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THE HUARAZ TELEGRAPHMade in Huaraz AUGUST 2013 FREE/GRATIS!

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The Huaraz Telegraph conducted an interview with the director of the Inkafest festival

First conqueror of Rondoy wants his record

to be acknowledged

page 18

Continuation of our expat interviews

Expat in Huaraz

page 8During public holidays, budgets were squeezed

Thinking of doing some volunteer work in Huanchaco or Trujillo?

Bus fares increase up to 200%

page 16

Special offer for our readers:Buy 2 drinks & pay only 1!

See page 7 for our special offer

page 3

The Welshman was also the first to warn Yungay and Huaraz about possible dangers back in 1964

All the volunteering options in Huanchaco

Was the event the success the organisers hoped for?

page 4

AntacochaFest 2013 review

page 12

A reader´s funny contribution about a vicuñas count

Counting vicuñas

page 12

2 The Huaraz TelegraphAUGUST 2013

VISIT: WWW.THEHUARAZTELEGRAPH.COM

The EditorialHad you heard of Huaraz, or did you get here by coincidence?

As faithful readers might know, the August edition is the second to last edition of this year. Though the high season has not come to end yet and it might be premature to rash forward

to conclusions, Huaraz is getting fewer visitors every year. Though figures can be manipulated and are often just made up in Peru, Alejandro Solis Neyra (The Dean of the College of Graduates in Tourism in Ancash) listened worriedly to Peru´s President Ollanta

Humala´s Speech for the Nation on the 28th of July.

Ollanta said that on a yearly basis, 2,800,000 foreigners visit Peru and thus are an important source of income for many. On an internal level, 35,000,000 Peruvians travel during public holidays like Semana Santa (Easter), Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day) or special occa-sions to see family such as during Christmas. According to statistics (source not mentioned by Solis), 42,137 tourists visit Áncash. Readers should know that Chimbote, Huarmey and Casma are also part of Áncash so these figures are not only referring to Huaraz. Sadly, this means that only 1.5% of the foreign tourists visit Áncash. A shocking two out of every 100 tourists visit the Highest Cordillera of Peru. In terms of national tourism, 162,020 Peruvians

visited the region of Áncash, which represent only 0.45%. Less than half a percent!

All of these figures are shocking for most involved in tourism but not for your editor. In almost seven years living in Huaraz, I still have to come across the first advertisement on national television to promote Huaraz. Of course, we could blame DIRCETUR (Regional Direction of Foreign Trade and Tourism) but I guess they are too busy with other things like visiting useless parades, vegetable fairs and so on. After all, the touts at the Cruz del Sur bus station are still there. Tourists are still being attacked when they come off their bus and are overloaded with flyers of agencies that are worried that tourist go to their rivals. For the record, Cruz del Sur is not the only bus station where the captadores (touts) are active, I have seen them also at Linea, Oltursa, Z-Buss and Movil Tours. If I only had my own bus company… Like most intelligent business entrepreneurs do, let´s just blame the Huaraz

Telegraph, that´s easy because we always focus on the negative side of life!

Initiative should of course not come from DIRCETUR but from local businesses. Instead of fighting, blackmailing or denigrate each other, they should work together. Unfortunately, this is exactly one of the many shortcomings of the Huaracinos. And this might explain why people prefer to go to Cusco, Arequipa, Puno, Iquitos or even Tacna and let´s be honest,

the reputation of a three-star sewage-treatment facility is even better.

As far as the Huaraz Telegraph is concerned, we hope that despite the fact that infrastruc-ture, roads, hostels and especially agencies are mostly far below par, you should still be able to enjoy all the beauty the surroundings Huaraz has to offer. For those who are wonder-ing how I ended up in Huaraz? I had eight days left over on a world trip in 2005 while being

in Bolivia and some guide book with a blue cover mentioned it. The rest is history.

Rex Broekman

Founder and editor of the Huaraz Telegraph

The Huaraz Telegraph freely available!Apart from i-Perú, cafés and many restaurants, the Huaraz Telegraph is also available for free at the following hostels and hotels in Huaraz. The Huaraz Telegraph does not

recommend any hostel in particular as we are completely neutral.

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The Telegraph® is a registered Trademark at INDECOPI. All current and previous articles are owned and claimed by The Huaraz Telegraph and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from The Telegraph®. General Copyright on all Contents, Composition & Design by The Huaraz Telegraph, Huaraz, Perú - © 2012 – 2013. Hecho el deposito legal: ……

3The Huaraz TelegraphAUGUST 2013


Local News

Every year since 2006, Huaraz is one of the cities to host the annual Inkafest Mountain Film Festival. This year´s event will be held for the second consecutive year in the Cultural Centre which can be found on the corner of Mariscal Toribio de Luzuriaga (main street) and 28 de Julio. The festival invited people to come and see mountain-themed movies but also calls into action and attention for climate changes with some guest speakers present. The event kicks off on the 26th of August and will last for six days. The Huaraz Telegraph interviewed the director of the event a short while ago and we asked him if he could share his thoughts with our readers.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at the Inkafest Mountain Film Festival...

Well, friends and readers of the Huaraz Telegraph, my name is Iván Canturin Cuntti and I am the director of the film festival. I coordinate and develop the festival in Peru. Furthermore, I am also responsible for the presentations given in the country before the festival and work on public relations and uphold the contacts with movie directors, athletes and other festivals related to movies and mountains. I am also in constant contact with alliances from abroad to get the festival an even bigger international broadcast.

Could you describe the progress and development the festival has made throughout the years?

The festival found its origin in 2004 with the presentation of two mountain films shown at the Circulo Sportivo Italiano in Lima where we were invited by Cesar Morales Arnao and Giancarlo Sardini. My partner and I were running a sort of website with articles you would read in a magazine. We covered the event of 2004 and there came up the idea to organise a film festival with mountain related movies. At the end of 2004, we gave the festival form and during four or five months we worked out the steps to take to make it a success. Credits are due to Martin Ondreas – from Slovakia

and who is the director of the festival Ski in his own country – who helped us coordinate the first event. The first year we held our festival was in 2005, again in Lima with help of PROMPERU (Bureau of Tourism) and we worked with a budget of only 1,000 U$D. Back then it was a madhouse because we really struggled to find sponsors as people and businesses were unfamiliar with the combination of cinema and mountains. The first year we held the festival in Huaraz [2006], we managed to organise the event while being backed by Beto Sotelo of Montrek, Ibett Penagos of Las Retamas, Luzmila de la Puente of Piccolo, Hotel La Joya, Galaxia Expeditions, La casa de Zarela, Monte Rosa Pub, El Tambo and Pucca´s. The judges of the event were José Ríos, Jim Bartle and Richard Hidalgo and until today we organise the event every year in August.

What will be the changes between this year´s festival and last year´s?

Well, every year the festival is different as we try to learn from our mistakes and improve the activities around the festival, as well as the films, people invited and making the festival not just a Peruvian festival but a Latin-American one. This year it will be divided into two big blocks: the first part shall include the usual themes (mountains, adventure

and rock climbing) whereas the second part will focus on climate change and the receding glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca and around the world. The festival will kick off on the 26th of Augusts with a great concert given by Tito la Rosa. Furthermore, we are organising an Inkafest expedition towards Vallunaraju guided by Augusto Ortega. There will be exhibitions and presentations by Silvia Vidal (indoor wall climber), and Melissa Soriana (whose father will be in charge of a second expedition towards Huascarán) should give an interesting conference, being a member of the NASA-USA team. This will be the first conference given in Áncash about a journey to Mars. Other participants present at the festival will include young climbers from Huaraz, Beto Pinto and Victor Hugo Rímac, and of course other national and international guests.

How many participants and productions visitors of the festival can we expect?

This year the festival will have more than 80 productions from five different continents, of which we have selected the best according to the themes of the festival for this year. The selected films will be evaluated and judged by a special jury. The films had to be sent to our commitee before the 30th of June. This year we will have two sections in the awards ceremony: the first will be the open international section, and the second, the Peruvian short movie section where the films may not extend over five minutes, in order to give people more options to shoot their adventures in the Peruvian mountains. Participants had to send their short films before the 31st of July.

Could you explain the international characters the Inkafest is looking for?

The Inkafest is an international film festival and everyone can participate, whether you´re a director, producer or mountaineer. From the very first edition we have worked with an international jury who has awarded the participants according to their professional and

international opinion. During the 2012 edition of the festival, Kurt Diembeger (a very famous Austrian mountaineer) baptised the Inkafest as the highest mountain film festival of the world and every year we gain more recognition of other parts of Latin America. This will always lead to more tourism. This year the Inkafest Mountain Film Festival will be more international than ever, as we will be shown in Bolivia and Cuba; and next year, in 2014, in Costa Rica too.

Which will be the better films to be shown during the 2013 version of the festival?

This year almost 80% of the film productions will be Latin American in the categories of mountaineering, rock climbing, adventure and climate change, with the presence of some of its directors presenting their films. We will have a world premiere in Adventure and many other movies shot in Peru such as the Cordillera Huayhuash, Bouldering in the Santa Cruz Area and The First Water Conflicts in the Higher Areas of Hualcan. There will also be a documentary about the future problems we will face within 20 years with commentaries of Al Gore, Lonnie Thompson and other relevant speakers from this region. Finally, the super production Chasing Ice – shown earlier at the Sundance Film Festival where it won an excellence in Cinematography Award – demonstrates the irrefutable evidence of climate change in the world.

What do you think of Huaraz?

Huaraz is a city surrounded by beautiful mountains and the first time I visited Huaraz was back in 1994 although I just stayed for one day. The following visits I tried to stay as much time as possible in the mountains because that´s what Huaraz is about. Nowadays, I stay most of the time in the city itself due to the organisation of the festival. The city lost its style after the earthquake in 1970 and became a mixture of houses, buildings, and glass without any urbanism order. In 2008 we invited the mayor to the Spanish Cultural Centre with the idea of exchanging ideas between both institutions. One of the things the director of the Spanish Cultural Centre said to the mayor of Huaraz was to send local architects and engineers to Lima for a training course of six months so they could apply their knowledge for the good of the city of Huaraz. No one has seen any architect from Huaraz in Lima to this day…

Is there something else you would like to add or mention to the readers?

Well, I would like to invite the readers to visit on the night the Inkafest Mountain Film Festival in Huaraz held at the Centro Cultural on the main street from the 26th of August, and say welcome to the world of mountains! Thank you.

People can find more information about the festival on www.inkafest.com and if people would like to contact Iván they can either write to him ([email protected]), or call him on 997-706-942.

The Inkafest Mountain Film Festival starts on the 26th of August

A screenshot from one of the films shown at the ninth edition of Inkafest

The Huaraz Telegraph



Local News

Welshman (77) visits Rondoy 50 years after deadly accident on the Oggioni glaciar

Exactly 50 years after the tragic accident on the Rondoy Mountain where Peter Bebbington (25) and Graham Sadler (24) lost their lives, Charles T. Powell from Wales went back into the Cordillera Huayhuash with his wife, this time. Powell hadn’t been back to scene of the disaster since he left Peru and mentioned in the interview that there was something else he would like to set straight. Powell states that he and his team were the first to conquer the South summit of Rondoy, setting a record that was never acknowledged. Last but not least, Powell and a friend warned the authorities in Huaraz about the possible danger of a giant split on the Huascarán, six years before the deadly disaster of 1970, which was caused initially by an earthquake but was made worse by a landslide formed with parts of the rocks and snow of that same part of the mountain where Powell had warned for.

