C, it took quite a bit of effort to bring ourselves to do so🥶.

From Cerro de Pasco, we headed to the Bosque de Piedras near Canchacucho, a rocky landscape that looks like a forest from a distance. We continued cycling along the quiet western shore of Lago Chiuchaycacha toward Junín, where we turned onto the main road.
For two days, we rode smoothly downhill on this well-paved road and with a tailwind toward the city of Huancayo. Perhaps there were more scenic routes, but the smooth progress was really fun. And around Huancayo, there were plenty of handicrafts to admire. Delicate silver jewelry, alpaca rug weavers, a hat workshop, and pyrographed gourds impressed us increasingly in that order, and even though we didn’t intend to buy anything, our bike bags filled up with beautiful souvenirs😊.

Entering Huancayo during evening rush hour required nerves of steel: cars, taxis, and minibuses stopped right in the middle of the street, their drivers honking and shouting out place names at the top of their lungs to pick up more passengers. Add to that police whistles, dogs chasing us, broken traffic lights, deep potholes, and treacherous speed bumps. And to top it all off, the narrow, six-story stairwell of our lodging was waiting for us. Phew, we sure earned ourselves a pizza😊! Luckily, the effort wasn’t just for one night, because we were able to leave our bikes and bags in Huancayo for a while as we took a short trip.

I’d learned from my parents that my kindergarten friend Agnes had been living in Lima for many years and teaches at the Swiss International School there. Since there are comfortable overnight buses running between Huancayo and Lima, we decided on impulse to visit Agnes from here. For an unbeatable 7.25 CHF per person, we took the overnight bus to Lima, where Agnes and Gustavo gave us a very warm welcome in their beautiful home. I was thrilled to see her again after 25 years, and David and I both thoroughly enjoyed our short stay in such wonderful company. With plenty to talk about, delicious food, good coffee, and some sightseeing in the Peruvian capital, the two days flew by, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye again. Thank you so much, Agnes and Gustavo, for your hospitality and the wonderful time!!

On Monday evening, we plunged into the rush-hour crowds of Lima’s express bus system. We can’t explain how we managed to catch the direct express line to the bus station. There were no signs; we just hopped on the first bus and, before we knew it, we were on the other side of town. Everything went like clockwork, and we once again managed to get cheap tickets for the night bus that took us back to Huancayo. We’ll stay here for two more nights in our comfortable lodging so we can start the next leg of our journey well-rested…