Huaraz

Huaraz is nestled high up in the Cordilleras, and is one of the top destinations for trekking. Sadly, during this time of year there is too much rainfall and snow to do any multi-day hikes, and the visibility isn´t the best due to fog and cloud cover. On the plus side, you can hike all day without running into a single person.

Shot of the town I stayed at a lodge right next to the mountains, which was perfect for day hikes. I´m just about a mile or two up the hill from the lodge in this photo.

A very very simple bridge A great little hut
The first day, I went for a fairly simple hike. The next day, I tackled something a little more challenging. I didn´t have a map, just some directions written down on a page, and needless to say I got a bit lost. I ended climbing up the wrong valley, and then went too far into the mountains until I was stomping around in the snow.

After hiking down for an hour I finally found my goal - this lake
Check out the ladder in this photo - this section was wet and a real pain in the ass to climb down.