In 1963, a party of mountain climbers – made mostly of friends from the London School of Economics – gathered together and started to plan a trip to the Peruvian Andes to climb the back then, never mounted Rondoy South. Disaster struck on the way back as they descended the Rondoy while fog swept in. Bebbington and Sadler were ahead of the others as the group had split up. Two of the other group members found an ice pick, unaware that their climbing partners had fallen more than 1,000 metres to their death below them. It wasn’t until the third party reached the first camp that they realised Bebbington and Sadler were missing. It took the climbers four days of intensive search before they finally found their bodies in a deep crevasse on the Oggioni glacier. Bebbington was a trainee teacher at Eltham and had led a similar expedition to Peru two years earlier; Sadler was a geology lecturer of Edgbaston Technical College and was making his first trip to Peru. The Huaraz Telegraph met with Charles T. Powell in Huaraz and asked him to share his memories before he would visit the Cordillera Huayhuash for the second time in his life.

Could you give us a brief description of what happened 50 years ago?

Well, first of all I brought you a couple of newspaper clippings of El Comercio and the Peruvian Times so you can copy from that if you would like. It all happened in 1963 as I was here on an expedition with the objective to climb Rondoy South, which hadn’t been conquered yet. I first would like to mention something that you might find rather interesting. After the expedition, I didn’t go back to the UK, I decided to stay in Peru and started to write articles for the Peruvian Times. I am not sure whether it still exists but it used to be an English newspaper. [The

paper still exists although they operate as an online news source]. In 1964 a friend of mine came over from Britain and we climbed mountains such as Pisco and Huascarán. When we came down from Huascarán, we had a meeting with a journalist in Yungay because we had seen from up there that there was a big crevasse opening up right on the top of Huascarán. It was very, very big and the journalist made this into a story that was published. Later on, some guides went up there to verify our alarming discovery and said everything was all right. But we all know what happened. [In 1970, six years after the ´false alarm´, Yungay suffered the worst ever catastrophe and more than 18,000 people got killed or missing]. I also spoke to the son of César Morales who was the Minister of Culture at the time. His uncle went up two years later on Huascarán as well, and came

Did you visit Yungay this time?

No, we did not. We went to hike to Laguna 69 and on the way we drove through Yungay but we didn’t stop there. It has been rebuilt. What I have understood is that bodies are still underneath the rubble. In those days when I went up to the first Llanganuco Lake by transportation, the road stopped there so we had to walk to the lake. Most people up there are locals. There was no road further up, nothing.

So why did you come back?

I wanted to show my wife were I climbed Rondoy. Looking back now, I have gained much more mountain-climbing experience throughout the years; it was a very dangerous climb, it really was. The expedition we did in 1963 involved much

luckily we found a colectivo [minibus] to Chiquian where we had to wait for our equipment to arrive. Our group of eight in the meantime tried to arrange donkeys and donkey drivers. We had food and equipment for two and a half months, so we used 28 donkeys and horses in the end as we were unsure how long it was going to take. We had to walk from Chiquian as there was no road further towards the mountains which took us two and a half days. In total we were a team of British and two New Zealanders. The New Zealanders came with us because they were really good with ice climbing, where the British were better on rock climbing. The ridge from the North summit to the South summit took us all day to climb; it was a mixture of rock and ice. It was quite technical. It took a long time to find our way on the glacier as the icefall was very fragile. It kept falling back into the valley. We decided to split up the group in separate teams to make it easier to find the best way up the glacier. And then, we had to bring all our gear up. The donkey drivers left as soon as we had reached the first camp as agreed, as their job was just to bring us there. We were then completely on our own. We set up the first camp on the glacier from where there was a big ice wall going straight up, which we had to climb. We did that and dug a little cave just below the North summit, in the snow. It was from there that we made a big push from the North summit, along the ridge towards the South summit, which is slightly higher. We made it but on the way back, disaster struck.

We lost two climbers on the way down. One of them was my best friend. I always used to climb with him. I climbed in the Alps, the Dolomites, in Wales and Scotland but because we had two weaker climbers among us, with less experience, we split up again. At the time I was the fittest and the strongest so I was on the last group of two collecting the crampons as we didn’t leave things behind and brought everything down. As we were coming down, we saw the other parties in front of us, now and then. I remember Bebbington and Sadler climbing up a rock. But the weather turned so bad that I couldn’t even speak to my partner. It was very windy and snowy. I could just see the two of them when the clouds broke and then I didn’t see them anymore. So I got to the point where I had seen them the last time and then I spotted an ice axe 40 metres below so I went to retrieve it. I thought they had just dropped it. I knew they had a spare axe so didn’t think too much of it. I picked it up and took it with me. We then carried on until we reached the cave we dug under the North summit, it was then we realised Bebbington and Sadler hadn’t made it. We were knackered as we had been climbing for two days and nights, so we couldn’t go back straight away. Later, the two New Zealanders went back to the point where I saw them last, but they didn’t see anything. After intense searching, we found the two bodies on a glacier, which meant they had fallen over a 1,000 metres.

Read further on page 6...

back down with the same conclusion, that it in fact was very dangerous and life threatening. No-one ever took any notice and his findings were ignored as well. I don’t remember much of Yungay apart from the fact that I had my haircut there.

equipment, which was brought by the La Reina del Mar boat. I remember we had some problems getting everything through customs because there weren’t used to climbing gear. César Morales, who was from Huaraz, helped us and

The article about the accident in El Comercio was published on Tuesday, August 27th




Advertorial/Publirreportaje

CONNECTIONS AT TRIVIOFrom the makers of SIERRA ANDINA beer

Greeting Telegraph readers!

The 28th of July marked the 192nd anniversary of Peru’s independence from Spanish Rule and this year’s ‘Fiestas Patrias’ once again proved an excuse for many people living in Lima to come visit our charming town. The ‘Fiestas Patrias’ also served as a reminder to reflect back on history and the many changes that have evolved both here in Peru as well as the world around us.

You might be wondering what that has to do with Sierra Andina’s intown tap-room Trivio. Good question. While Trivio by any standards is a young fledgling restaurant with less than 6 months of operation, we try to tie ourselves to some of the old-school things that our forefathers and foremothers might have enjoyed before us. Oh…. You may not know this but Trivio, is the intown taproom for the local craft brewery Sierra Andina. We named the restaurant TRIVIO from the Latin word Trivium which means “the junction of three trails”. It was at these trail junctions that the people would take a moment on their way to the market or to work and catch up on what is going on and chat about the day-to-day stuff in their lives; hence the word ‘trivial’ has come to mean ‘day-to-day topics’. As the name implies, our new restaurant TRIVIO is also a junction of three trails – we hope that you too will stop at Trivio and set your satchel down for a moment and catch up with some of the villagers.

Our three “trails”

The trail or story of our beer that we brew,

The trail or story of the food that we prepare

The story of our own organic coffee that we grow and toast.

village of Santa Rosa. It is not bleached nor processed beyond recognition. We found Senora Julia Santillan in the village of Maya that maintains wonderful organic avocado orchard and we now get to serve her avocados in our salads.

Our shard and much of our lettuce comes from both our ‘Semillas de Vida’ organic farm and the neighboring farm of Senora Guillerma Angeles who is one of the local pioneers for growing organic vegetables. Walking with Guillerma through her farm is a rich experience. Her many years have not diminished her passion for her edible flora - evident by her immaculate beds of vegetables and herbs!

Then of course, the organic coffee, along with it’s complimentary side serving of organic chocolate, comes straight from our farmers in Amazonia – hand-picked and sorted. And our Sierra Andina beer – well, while we can’t say that it is organic but we do take pride in that it really is carefully brewed by hand right here in Huaraz. Even our firewood that we burn in our stove has a story – Mauro, the 79 year old neighbor to our ‘Semillas de Vida’ farm cuts it for us with his ancient axe splits it and dries it for us. We try to get to the source of things because we like knowing who grows it. We like to learn their names, see their farms and shake their hands.

In a year, we hope to be growing much of the green leafy stuff ourselves in our farm fertilized by the organic compost from both Trivio’s kitchen scraps and Sierra Andina’s spent grains from the brewery. We are currently working toward raising our own herd of guinea pigs or ‘Cuys’ which is being heralded as the most ecologically friendly low impact meat then finding creative and delicious ways to serve this classic Andean meat!

We look forward to exploring even more ways to connect with the farmers in the area and to bringing their stories to our patrons but while we do, take a bite of one of our big juicy Andean burgers, close your eyes and you might just taste behind the delicious juiciness, the flavor of hard work, the strain of muscles moving stubborn stones to clear the fields, of Pablo feeding table scraps to his crowd of happy hens, of Mauro swinging his ancient axe and Guillerma lovingly tending her vegetables.

Danaan taking a break from threshing his organic Quinoa

Trivio can be found at Parque del Periodista in Huaraz - or call 943-919-850

So now –let’s look at some of the historical angles celebrated at Trivio. In the by-gone eras, life was far more concentrated around the production of food – with no global access to food, no mega farms or chemical fertilizers, households and villages were far more interlinked and dependent upon each other to provide food and other goods. The village black smith provided tools for the village farmers who sold milk and eggs and vegetables at the village store and provided leather to the village cobbler and so forth…. This provided a rich connection to the goods and services that were used and created a strong sense of ‘village’.

At Trivio, we try to capture that sense of connection to the goods and services that we offer our patrons to create a stronger sense of ‘village’ here. We work hard at serving a menu that is based in locally sourced and organically raised food. This is not easy as in almost all cases; less expensive and more convenient options are readily available at every corner, however, slowly but surely we are finding or growing high quality stuff. All the eggs we use for our quiches, crepes and other egg dishes are laid by free range chickens from a guy called Pablo Tadeo in the village of Vicos.

Our organic Quinoa is grown in the neighboring village Huaripampa by Danaan Oley, harvested by hand and winnowed in the fresh breezes descending off Nevado Santa Cruz! Our organic ice cream is hand made with milk from Joncopampa . The sugar we use is an all-natural sugar called ‘panela’ from organic sugarcane from the

Alright folks, thanks for reading and if you are feeling like swinging a pick or wielding a spade yourself, join us almost every Sunday at our organic the ‘Semillas de Vida Huerta’ where families come and work together to produce good, nutritious and meaningful food. Semillas de Vida is located just a few minutes outside Huaraz and easy to get to. Give me a call for details 943919850.

Meanwhile – it’s time to head over to Trivio and bite into one of those big juicy burgers

- See you there!!!

Ted Alexander

General Manager of Sierra Andina

Brewing Company

[email protected]

Guillerma tending her organic lettuces

the Semillas de vida organic farm



Local News

The worst thing was that we had to leave them there because it was dangerous and very hard to get down. One was actually in the crevasse and the other, while they were still roped together, was on the ice, on the glacier. We tried to put some ropes together and haul them up, which was very difficult. That was it; it was the end of the expedition.

What I would like to see it that people acknowledge that our team was the first one to ascent the Rondoy. I haven’t seen it published anywhere. I see Huascarán or other mountains but never ever have I seen our team members being mentioned in the media or something. I don’t know why it isn’t published, it has been recorded that Bebbington and Sadler got killed but in the mountaineering books I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere.

Now you´re back in Huaraz…

I came back for the second time to Huaraz in 1964 for an expedition, remember? I came to Huaraz just to find a couple of donkeys to help us to get up the glacier of Huascarán. And in those days, there were no guides, no agencies and there was very little infrastructure. People were very reserved back then towards foreigners. Today, I’ve come back for the first time in almost 50 years.

How had you heard of Huaraz and the mountains like Huascarán here in the Andes?

When we prepared the expedition, we were in contact with the Club Andino Peruano for example, which did exist at that time. And the minister of Sport and Culture was a climber himself. There were very few people who practised climbing in those days. When I stayed in Lima after the accident on Rondoy, I found out about Huaraz and obviously that was the place to go to climb Huascarán. Even finding donkeys was very difficult since there weren’t many people coming to Huaraz to climb. Fortunately, I spoke Spanish because I had been living in Lima for over a year and that made it a bit easier. Otherwise…

Is there a reason it took you 50 years to go back to the scene in the Cordillera Huayhuash?

I have been very busy doing other things. It´s actually because of our daughter who is on a gap year! She went to Argentina and Chile, so we decided we would meet her here in Peru and because of that, I had the opportunity to go back to Rondoy. We had been to South America in 1990 but didn’t come to Peru because of the [now-forbidden] Communist Party Sendero Luminoso [Shining Path]. It was very dodgy at the time and it was not recommended to enter Peru. Peru is a very different country now. The ´Indians´ were the ones who were really poor, and the poverty in the hills was really striking. We went to a village here called Honkopampa and the locals look all well dressed and healthy. What is also worth a mention is that some of the culture has changed. You know, in those days people were a bit suspicious. They wouldn’t approach you: they were very reserved and shy. Now they come forward and want to talk to you. In 1963 in Chiquian, the people were friendly but I believe because we were a group. So they came and ask what we were there for.

to the site where the two Americans were staying. There was no special train and there was no Inca Trail, that didn’t exist. That has been developed for the tourist business. You took the train towards Aguas Calientes and you went up. Lima is changed as well, apart from the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martín, which are still the same but there rest is unrecognisable. It has changed a lot.

How long are you here for, what have you seen so far and what are your expectations of going back to Rondoy?

We arrived about a week ago and we needed some time to acclimatise. We went to Wilcahuain and the next day we went to Wilcacocha. We have been to the Pastoruri glacier and did the hike to Lake 69. Now tomorrow we will go to Chavín de Huantar and then we will visit the Cordillera Huayhuash, we will go to Chiquian. I don’t know what to expect. The fact that you have to pay for camping right now and can only camp at certain places, that disturbs me a bit. Of course when we were there, we could go anywhere we wanted and shared the place with viscachas [lagostomus maximus, a rodent similar to the chinchilla]. I don’t know what to expect. It´s going to be strange, for sure. I will probably feel a bit sad. It´s good to see so many people going to that area but if I look back, we didn’t even have a proper map back then. Our map was developed

by the Austrian Alpenverein and it was made in 1938, 25 years before our expedition! I will probably feel sad, yes. In fact, I haven’t looked at all these articles for years. I hadn’t even looked back at the article in the Peruvian Times I wrote, but my daughter was very interested so I took a copy for her and I now have read it myself. Being here now, reading my own article brings back memories.

When back near the Rondoy, will it feel like the end of an era?

No, I don’t think so because my mountaineering era ended 25 years ago. Of all the members of the team, I might be the only one left. The guy I was climbing with was killed shortly afterwards in the Alps. He was going to be my best man at my wedding but didn’t show up. The two New Zealanders went back home and I lost contact with them. Another one died ten years ago because of a brain tumour, I think. You know, when you get older, you lose everybody. So yes, in a certain sense it is the end of an era. This is why we want to do Rondoy this time because one gets older and older. We´re not as fit as we used to be!

Some days later, while the Huaraz Telegraph was working very hard to get this edition at the printing company, we got phone call that Mr. Powell wanted to meet again and share his findings after he had visited the Huayhuash area with his wife. No

Continuation of page 4

Mr. Powell is taking a moment, remembering his climbing friends he lost 50 years ago

¨Then I also saw where my friends had fallen, I thought, my God. They

must have fallen at least a 1,000 metres before they hit anything. So you know, what goes through their

mind? Terrible, terrible! My wife said I really looked emotionally affected¨

Charles T. Powell on his thoughts when he went back to the place where his friends lost their lives.

Generally, when you would be walking around no one would talk to you. People now are much more confident. I am amazed; some things are just like Europe. There is Internet and there are televisions, but in those days you couldn’t even make a telephone call. On the down side, I have to mention the wall-to-wall tourism. There are tourists everywhere! This is good for Peru though, but for me it´s not as nice as the first time I was here. I went to Chavín de Huantar for example and there was no one there. It was completely overgrown, just like Machu Picchu, there was just an American couple and me. In August 1964, there was a small hotel right next




Local Newsquestion was asked as Mr. Powell launched out.

There are a couple of things I would like you to consider for the article. The first thing that is very notable and concerning is the amount of snow that has disappeared. The glaciers have receded dramatically. And having a look on the route to Rondoy we took 50 years ago, it would now be practically extremely difficult to climb. The ice wall up the glacier has broken up and has converted into ice cliffs so it could be very technical to get up there again. And so is the case at Jirishanca, where the ice of the glacier has split into three parts and you can see the rocks underneath it. The other thing I noticed (which I think is bad in some respect) is that the mining has left a lot of the debris around. It´s a real shame because it is destroying the environment. They should clean it up! Putting the roads in there has obviously helped the local people, but it is also damaging the surroundings.

spot, you remember details and even conversations we had. I didn’t notice much of my emotions but my wife did a lot more. I now remember as well that, on the way down, we really had bad weather. We had problems coming back because it was snowing. That´s all I have to say. Please give me some questions!

Was it what you expected?

It was, apart from the fact that the snow has changed a lot. It is very hard to see the real summit of Rondoy nowadays because it´s hidden. You have to climb around the top of Ninacocha to see it properly, you can´t see it from further back. You can see Jirishanca, Rondoy Chico and Ninachico. Another thing that was strange is that today we would have taken another route. Also, there are toilets at the campsites. Back then there were no facilities and now you cannot even camp outside of the campsites. I believe this is good to control it a little bit. It´s still strange to see a place that was completely wild is now under control. I didn’t see any climbers and I don’t think people will be climbing there. Those mountains have become very difficult and dangerous. Maybe only the top climbers like Joe Simpson (Touching the Void), who want to climb something really special, will go there now. I don’t think it will turn into a regular thing for people on a small expedition. Maybe the top 30 of best climbers in the world but other than that, I don’t think so. What was interesting was the birdlife. Apart from many geese, we saw some magnificent species that we had never seen before.

I assume you won’t come back to Huaraz, or will you?

Well, we might be back next year but this depends a bit on the plans we have, my wife and I. I would like to come back next year and do some treks.

With what thoughts are you leaving Huaraz?

I really like the place. I feel sorry to leave. It´s friendly and easygoing. There are good places to eat. It has everything, which is very different from the 60s. Probably for us the best place in Peru, but we still have to see what´s Cusco like!

Story by Rex Broekman

¨The other thing I noticed is that the mining has left a lot of the debris

around. It´s a real shame because it is destroying the environment. They

should clean it up!¨

Charles T. Powell on the mining industry in the Cordillera Huayhuash

Walking into the valley brought back many details, really little but silly details. Like when we were wacked right underneath the summit at 5,800 metres and trying to prepare breakfast and someone dropped a can of sardines; just little memories like this. And the summit, it´s still there but with a little ice cap on the top. It was so fragile back then that just one person at the time could stand on top.

Then I also saw where my friends had fallen, I thought, my God. They must have fallen at least a 1,000 metres before they hit anything. So you know, what goes through their mind? Terrible, terrible! My wife said I really looked emotionally affected. Even after 50 years, it all comes back. I had forgotten most of it but being there, right on the same



Expat in Huaraz

The Peruvian dreamAccording to I.N.E.I. statistics, 10,247 foreigners entered Peru in 2010 and stayed for over a year. Maybe they were looking for the Peruvian dream, or maybe just hanging out as tourists while visiting some supreme undiscovered places in Peru. The Free Dictionary describes the American dream as: “the no-tion that the American social, economic, and political system makes success possible for every individual”. The Huaraz Telegraph is wondering whether the Peruvian dream exists and if so, how to reach for those ideals on the Latin American continent being an expat?

When walking along the street it´s easy to spot the difference between a tour-ist and an expat. Whereas most tourists wear their tiny day backpacks, zip-off pants and have a camera around their neck, most of the time the expat walks at a faster pace from A to B.

When I travelled the world I always won-dered (I still do) how it would be being a foreigner in a country like Cambodia, Egypt or Bolivia. Why would you want to live there in the first place? Well, expats might have their stories and reasons I guess. This is why in every edition of the Huaraz Telegraph, we´re interviewing an expat living in Huaraz. Ever wondered how it would be to leave your friends, family and belongings behind and move to Huaraz? First a small insight into the numbers and stats before we head to the interview.

I know a lot of the foreigners living in Huaraz but not all and, therefore, I doubted they would be registered; resulting in skewed stats. To be com-pletely honest, I was wondering whether there would be any stats at all. I went to the I.N.E.I (National Institute of Statistics and Computer science) in Huaraz and asked them the simple question: How many gringos are living in Huaraz or Ancash? The answer was as interest-ing as the question. After signing up and explaining the purpose of my visit, I was shown a couple of statistical books and told I should be able to find the answer

has increased in the last few years. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of immigrants was 39,576, representing a 62.5% of the total registered between 1994 and 2010. The period between 1999 and 2004 represents an increase of 14,707 ´nuevos gringos´ signifying 23.2% of the total.

Another interesting graph in the docu-ment shows that 59% of the immigrants are between 20 and 49 years of age. Immigrants younger than 19 years of age represent 9.7% of the immigrant popula-tion, 16.2% are 60 or older representing 10,257 people. When we look at the gender of the immigrants there is an interesting chart showing us that 39.8% of the immigrants are women whereas 60.2% are men representing a total of 63,316 immigrants (38,145 males to 25,171 females). Their marital status shows that 26,813 (45.5%) of the settlers are married and 19,635 are single. A total of 12,526 people are either divorced, widowed or didn’t want to specify.

Just before the document starts to talk about the country of origin, it mentions that 50,950 people have come to Peru by air, entering the country at Jorge Chavez National Airport. A small 5.9% entered from the south in Tacna (Santa Rosa), 3.3% from Bolivia (Desaguadero) and a 2.5% came from the north crossing the border from Ecuador at Aguas Verdes. A total of 1,389 arrived at the harbour of Callao (probably shipwrecked and unable to return home).

The author of the stats declares that there exists a strong concentration of regional immigrants referring to 33.3% of foreigners coming from Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Leaving the continent, surprisingly to me, the Europeans form 27.6% of the newcomers whereas the North Ameri-can continent only accounts for 17.8%. Asian countries, mainly China and Japan, are good for 16.7% where Mexico helps

Central America with 3.5%. Oceania and Africa have the least immigrants with respectively 0.7% and 0.5%.

As you just have read, to qualify for the status of immigrant you will need to stay in Peru for over a year. This is also the condition for our interview, in this edition we conducted the interview with the owner of The Andino Club Hotel.

1. Who are you?

I am from the German part of Switzer-land, from a place called Sankt Gallen. My name is Mario Holenstein and I am 60 years old. 2. How old are you and what’s your profession?

Well, I started a long time ago in Switzer-land as a cook. That was my first profes-sion. I worked in different five-star hotels and restaurants in Switzerland but I first finished business school before complet-ing the hotel school. When I finished the hotel school I decided to dedicate more of my time towards the administration of hotels. I have had work experiences in the United States and England before finally moving to Peru.

3+4 How long have you been living here and what brought you to Huaraz?

The first time I came to Huaraz was back in 1981 when the interviewer wasn’t even born yet, but I arrived to Peru in 1979 for the first time to administrate the Club Suizo in Lima. People always talked about Huaraz being synonymous with the Peruvian Switzerland and that´s how I heard about it the first time. When I finally made the move to Huaraz, I liked the region a lot but never thought that I would end up as a Huaracino [habitant of Huaraz]. When my contract in Lima ended after two years and I had learned Castellano, I had planned to return to Switzerland and continue my career in

there. Well, after half an hour of searching …nothing!

How about the number of foreigners in Peru and the number of immigrants every year? That was a little easier to find. On the I.N.E.I website(http://www.inei.gob.pe/biblioineipub/bancopub/Est/Lib1038/libro.pdf) there are loads of stats on Peruvian emigration as well as Peruvian immigration between 1990 and 2011. Not bad, still up-to-date and even easily accessible. All stats men-tioned in chapter IV on page 73 are for Foreign Residential Immigrants in Peru, concerning foreigners that have arrived to Peru between 1994 and 2010 and have NOT left the country after less than a year. This means that, even though Peru has a law that visitors may only stay up to a maximum of 183 days a year, ´gringos´ are, after one year, considered immigrants in the Republic of Peru.

Between 1994 and 2010, 63,316 foreign-ers were considered residents of Peru without any migration movement noticed crossing borders to leave the country. Be-tween 1994 and 2003, the number of for-eigners entering Peru was never higher than 2,500 individuals. However, between 2004 and 2006, the number of immi-grants reached up to almost 4,000 people with 6,000 in 2007. The latest stats show that in 2010 at least 10,247 foreigners stayed in Peru longer than one year and are considered as immigrants. This study also notes that the number of immigrants

33.3% of the Peruvian immigrants are from the same continent (South America)

The number of immigrants is growing by the year (I.N.E.I. stats)



Expat in Huarazthe hotel business. What people now know as the Hotel Andino was formerly known as Hostal Andino. Back in the old days, Huaraz did not have the overload of hostels and hotels as nowadays. There were, for example, hotels like Los Por-tales, Colomba, Hotel de los Turistas and Edward´s Inn, not many more. The Hostal Andino was administrated by an Italian who grew up in Switzerland and there-fore spoke the same language as I do. Without giving much notice, he decided to leave Huaraz and the owners of the hostel – who wanted to sell the place – ended up in finding me in Lima as they wanted to pass it to another Swiss. Don’t forget, it wasn’t a hotel back then and I wasn’t really interested in it, so I first rejected their offer. They insisted so much that I finally signed a two-year rental con-tract, and I bought it in the end. I am still here after over thirty years now.

5. How has your life changed over the years?

My changes have been most of all politi-cal. When I bought the hotel we were un-der Alan Garcia´s first government, which was a disaster economically, and many people wanted to leave the country. I, for one, made some investments and the hotel went from 14 rooms to 40, and that prohibited me from leaving everything behind. When the terrorism era started, tourism almost died and apart from mountaineers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland there were no regular tour-ists because life (income, expenses etc.) was controlled by the government. Then, when Fujimori entered office as Presi-dent, everything changed. This said, I am not Fujimorista [a supporter of Fujimori´s political party and thoughts]. When president Guzmán entered the Govern-mental Palace, he introduced the long weekends, which had to motivate people to travel and visit other places in Peru. This generated much more tourism and money of course. What hasn’t changed is the tourism situation compared with 20 or 30 years ago because it´s still a disorgan-ised mess!

6. What are your favourite hangout spots in Huaraz?

I have to admit that I do not go out very frequently. When I do so, I like to go to 13 Buhos, I really like Lucho´s Place but also Café California and Café Andino. In terms of eating (as a chef, my options are a bit limited but anyway…) I like Fran-cois’s El Horno and Bruno’s. There are many places but most places I haven’t been to for example today, I went for the first time to Rossonero. As a hotel owner and chef, my life is sometimes compared with slavery because I dedicate my early mornings and late evenings to the guests. Responsibility would be a nicer word. If I leave the hotel then it´s most likely during the night, sometimes to go to Tambo or 13 Buhos.

7. What is it you miss the most from back home, and how often do you go back?

I go back once or twice a year, and what I miss the most would be my family. What I am about to say is a bit of a paradox: what I miss is order! But, I don’t miss other things that much because here, there are many more possibilities in terms of space and opportunities. As far as cheese is concerned I always have decent Swiss cheese in the hotel! And as for food, Peru because is such a rich country: it has everything you could want, great variety for reasonable prices com-pared with Swizerland, which is a very expensive country.

Mario Holenstein at the entrance of his hotel in Huaraz

maybe, by accident, someone else… It´s incredible and this hurts. Because for 30 years, I have witnessed the same prob-lem, maybe also at a higher level. The question is why is this place not more united? The answer can only be egoism. No one wants to work for someone else.

10. What sites or activities do you recommend (or not) to our readers?

I wouldn’t berate something. I would like tourists to help increase community-based tourism. It´s basically all about people´s conscience. If tourists don’t question the low prices that they are offered, donkey drivers and guides will never get paid. How about taxes? The people that complain the most (about bad roads’ conditions, about competition etc.) are the ones who do the least for tourism but make the most money. To gain gener-al improvements, tourists should question where their money goes and what they get in return.

11. If you were to become the Mayor of Huaraz one day, what would you do or change?

Well, I believe that after the first month, I would already have brought protests and I would only get demands and complaints

towards my drastic changes, most of all the negligence of laws in the city. People would immediately start with strikes or worse. A change will almost have to be autocratic. People don’t respect rules because they know that it doesn’t matter in the end. In terms of tourism, I would like people to realise that tourists actually can come back instead of visiting Huaraz just once in a lifetime. You tell me, people who don’t want to do hiking or adventure sports or don’t want to go into the moun-tains, what can they do here? Which are the activities or entertainment so also children can enjoy their time here? No one wants to take the initiative and create something better…

12. Are you living the Peruvian dream (explain)?

To be honest, I am living the Peruvian reality. Unfortunately, long-term thinking either doesn’t exist or is very difficult to materialise. If life doesn’t get worse and we can continue the small improvements I have seen the past couple of years, I am happy.

13. How do you see your future in Huaraz?

I am 60 years old now and I believe that my future will definitely be in Huaraz. As my two children will soon go to Switzer-land, I have been asked many time if this was the time to go back (definitely) as well, but I always tell them no. When I go back to Switzerland I feel like a foreigner although I believe I am more Swiss than others. I don’t feel like a Peruvian. I will need to live here much longer to become a Peruvian. There is a saying in German that says that if you remove an old tree, it will wither to death. Well, I guess that’s the case with me. If God and my health allow me, I will never ever leave.

When the interview ended but we were still recording, Mario added the following information:

Well, let´s hope I said some interesting things! How long until the paper comes out again? You know what? My job absorbs so much time that it doesn’t al-low me leave the hotel and visit the local places. If a group checks in into the hotel, I feel I have to serve them well. Others would say the restaurant is closed or something, but I like to cook very much and like to treat my costumers well. Most of the times (and this explains why some people in Huaraz have never seen me), I am just tired and then I prefer to go to bed, after a job well done.

Thanks for your time

Are you an expat living in Huaraz?

Contact us for an interview!

Rex Broekman


8. What is it you like most about Huaraz?

I like the surroundings the most. The city is a complete mess, not just because of the traffic, but more in terms of zoning: everyone here can and will build as they please. This has resulted in what you see walking in the city. Nobody respects the regulations and rules set. What I do like are the Cordilleras Negra y Blanca.

9. What’s your opinion about the tourist business in Huaraz?

Tourism has grown a lot, but as men-tioned before, the city has grown in a disorganised way and tourism has as well. There is no formality and if you just take the vendors on Luzuriaga [main street Huaraz], they might have the right papers to run the agency but how do they treat their employees? Most work as ambulant and receive no social ben-efits whatsoever. Tourism needs to be an entity that gives an impulse to the locals – and not only to the people living in Huaraz, but also more importantly to the campesinos. How many of them benefit because of tourism? Those who do work as porters or donkey drivers are treated very badly, especially economically. This is something I cannot understand. Ad-

ditionally, the National Park Huascarán doesn’t comply with its regulations and doesn’t help to create jobs for the local communities. Because of its surround-ings, Huaraz has a huge potential but the villagers are unaware of this. Questions like “What is a glacier?” and “What does it mean when people litter in the park or in rivers?” aren’t taken seriously and I believe it shows lack of knowledge of the culture. Tourism for many is an income and because they live by the day, they try to make as much money as possible from the tourists because they will prob-ably not return. This is translated into the mistreatment of tourists as they are often ripped off. Huaraz is filled with egoists. It´s always “me first”, then “I again” and




Readers´ contributions

Read an interesting contribuition from Brian Morra, originally from northern Idaho in the States about his volunteering job.

Day 1: Start of the Vicuña count

Vicuñas are a species of camelid. Similar to alpacas, although smaller, they roam wild in the in the Parque Huascarán. Their fur is highly valuable and for

trying to catch up. I felt like a child trying to keep up with an older sibling and his friends. Within few minutes I caught up with the park guard who had stopped to scribble some notes down. “There, up on the hill,” he whispered, “do see the group of two?” I eagerly stared but saw nothing for a few minutes. Finally, nearly 500 meters in the distance I spotted two brownish-red dots dashing across the prairie. With the binoculars it was easier

This extreme-sports festival that took place over the national holiday was organised by the Association DECIDH, supported somewhat by the municipality of Recuay, and the community of Pampacancha, which is close to the lake. After a rather delayed start due to logistical complications, the sound system was finally installed and the DJs from Huaraz and Lima kicked off the electro camping party, people gathered around a large bonfire to socialise, drink and dance, and keep warm under an inky, star-filled sky. Local Pisco (a grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile) company Mestizo sponsored the event and were selling their Eucalyptus, Hierba Luisa and Muña liquors, which proved to be very popular.

The following day events began with the children’s competitions. There were around 45 kids playing the Treasure Hunt, which consisted of following clues leading to the treasure, an assortment of school materials, stickers, games and candy. The children happily ran around in teams looking for the next clue, and really enjoyed themselves while learning to work together and appreciate nature.

The area by Antacocha Lake overlooks the white peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, a breath-taking view that was perfectly outlined by a cloudless blue sky. Luckily there was enough wind for the Kite Flying Competition, which was fun for all the families, with kites soaring higher than the highest rocky peak. Contestants were judged for flight height, control, design and even punctuality (well, we are in Peru).

The kids’ games were certainly successful and there were also some rather enthusiastic participants for the Miss and Mr Cuy Fancy-Dress Competition, which drew a lot of attention from the crowd. The guinea pigs seemed perfectly content in their extravagant little outfits, and the owners were very proud! This was definitely a novel activity for the people of Recuay as well as for the tourists.

With a starting point high up on the rocks and a dramatic drop down the side of the hill, the Downhill Bike Races were some of the most impressive competitions.

From the concert area below, spectators watched a trail of dust rise into the air as the mountain bikers sped down the slopes. To finish there was a high wooden walkway from which the bikers jumped off for a grand finale. Not surprisingly for an extreme sport, there was one accident but the contestant was quickly taken to hospital in an ambulance. First place won S/.1000 and runners up received S/.500 for the Downhill Categories ‘Rigid’ and ‘Double’.

The Rock Climbing Competition took place on the rock face overlooking the lake, with Peruvian and international competitors. Local climber Andrey Mata Velasquez won the men’s category and Karina Lingan Aparcano, the women’s category.

Unfortunately the BMX Competition was cancelled due to insufficient funds to renovate the route, which was a shame because BMX tricks are always good crowd-pleasing spectacles. The Tiralaso (Horse Riding Lasso Competition) didn’t take place either, due to the lack of organisation within the Pampacancha community.

The afternoon ended with music from a great band from Huaraz,Day Jamm, and Dread, a reggae band from Lima, followed by the prize ceremony lead by the mayor of Recuay.

Eco tourism was the main idea behind the event, to bring tourism to these villages and this place of great natural beauty. The local community of Pampacancha played a part in the festival planning, construction of bike routes, financing to a small extent and support during the event in coordination with the Association DECIDH.

Overall, it was certainly lacking in preparation, funding and personnel, but despite this many people came from Huaraz, Lima, Recuay and rural villages for a day out with family and friends. It was a melting pot of different classes, ages, locals and tourists, and there was something for everyone. There were some beautiful views, good music, horse rides around the lake, nail biting competitions and the winners took home significant prizes.

this reason they have been hunted to dangerously low populations throughout Peru. Recently, the park has been interested in monitoring their numbers, to see if there is growth in their herds. Last week, a fellow Peace-Corps volunteer who works with the park asked me to come along and help with a Vicuñas count. Needless to say I was thrilled and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to spend three days there.

The day of the great Vicuñas count finally arrived. Myself and two other Peace-Corps volunteers met at the park office before it was light. The park is run by an organisation called SERNANP, which is similar to the Forest Service in the U.S. The three of us crammed into the backseat of one of the park trucks and drove out to a guard station in Carpa. The station is located below the Glacier Pastoruri.

Upon arrival, we quickly dumped our gear inside the visitor centre and I eagerly awaited a timely departure. We sat down to massive breakfast consisting of stew, bread and oatmeal. The plates kept arriving and I ate until I felt like my stomach was about to explode, and then I ate just a little more. Uncomfortably full, we were split into three groups and were armed with a GPS, binoculars and a field notebook. A location was to be recorded by GPS when we spotted a herd of Vicuñas. We were told to log in the notebook how many Vicuñas we spotted and the type of habitat they were living in. We were also instructed to draw a crude map of where the sightings occurred. With that briefing, the park guards quickly departed without warning. I was still processing the information when I realised my Peruvian counterpart was already nearly 100 meters ahead of me. Still buttoning my shirt and fussing with my backpack, I quickly stumbled across the native grasses and loose rock,

to make out the pair gliding over the hills. When I lowered the binoculars I realized the park guard had once again left me in the dust. We repeated this awkward leap-frogging two more times until I finally got the hang of walking across the uneven terrain. It was really tricky to navigate the loose rocks and grasses all the while looking for Vicuñas. I stubbed my toes and tripped a lot in the first few hours of the day.

The day ended around 5pm and we had spotted close to 60 Vicuñas. I was exhausted and starving. For dinner, we ate more soup and a massive plate of rice, beans and some meat I couldn’t identify. The sensation you get of eating something you know to be meat – but have no clue what part of what animal you are feasting on – was quite familiar after ten months in Peru. I was ravished after the long day and tore into the chewy goodness like a carnivorous beast.

Day 2: The Peruvian Pain Train

The gang of 11 awoke at six the next morning for the daily soup and debrief combo. It was decided I would be moved to a different group, consisting of two other park guards. They day before they didn’t have a volunteer counterpart and the head engineer said I’d ‘walked well’. I felt my stomach knot up when I saw the two young and spry park guards get up from the breakfast table.

The day began and our ‘pain train’ of three left the station at a brisk pace. We headed north towards Lake Querracocha. We walked in a straight line, climbing and descending the glacially sculpted foothills of the Andes. The day before had left me burnt a crisp shade of red. As I huffed and puffed along in the rear, I felt I was convincingly playing the part of Caboose. The two superhuman park guards jabbered away in Quechua, a

Third AntacochaFest 2013

Brian Morra is the author of the vicuña article and will be in Recuay for another year and a half


Treasure hunt at the third AntacochaFest near to Recuay


Counting vicuñas



Readers´ contributionsIrishman opens Papa Loca

restaurant in HuarazOnly restaurant in Huaraz serving traditional English fish and chips, Irish

stew, cottage pie and apple crumble with homemade custard.

On April 20th Trevor Eagleson opened the doors to his new restaurant Papa Loca with free samples, cocktails and good company enjoying its cosy fire

place.

When asked about the restaurant Trevor replied “I want to create something different in Huaraz, of course most of the usual Peruvian dishes are available

including the Andean delicacy of guinea pig but I also want to focus on bringing more diversity to the international cuisine in Huaraz.

I’ve travelled a lot in South America and know how it feels to miss certain foods; hopefully with this menu I can cater to those travellers missing some home

comforts. Add a few cocktails with an 8-10pm buy one get one free happy hour, good portions at reasonable prices and we should have a few smiling faces

leaving the restaurant.”

Papa Loca can be found in Hotel Los Portales, Raimondi 903 and is open from 5pm-11pm Tuesday-Sunday.

Come in August for a free pancake with every two main meals ordered!

Opening night cocktails at Papa Loca

frequently used indigenous language, while I was trying to keep my soup down. I felt relieved and ecstatic when I made the first Vicuña sighting of the day, which meant a break to take notes and time to grab a little snack. The pair was gone once again by the time I had my backpack on. I wheezed something about Peru focusing less on the world cup selection and more on Olympic Power Walking and jogged after the two.

I had brought along a topo map to orient myself in the surroundings during the trip. At every chance possible I asked to names of mountains, and different drainages. I was surprised to see that the park guards knew the names of almost everything we passed, from small hills to settlements, from rivers to valleys. I asked how much time they spent out here every week and once again the answer astounded me: the two of them work several hours up north and only knew the area from trips they had made during their childhood. After hearing this, I folded my map and left it in my backpack for the remaining duration of the trip.

I was expecting to see at least one of the groups awaiting our arrival at the Lake Querrachocha guard station, but our blazingly fast Peruvian pain train had pulled into the station first. I quickly removed my shoes and gave my hiking socks a rinse in an irrigation channel. Shortly after doing so, I realised this was where all the dishes were washed. Quietly, I shamefully retrieved my socks and moved to dry further down the ditch.

The soup was promptly served at six and I retired to my sleeping bag shortly thereafter. After the day’s death march, I was asleep before my head hit the coat I was using as a pillow.

Day 3: Huevos

The final day of the work trip had arrived and no one had volunteered to change spot with me in the pain train. Resigned to my fate, I climbed in the truck and we headed north to Olleros. We arrived and began hiking up a beastly hill. I was stunned to find myself in the middle of the group of three today. The long days of hiking had taken their toll and in this war of attrition, I had come out a little better than one of the park guards.This strengthened my confidence as I quickened my pace and wondered how

long it would last.

We were at a much lower elevation than the past two days and it was a great deal warmer. By lower I mean 3800 meters instead of 4600, but nonetheless, it was noticeable. We pulled to a stop and I had time to take off my long johns. While I was balancing on one foot trying to put my pants back on, Cirro, one of the park guards, recommended I continue hiking in my undies. I paused to think for a second and then stuffed my heavy pants into my backpack. I felt even faster in my Fruit of the Loom boxers, and the light breeze kept everything at the right temperature. “God bless the loom that fruited you,” I thought to myself. This did a lot to break the ice with the park guards. We finally had a few conversations about what I do in the Peace Corps and taught each other a few words in Quechua and English.

We stopped for a snack break and one of the guards said something about huevos. I immediately assumed we had been given hardboiled eggs in our lunches. As I greedily reached for my backpack I felt a disconcerting coldness in my nether regions. More disappointed than embarrassed I adjusted my huevos and reseated myself. After taking a few jabs at my pride, the park guards and I made for the truck to return the park office in Huaraz.

After three days, countless kilometers, five bowls of soup and over 150 Vicuñas, I began to formulate this story in my head. I think there are two things I took away from this experience. The first is that Peru should be cleaning house at Olympic Power Walking. The second was demonstrated to me by the park guards: these guys are born into an incredible wealth of ancestral knowledge. That – combined with the training from SERNANP – creates an amazingly well-prepared worker. I may have a college education and a bit of experience working with the U.S. forest service, but without the park guards I would have got lost and worked at a snail’s pace. Sorry Kevin Costner, but Dancing With Wolves really missed the truth. It was good to be reminded that even with all the energy, education and resources in the world, a local’s perspective is still 100 times better than any outsider’s. Without the support of those we want to help, sustainable advances are difficult to attain.



Tourist Information

The Cordillera Blanca offers countless opportunities for trekkers and climbers, as well as for people not so keen on physical activities. The wonderful lakes and glaciers of the White Range are easily accessible from the town of Huaraz. Here is a quick guide to the best activities around Huaraz.

DAY TRIPS

Daily sightseeing tours

These tours are great for those of you who are not so active, or who need to acclimatise before heading out into the mountains.

LLANGANUCO – This tour visits the villages in the Huaylas Valley (Carhuaz, Yungay, Caraz), and the beautiful Llanganuco Lake. Be aware that you will only spend from 40 minutes to one hour at the lake. Daily departures.

CHAVIN DE HUANTAR – This tour takes you to Chavin, a village situated on the other side of the Cordillera Blanca in the Conchucos Valley. Here you can visit the Chavin de Huantar UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring some of the oldest and most significant pre-Inca ruins in Peru. You also make a stop at the lovely Lake Querococha along the way. Departs every day except Mondays when the ruins are closed for maintenance.

PASTORURI – This tour visits the southern section of the Cordillera Blanca, with the amazing Pastoruri glacier, which is still well worth a visit despite having lost 40% of its ice in recent years. You can’t help but be impressed by the huge ice cliffs and the Puya Raimondii – a rare 12m high bromeliad plant which you visit on the way to the glacier. Make sure you become acclimatised before going on this tour as the glacier is at 5000m. Departs every day.

Day hikes

These hikes are perfect for those needing to acclimatise before a trek, or for those with limited time.

LAKE CHURUP, 4485m – This is one of the closest and easily accessible hiking routes from Huaraz, leading to a very beautiful turquoise/emerald green coloured glacial lake. It can be quite challenging as there are some steep sections, and there is a rock wall before the lake which you need to scramble up to (there are wires to help you up). It can be tricky in the rainy season when the rock is wet and incredibly slippery, so be careful. It is recommended not to hike alone; for those of you with limited hiking experience it is advisable to go with a guide, as he will carry a rope that will help you go up and down the rock wall safely. For experienced hikers a guide is not necessary as the path is easy to find. The trailhead at Llupa can be easily reached by public transport.

LAKE 69, 4550m – This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hikes in the Cordillera Blanca. Located in the northern

section of the national park. From Huaraz it’s roughly a three hour drive to the trailhead (Cebollapampa), the journey is incredibly scenic with great views of Mount Huascaran and the Llanganuco Lakes. The hike is of moderate difficulty, but can be challenging for those with limited acclimatisation. You can reach the trailhead by public transport, but finding transport to get back can prove very difficult, so it is recommended to hire private transport from Huaraz. For those with hiking experience a guide is not necessary as the path is clear. The lake is stunning for its pristine blue colour, and its fantastic location at the foot of the mighty Mount Chacraraju. You are rewarded with awesome views of the Cordillera Blanca’s highest summits during the hike.

LAKE LLACA, 4470m – This is one of the closest lakes to Huaraz. It takes two hours by private transport to reach the trailhead at the Llaca refuge. From there it is a short hike to reach the lake. The lake is not as stunning as others in the region, but it is a good option for those wishing to acclimatise with limited effort and time. It is possible to do ice climbing here, but the ice walls tend to be full of sand.

LAKE AGUAC, 4580m – This is another lake located close to Huaraz. The trail starts at the ruins of Wilcahuain and is fairly easy to find. It is quite a long hike and the altitude can make it challenging. The lake doesn’t have a special colour, but there are some great mountain views.

TREKKING

Easy to moderate treks

SANTA CRUZ TREK (four days) – Undoubtedly the Cordillera Blanca’s most famous and popular trek. It is suitable for novice hikers, but good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek. This trek deserves its fame; offering varied scenery and endless views of majestic snow-capped peaks, jewelled glacial lakes and gorgeous Andean valleys. For those with ample experience of trekking at high altitude, this trek is doable without a guide, but be sure to follow the national park rules especially to carry all your rubbish out of the park. Ask in town for directions before heading out, as although easy to follow, the path is not signposted. Departures for this trek in an all-inclusive organised group run daily in high season, but standards vary from one company to the next. The trek can be completed in three or four days, but if you do it in three days you will miss the side trip to the Alpamayo base camp and Lake Arhuaycocha, which is undoubtedly one of the trek’s highlights.

OLLEROS – CHAVIN TREK also known as LLAMA TREK (three days) – A less popular trek, it mainly crosses vast expanses of puna, following ancient pre-Inca and Inca paths that lead to the village of Chavin. There are no glacial lakes and few snow-capped mountain views during this trek, but you will come across isolated communities.

Moderate to challenging treks

QUILCAYHUANCA – COJUP TREK (three days) – A stunning trek which goes through some less-visited, but none the less stunning valleys of the Cordillera Blanca. It is a much tougher trek than the Santa Cruz for two reasons. First there are no donkeys to carry all the equipment, so you will have to carry a backpack weighing around 15kg (the weight depends on the number of porters accompanying the group). Second, because the pass is much higher. At 5050m the path leading up to it is very steep, rocky and generally not well trodden. The way down from the pass is even steeper and more challenging. This trek is perfect for fit, experienced hikers who wish to experience peace and tranquillity. Good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek.

AKILPO – ISHINCA TREK (three days) – This trek is similar in difficulty to the Quilcayhuanca trek, although donkeys can be used (they do not go over the pass but go back and around). The pass is very high at 5050m and the path leading up to it is steep and not well marked. The trek starts at the pre-Inca ruins of Honcopampa, and then goes up the Akilpo Valley through beautiful forests of local quenual trees, before reaching the superb Lake Akilpo just before the pass. Then you go down to the Ishinca Valley. This trek is perfect for fit, experienced hikers looking for an alternative to the Santa Cruz trek. Good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek.

ISHINCA – COJUP TREK (three days) – This trek is vastly different to all the others, because it includes a glacier traverse requiring the use of equipment such as crampons and ropes. Bringing you much closer to the giant icy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, the views are simply spectacular. This trek is only suitable for very fit and experienced hikers, but does not require any mountaineering technical knowledge. Thorough acclimatisation is essential as you will go well over 5000m. It is possible to include a summit climb to Mount Ishinca (5530m) during this trek.

Challenging treks

HUAYHUASH TREK (eight or ten days) – The Huayhuash full circuit trek

is considered as one of the world’s most beautiful. It is a trek that requires good physical condition and acclimatisation, because it crosses many high passes (eight passes minimum ranging from 4650m to 5050m) and the campsites are all above 4100m. Trekkers are rewarded with endless breath-taking views of stunning glacial lakes, pristine valleys and icy peaks, which can be extremely close. There are many alternatives possible for the itinerary, but the most common group departures are for the eight day and ten day treks. Those with more time and wishing to explore less visited valleys of the range can do the trek in as many as 15 days, and take the more challenging high trail. Those with limited time can do the four day Mini Huayhuash trek, which visits one of the range’s most beautiful locations: the Lake Jahuacocha area.

CEDROS – ALPAMAYO TREK (seven or ten days) – This trek is less popular than the Huayhuash trek, and also very different, although not less beautiful. It is probably a bit more challenging too, even though the passes are not as high (eight passes on the full circuit ranging from 4400m to 4850m), but the trails leading up to the passes are much steeper. You are unlikely to meet many trekkers and will come across several isolated Quechua communities who still follow a traditional lifestyle.

The highlight of this trek is undoubtedly the view from Jancarurish of Mount Alpamayo, known as the World’s most Beautiful Mountain thanks to its near perfect pyramid of ice. You will not see as many glacial lakes and close-up views of glaciers on this trek as on the Huayhuash trek, but the landscape is much more varied and the isolation a real bonus. The trek can be done in seven days starting in Hualcayan or Huancarhuas and finishing in Pomabamba, allowing one worthwhile rest day in Jancarurish, but take into account that you need a full day to travel back to Huaraz from Pomabamba (night buses are not recommended due to frequent robberies on this route). For those with more time, you can add extra days by joining on to the Santa Cruz trek at the end, making it a ten or 11 day itinerary if finishing in Cashapampa, or a nine day itinerary if finishing in Vaqueria. The trek can be done in reverse, but it is tougher.

All you should know about day trips, trekking, mountaineering and bouldering


WARNING FOR TOURISTS:

AVOID THE RATAQUENUA CROSS AND DON´T HIKE FROM THE RUINS OF WILCAHUAIN TOWARDS THE BAÑOS TERMALES IN MONTERREY




Tourist InformationMOUNTAINEERING

Keep in mind that glacier conditions change from year to year, so what was an easy walk across a glacier one year may be a difficult passage through crevasses the following year. So make sure to check the latest conditions in town before setting out on any of these expeditions.

Non-technical climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with no previous mountaineering experience; however, even though they are often referred to as trekking peaks these expeditions, although not technical, are harder than a trek, due to the fact that you wake up at midnight, walk in the dark and use heavy equipment such as mountain boots and crampons. If you are fit and have experience of trekking at high altitude and want to experience being on a glacier, then one of these peaks is for you.

MOUNT PISCO, 5752m (three days) – This expedition offers some of the best summit views of any peak of the Cordillera Blanca, and for that reason is very popular. Crossing the moraine takes two to three hours and is considered the most challenging part of the expedition. It is possible to include a hike to Lake 69 on the last day.

MOUNT VALLUNARAJU, 5686m (two days) – This expedition can be quite challenging, because no donkeys can be used, you have to carry a 15kg backpack up a steep path to moraine camp on day one. It is very popular due to its proximity to Huaraz making it a short expedition.

MOUNT ISHINCA, 5530m (three days) – This peak is mostly used as an acclimatisation peak for those wanting to climb the higher and more technical Mount Tocllaraju, which is situated in the same valley.

MOUNT TUCO, 5479m (two days) – A very seldom climbed peak, although it offers a relatively short and easy ascent, as well as the chance to see the rare Puya Raimondii plant.

Intermediate level climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with some mountaineering experience. It is recommended to climb a 5000m+ peak before starting any of these expeditions in order not to suffer from altitude sickness.

MOUNT TOCLLARAJU, 6034m (four days) – This expedition is perfect for those who have climbed a non-technical summit previously and want to take the next step in the mountaineering world by trying something more technical. It includes the ascent of two 60m high ice walls requiring the use of ice axes. The relatively short summit ascent makes it a perfect first 6000m+ peak.

MOUNT CHOPICALQUI, 6354m (four days) – This expedition has the same technical difficulty level as Mount Tocllaraju, but it is a more difficult climb due to the much longer summit route and higher altitude. It includes the ascent of two 60m high ice walls requiring the use

of ice axes. It offers one of the Cordillera Blanca’s most beautiful ascent routes along its southwest ridge.

MOUNT HUASCARAN SOUTH, 6768m (seven days) – Although not very difficult from a technical point a view, this is an extremely tough expedition suitable only for mountaineers with plenty of experience, because of the difficult climbing conditions (crevasses, risk of avalanche, extreme cold and altitude). Do not underestimate the difficulty of this climb.

Technical climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with plenty of technical mountaineering experience. It is recommended to climb a 5000m+ peak before starting any of these expeditions in order not to suffer from

altitude sickness.

MOUNT ALPAMAYO, 5947m (seven days) – This is a serious and technically challenging expedition requiring the ascent of a 470m high ice wall. Excellent crampon and ice axe techniques are essential. Please note that the ascent from base camp to high camp is particularly challenging, given that you need to climb up a 60m high ice wall (at a 55 degree incline), carrying your backpack. Known as the World’s Most Beautiful Mountain, each year Alpamayo attracts many mountaineers from the world over.

MOUNT ARTESONRAJU, 6025m (five days) – This is a mentally, physically and technically demanding climb requiring the ascent of a 600m high ice wall, at an incline of 50 degrees. Excellent crampon

and ice axe techniques are essential, as well as an excellent physical condition. Two ascent routes are possible, either from Lake Paron or from the Santa Cruz Valley.

ROCK CLIMBING & BOULDERING

Rock climbing and bouldering spots are plentiful around Huaraz. All types of climbing, at all levels, with many different types of rock, fantastic views, and no chance to get bored! Check with local climbers or travel agencies specialising in rock climbing for a detailed list of the necessary equipment and help with logistics.

CHANCOS – Located 32km northeast of Huaraz in the foothills of the Cordillera Blanca, Chancos is the perfect place for beginners and climbers with limited experience. After climbing, a good option is to visit the Chancos Hot Springs which are situated an easy ten-minute walk away.

LOS OLIVOS – This is the closest climbing spot to Huaraz, situated only three kilometres from the town centre. It features a large number of equipped sport- climbing routes in five different sectors, as well as several boulders, suitable for climbers with some experience. From here you get an amazing panoramic view of the town of Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca.

ANTACOCHA – Situated 35km south of Huaraz in the Cordillera Negra it is one of the few places in the area offering long routes with a variety of difficulty levels, suitable for climbers with limited or a lot of experience alike. The 180m high wall towers high above Lake Antacocha. This place offers a magnificent vantage point of the Cordillera Blanca, especially at sunset.

HATUN MACHAY – Located 104km south of Huaraz at 4300m high in the Cordillera Negra, this stunning rock forest is a paradise for rock climbing and bouldering with some 250 equipped sport-climbing routes and countless boulders, suitable for all levels. It is also a great place for hiking, as it offers some amazing viewpoints with views of the Cordillera Blanca, Huayhuash and the Pacific Ocean, as well as many caves with ancient rock paintings and carvings dating back to 10,000BC.

THE SPHYNX – Also known as The Colossus of the Andes it is situated 90km northeast of Huaraz in the Paron Valley and is considered to be one of the most amazing granite rock walls in South America, offering a variety of traditional climbing routes with superb views of the snow-capped summits of the Cordillera Blanca surrounding it. Given its extreme altitude (5325m), it is essential to be well acclimatised before setting off on this climb and to have sufficient experience in traditional climbing. It takes an average of three days to complete the climb.

Information and photo ´tip of the month´ provided by Marie Timmermans from QUECHUANDES Travel & Adventure Agency

LAKE SHALLAP

Lake Shallap is a beautiful glacial lake located at 4250m at the foot of snow-capped Mount Tumarinaraju (5668m). The hike to this lake starts from just

beyond the village of Jancu, at 3900m, only an hour drive from Huaraz. It takes approximately three hours to reach the lake from the trailhead along a gently sloping path that meanders through the boulder filled meadows of the Shallap

valley. Wonderful views of the peaks, scented lupins and friendly donkeys make this hike most enjoyable. The lake is undoubtedly the highlight with its unusual splendid vivid green-coloured waters surrounded by orange rocks, making a

fantastic contrast of colours.

Lake Shallap, like many of the Cordillera Blanca’s glacial lakes, is dammed because of the potential threat it poses to the town of Huaraz, since its waters

are flowing directly into the Quilcay River, which runs at the heart of Huaraz, and the glaciers right above the lake are prone to avalanches.

Few people make it to this lake, as the trailhead can only be reached by private transport, and this is what makes it even more special as it is so tranquil, you are

indeed unlikely to meet any other hikers. The hike to Lake Shallap (some five and a half hours return) is perfect for acclimatisation and is much easier than the more trodden hikes to Lake Churup and Lake 69. So if you are looking for spectacular views in a peaceful setting, Lake Shallap will not disappoint you.

For those interested in bouldering, the Shallap Valley is a little-known paradise offering great climbing on numerous quality granite boulders with endless

possibilities of opening new routes. From Jancu, you only need to walk some 20 minutes to come across the first boulders and if you keep on walking you will find more all the way to the lake, although the most climbed area is located some 50 minutes’ walk from the trailhead. No wonder then that Shallap is a Quechua word

meaning “the place of rocks”.

TIP OF THE MONTH




Local NewsFather of deceased mountaineer slams and denounces High Mountain Rescue Police

Weeks after the fatal accident at Toclla Raju Mountain in which Natalio Tunes Gracia and Donato Guies lost their lives, Natalio’s father Miguel Tunes revealed that he was very disappointed with the attitude of the High Mountain Rescue Police who refused to hand over the body of his son. To date the body of Natalio has still not been returned, whereas the remains of Donato had been brought back to the morgue in Caraz a couple of weeks ago. As a result Miguel Tunes was forced to denounce the attitude of the rescuers to their superiors and authorities. Miguel not only says he is very disappointed because of the High Mountain Rescue Police´s behaviour, he also claims that climbing material such as crampons and rope belonging to his son has gone missing. Mr Tunes was shown a short film of a rescue team taking care of Donato´s body but the members of the rescue team have not been identified. Furthermore, Miguel states that the High Mountain Rescue Police are completely inept at executing rescue operations, which explains why his son´s body has yet to be brought back to Huaraz. Miguel Tunes will not leave Huaraz until he can take his son back to Mendoza where Natalio´s sister and mother are waiting to lay Natalio to rest.

Guide loses life in avalanche on Huatsán Mountain

More bad news on the mountaineering front as Miguel Gamarra Maza of the province of Requay lost his life when an avalanche surprised him and nephew Henry Fernandez Gamarra. Fernandez, a engineering student at the University San Pedro in Huaraz, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the Regional Hospital of Huaraz where relatives of Gamarra were waiting for the retrieval of the remains of their beloved Miguel, who was liberated from a glacier more than 6,395 metres by the mountain rescue team of Casa de Guias in Huaraz. The president of Casa de Guias, Renzo Ardiles Moreno said to Ancashnoticias that the 30-year-old was not an official mountain guide yet but was a good candidate to be a certified guide and often practised on the technical glacier at Huatsán where the avalanche unfortunately ended his life.

Lost tourist from Puerto Rico found alive by his friends

Julian Betancourt from Puerto Rico disappeared while walking along the Quebrada de Churup. Less than 48 hours after being reported missing he was found dehydrated and hungry by his friends who had previously offered a 100 U$D reward for any information that would lead to finding Julian. The 24-year-old is said to have mental health issues and this led to his parents, who live in Miami, asking for help in finding their son.

Huaraz and the Callejon de Huaylas received over 10,000 tourists during the national holidays

i-Perú´s Laura Rodriguez Mendez announced that tourist numbers during the recent holiday weekend exceeded numbers initially given, with more than 4,000 visiting the temple of Chavín de Huantar. i-Perú observes the service towards tourists in Huaraz closely, and Laura Rodriguez Mendez revealed that the majority of complaints and reports received related to the poor service from the travel agencies and included not meeting departure times, and the suitability of vehicles provided for tours. Furthermore, restaurants, hotels and bus companies raised their prices, causing controversy. Hotels and hostels are said to have reached 100% occupancy rates indicating an increase on last year of visitor numbers.

More than 200 UNASAM students lose university residence

The Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo University in Huaraz (UNASAM) is a national university; therefore, students do not pay to attend courses; however, a new law preventing students remaining indefinitely at universities in Peru means

that students who fail the same course three times will have to pay a fee to retake the course, if not they will be expelled from university. At the moment there are a shocking 4,000 students who have spent eight years trying to get their degrees, and as such are causing unjustifiable expenses for colleges. Most of the students and teachers have spoken out about the radical changes and are asking for the failure rate to be increased from three times to five.

Bus fares increase up to 200% and obstruct the promotion of regional tourism during Peruvian Independence Day and public holidays (Fiestas Patrias)

According to Isabel Luján there exists an inconsistency between the promotion of domestic tourism, and the lack of regulation of passages. The national tourist was left helpless during Fiestas Patrias because of the abusive interpretation of the law of supply and demand concerning overland transportation. A greater demand for tickets didn’t mean client services increased in fact ticket prices went through the roof with some bus companies doubling their prices. For example a ticket with Oltursa normally costs 75 Soles, but on Friday 26th it went up to 100 Soles. A passage to Huaraz with Cruz del Sur is normally 59 Soles, but specially for the holidays people had to pay almost twice as much: 110 Soles. Travelling to Huancayo normally costs 78 Soles with Cruz del Sur, on Friday the rate increased to 110 Soles. The situation was exacerbated in the case of destinations where only a few companies have access. Such was the case in the Ancash district of Huallanca exclusively accessible to companies like Cavassa or Estrella Polar whose normal charges do not exceed 30 Soles, but during the Fiestas Patrias the fare increased to 90 soles.

Unfortunately there is little customers can do as no state body regulates the fares. Neither the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC); the Land Transport Superintendence of People, Cargo and Goods (SUTRAN); the Ombudsman or INDECOPI, can (or wants to) defend the consumer because, simply and for the benefit of a few, there is not a single law in the Ley General de

Transporte y Tránsito (General Law on Transportation and Transit) that restricts the exaggeration of bus fares. If a passenger decides to make a complaint to one of the institutions named above the response is simple: ¨There is no regulation and prices are established by the law of supply and demand.¨ This is why a country like Peru, with ample opportunities for tourism development, exists in a vacuum. Peru´s areas are constantly promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR), and this should create an increase in tourist activity, but until someone is willing to protect the rights of those Peruvian adventurers eager and hungry to experience the wonders this country has to offer, tourists will have no other choice than to have their pockets squeezed. Happy Holidays!

1st Peruvian Congress of Digital Tourism Marketing 2.0 to be held in Lima

According to the Peruvian Association of Travel and Tourism (APAVIT) 80% of foreign tourists who visited Peru in 2012 browsed the Internet for information about the country before visiting. This has led to the first ever Ematur Forum 2013 and the first Congress of Digital Tourism Marketing being held with the aim of enhancing tourism by the strategic use of digital marketing tools.

The main trends of digital marketing strategies and international tourism will be presented and discussed, with the focus on Peruvian businesses active in the tourist industry. Both foreign and domestic speakers in the field of online tourism marketing will attend discussing the following topics: Tourism Market Trends and New Traveller´s Profiles, E-Marketing Strategies of Tourism, Tourism Agencies, how to appear in Internet search engines, Social Networking and Tourism and finally Hospitality, E-Marketing and Online Reputation Management. The congress will take place in Lima on the 4th and 5th of October and will be backed the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) and the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Lima. People interested in attending can contact Julissa Lujan at [email protected] for more information.

clinica San Pablo

Posters were spread to find Julian



Around HuarazPlaces of interest

around HuarazHere we present a guide to the villages around Huaraz in the Callejon de Huaylas and Conchucos. Most of them are easily accessible by microbus (colectivo). Ask your hostel owner or landlord where to catch the colectivos in Huaraz.

Callejon de Conchucos

The Callejon de Conchucos, which runs almost parallel to the Callejon de Huaylas to the east of the Cordillera Blanca, is less accessible and, therefore, less frequented by visitors, but it is equally beautiful. The Callejon de Conchucos is known mostly for the old Chavín de Huántar Ceremonial Complex. It offers a variety of off-the-beaten-path villages complemented by local festivals, typical music and customs. Take enough cash because most villages in the Callejon de Conchucos have no ATMs.

San Marcos (2960m)

San Marcos is located nine kilometres north of Chavín de Huántar, in the Mosna valley. Here you can expect basic tourist services as well as spectacular mountain-biking options. The Mosna Valley is also known as Magnolia Paradise because of the many flowers that enrich the area. At the nearby Antamina mine you could find fossilised remains of dinosaurs.

Huari (3150m)

The province capital is located 152km from Huaraz; about four hours by public transport. It is famous for its gastronomy and the María Jiray Waterfall. Seven kilometres from Huari is Lake Purhuay which also offers camping, trekking and mountain-biking facilities. Also worth visiting is the archaeological centre of Marca Jirca.

Chacas (3359m)

Less-known hikes to Huari or Yanama are accessible from this little village (Yanama is also the start of the Santa Cruz trek). Chacas offers tourists an excellent opportunity to experience the Andean lifestyle when visiting the main plaza. Flanked by the colourful windows and doors of the white painted houses;

many with complex wooden balconies. There is a direct bus route to Huaraz with Transporte Renzo.

San Luis (3131m)

Capital city of the province of Carlos Fermín Fitzcarrald, it will take no less than six hours to reach this township from Cátac. Famous for the archaeological site of Cashajirca located three kilometres north of San Luis, and the beautiful Sanctuary of Pomallucay, this church offers its home to the image of Lord Justice Pomallucay.

Other villages in the Callejon de Conchucos worth considering visiting are Pomabamba, Piscobamba and Llamellín.

Callejon de Huaylas

The Callejon de Huaylas stretches for 150km in the Anca sh Region of Peru with the Santa River running along the valley floor. The Huaylas Valley is more crowded and most conventional tours run over paved roads.

Recuay (3422m)

If you have ever wondered how Huaraz looked before the earthquake of 1970, then visit Recuay. The structure of the narrow streets and adobe houses (houses built from sod) give a good impression. Just before arriving in Requay at the Bedoya Bridge, on the right hand side, starts the 183km road towards Olleros and Huaripampa, which is also the beginning of the Llama Trek towards Chavín de Huántar.

Carhuaz (2645m)

Famous for its local ice-cream and home to a lively Sunday market were countryside inhabitants sell various handicrafts, fruits and typical products from the region such as Manjar Blanco (blancmange).

Marcará (2950m)

This village mainly serves as a drive-through between Huaraz and Yungay. It is famous for its baños termales (hot springs) of Chancos. Weekdays are a lot quieter; at the weekends locals from the surrounding villages descend and the pools tend to become overcrowded. Expect the temperature of the pools to be around 70°C.

Jangas (2825m)

Here lies the parish of Don Bosco, an Italian Roman Catholic priest who in the 1800s established schools and carpentry and woodcarving workshops for orphans and street children. Jangas is a charming village not far from Tarica, and Anta airport.

Tarica (3600m)

This drive-through town is part of the conventional tour towards the Llanganuco Lakes and is best known for its many roadside shops selling handicrafts and potteries.

Yungay (2500m)

This is where tourists get the best views of the Huascarán, which is the highest mountain in Peru. Nowadays the old city of Yungay is a national cemetery because of the earthquake of 1970 that hit central Peru – killing 25,000 people in the city alone. The new town was rebuilt 1.5km north of the destroyed city. Yungay has the best access to the Llanganuco Lakes, Laguna 69 and Yanama where you could start the Santa Cruz trek.

Caraz (2250m)

Caraz is 32km from Paron Lake, the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, and is surrounded by 15 snowy peaks. Canyon del Pato – a rock formation formed by the movement of the Cordillera Blanca – is also in this region.

Iglesia de Chacas de la Virgen de la Asunción, picture courtesy of Amelita González




Trujillo/Huanchaco

Not only is Coco Rim Amad the distributor of the Huaraz Telegraph in Huanchaco, she also set up her own NGO last year after becoming disappointed by some organisations mentioned in the article down below, when most of them were unable to explain where the volunteer fees go. One could question why volunteering should cost any money at all. Therefore, she would like to share some thoughts and options with our readers. Read what Coco has to say on volunteering in Huanchaco.

If you are travelling and want to mix pleasure and good deed, then Huanchaco and Trujillo offer you many great volunteering options, which for me is a passion, a dream that combines helping others and travelling at the same time. I started volunteering to meet new people, learn about new cultures and grow by challenging myself to think outside my box. Of course the reasons are many. Many ask me why I picked Peru and the answer is not simple, but Huanchaco has something mystical about it, and everyone who has been here for a short amount of time end up prolonging their stay for the same reason.

As the founder of an NGO in Huanchaco, I advise you to keep your eyes open and ears peeled when you pick a volunteer workplace. Whether it is a big or a small organisation shouldn’t hinder your decision, especially since many organisations today decide to charge their volunteers fees and don’t automatically provide accommodation. Think about why you are looking for volunteer work. What kind of work do you want to do? Read about the projects, check how updated the information you are getting is. Look at the transparency of the organisation: many claim to take a specific percentage for administration, can you find out how much do they charge exactly and where the admin fee is going?

I love seeing all the pie charts and wonder what is 26% worth, out of the invisible money they get. It is simply not transparent enough. And when they offer accommodation, I start wondering how much am I going to pay over the price.

In a country like Peru – and specifically a place like Huanchaco where the living cost are the lowest I have ever encountered anywhere else in the world – I still find myself wondering where all that money goes. I’m tired of the politics of organisations that have become businesses basically for anyone who sees the opportunity to make money out of the nice people who are willing to pay. They all say the same, ‘if you compare it to back home, it is still much cheaper.’ My biggest tips to you are: don’t ever pay in advance, get to the place, check the

possibilities and the projects and then, if you are happy with all conditions, go ahead.

I myself got too tired to look for one that matched my needs and ethics. I got the opportunity of opening my own school in Huanchaco and I am very happy with that decision. Now, I am not telling you that your only option is to start up your own organisation. On the contrary, there are many great projects, you just need to do your own research. Here comes a list of options, but there are many more. Study well and pick wisely from the many alternatives that Huanchaco and Trujillo offer!

All volunteering options are listed alphabetically and all information was correct at the time of printing. Prices, projects and conditions etc. are subject to change as is any information gained from the website of each organisation. The Huaraz Telegraph accepts no responsability as a result of these potential changes.

Bruce Peru

Bruce Peru unfortunately becomes for the third time in a row a volunteering option with irregularities. Back in 2012, Trevor Eagleson, however unable to get into contact with them wrote the following for the Huaraz Telegraph: ‘Bruce Peru is easily the most expensive volunteer option that I have found in the Huaraz area, 580 U$D per month to work and pay for your own food and transport in a city where you can find monthly accommodation with cable TV and WiFi for S/. 450.’ A quote taken from their website states ‘in spite of the large number of volunteers who have served our programmes, we remain a small organisation’ referring to their

2,228 volunteers to date. ‘We normally have between 5 and 45 international volunteers serving at any given time.’ So, with an average of 20 volunteers per month and 240 volunteers per year, 139,200 U$D has been generated per year. Not bad for ´a small organisation´. This is of course not even looking in their other organisations in the rest of Latin America...

Bruce Peru was also subject in our Volunteering in Huaraz article in the May edition this year where author Thomas Kristianson found out the following: the Huaraz Telegraph contacted Bruce Peru through their three email addresses mentioned on their website and this year, we got a result. In a written reply, we were informed that Bruce Peru is no longer active in Huaraz, contrary to what it says on their website. We obtained this information from [email protected].

The owner of the organisation located in Trujillo seems to have become ill, so the Huaraz Telegraph has been informed by an anonymous restaurant owner in Huanchaco. On the other hand, we were also contacted by a volunteer who had paid the registration fee but who, upon arrival in Huanchaco, became unable to contact Bruce. The volunteer ended up writing their deposit off and went on to volunteer with one of the other organisations mentioned in this article.

Espaanglisch

Espaanglisch offers inexpensive language classes using native English speakers to benefit the poorest economic areas of Trujillo. The programme is aimed at giving those previously unable to afford language classes a chance to learn a new language. In doing so,

Volunteering in Huanchaco, come and make a difference!

A volunteer for Otra Cosa Network at La Rampa while working on a skateboard project with young kids


Happy children at Espaanglisch language school




Trujillo/HuanchacoEspaanglisch allows for the fostering of new skills and opportunities in both their students and the community as a whole. Espaanglisch Language School provides free classes to children and very low-cost (sometimes free) classes to adults from the poorest neighbourhoods of Trujillo, the third largest city in Peru. We use native volunteer instructors who give our students a learning opportunity they could not otherwise afford. There is one-time administration fee of S/. 200 (approximately 70 U$D) on arrival. Accommodation is not included in the price but they offer housing options for an extra fee. Their webpage: www.espaanglisch.com.

Hermanos Menores

If you are tired of humans and have a passion for canines, they do a great job helping the street dogs in Huanchaco. Ursula Martínez states the following on their Facebook page: ‘It’s a sad truth but the reality is that many people in Huanchaco don’t respect their animals and treat them as if they were rubbish. Animals don’t deserve to be treated this way, they are living things and they are our “younger brothers and sisters”. Please help us to publicise what we are doing in Huanchaco so that when someone finds an abandoned dog or cat or any kind of animal in the street they will know to get in touch with us so that we can find them a better life. Our work is entirely non-profit. We do it out of love for animals and a desire to spread positive animal consciousness.’ Hermanos Menores can be found on Facebook.

Horizon Peru

Horizon Peru, a small NGO located in the low-income district of La Esperanza, was founded by Manuel Silva, a native from the area. Horizon Peru works in partnership with local elementary schools and also teaches private lessons in the Horizon School house. At the public schools, class sizes are of 30 students, aged between 5 and 13. At Horizon School, classes are more like a tutoring session, with one to four students per class. Horizon tries to transcend cultural barriers by promoting an appreciation

of other cultures, respect for different norms, long-lasting friendships and appreciation for different ways of living, all of which create an improved learning environment.

The Horizon Peru asks for a minimal one-time contribution fee according to length of stay. This money goes towards maintaining the house, school supplies, and helping us implement our programmes. One of our long term goals is to be able to invest this capital in the community as well. They operate a system whereby the longer you stay, gradually the less you pay. All other expenses such as travel, food, and recreation are the responsibility of the volunteer. Lunch or dinner in a nice restaurant typically cost no more than 2-3 U$D and if you prefer to cook for yourself, it is even cheaper. Accommodation is included in the price where volunteers pay S/.1,200 for the first month and people staying longer end up paying S/.600 per month. More information at: http://www.horizonperu.com.

Milagro School Peru

If you want to combine surf (or just chill time), work around 15 hours a week and not pay to volunteer, this is the place for you. Milagro is situated on the hills of Huanchaco, Cerrito De La Virgen. It is a new school that just opened in the beginning of 2013. They offer English and some skills classes (arts and crafts, volleyball, soccer, photography) to the locals’ children. The school raises money through fundraisings in Huanchaco and around the world. The 40 kids who attend the school come from a very simple background, some do go to the public school but others don’t. Milagro’s vision is to give these kids a couple of hours a week where they could be free from all their responsibilities and just be kids.Contact Milagro School at [email protected] or visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/milagroschoolperu. Once more, volunteering is free of charge.

Mis Manos Montessori

This is another great local nursery following the Montessori guidelines. It is run by a man who has a passion for teaching kids creatively. The school is located at the end of Huanchaco and is free to volunteer for. Visit their Facebook page for more information as Mis Manos Montessori does not have a web page yet.

Montessori kindergarden: Casita de los Niños

The local kindergarden Casita de los Niños was founded by a little NGO called Huanchaco in Action. They work on the principles of Montessori, based on creative work. The kindergarden has raised the funds to obtain the specific materials/toys needed to teach children along the Montessori guidelines. They cater for children between the ages of 2 to 5 who come in weekday

mornings to learn in a playful way some English, cooking, art, dance and theatre. The school is located in the middle of Huanchaco, at the old library, in a space that is made available to them by the local government. It´s free to volunteer and you could visit their Facebook page if you would want to contact them https://www.facebook.com/mismanosmontessori.taller

NAFE-Perú (Niños con Amor, Fe y Esperanza)

NAFE-Peru is a non-profit organisation with the aim of helping and improving the quality of life for low-income children by providing food, school consolidation, teaching them about moral values and spiritual Christian principles. It´s free to volunteer there. More information on their Facebook page as NAFE-Peru does not have a web page yet.

SKIP, Support Kids in Peru

SKIP is an international NGO registered as US non-profit and UK charities that provide classes to reinforce what the kids are already studying in school, such as maths, English, art, sport and help with homework. In the contribution fee you pay, accommodation is included. Volunteers usually share but options for private rooms can be arranged. The contribution fee is affected by the length of stay: the longer you stay, the cheaper it will be. Participation starts at S/.1600 and goes down to S/.570, according to your length of stay. Contact them by email [email protected] or visit their website at www.skipperu.org.

Otra Cosa Network

Otra Cosa Network (www.otracosa.org) is a registered Peruvian non-profit NGO and UK Charity (registration number 1133680). They offer a wide variety of affordable and satisfying volunteering opportunities to well-motivated volunteers from around the world. In turn, they help to support the needs of their community-run partners projects. Otra Cosa Network has projects mainly in or around Huanchaco, but also in other parts of Peru. They have projects in teaching, working with children/youth, community development, construction, environment, animal welfare, health and social care and work in partnership with smaller NGOs.

Accommodation is separate from the so-called service fee and, depending on choice of housing, you start up paying from S/.12 per night. For the service fee, they ask for a percentage in UK pounds and the rest in Soles to be paid upon arrival. If you´re interested in volunteering for Otra Cosa, please visit their website.

Please note that not all volunteer organisations active in Trujillo and Huanchaco are mentioned in this article due to space available in the newspaper. If readers would like to share their opinions about some of the NGOs mentioned, please visit our website: www.thehuaraztelegraph.com

Poor and abandoned doggies become happy dogs at Hermanos Menores


The Huaraz TelegraphJean-Paul Pari from Switzerland at NAFE, children with love, believe and hope


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