Lares Valley ( Weavers Way ) - Peru

We arrive in Cusco full of apprehension of what the next 4 days has in store for us. This is one of the big trips of the expedition and personally I cannot wait. We're located in Hotel Cahuide near the centre of Cusco and meet Odin and William from Pachamana Explorers and receive relevant information of our forthcoming trek. This is a more remote trek along the Lares Valley ( Weavers Way ) where you are going to interact with the locals going about their daily work, that of growing potatoes and tending their herds of sheep, alpaca and lamas along with witnessing some traditional skills, that of weaving, sewing and knitting. Potato growing is their biggest pastime and over 5000 different types of potato are grown in Peru with over 150 types in this valley. This trek is not as long as the traditional Inca trail but it is higher at 4780m and will test our fitness and stamina. It is little travelled by tourists and makes for a great few days. So Jeanne, Francois, Terry, Leslie, Anthony, Lisa, Neil, Geoff and I begin with a minibus ride to a locals market at Calca where we buy fresh fruit, breads, note books, crayons and pencils to give to the children en route. This market was great to look around and had everything you could imagine. The locals were a cheery bunch and it was good fun. Onwards we progressed through the valleys to our start point that of the hot springs at Lares where we relaxed in the sulphur baths and had lunch whilst watching a local lady spin some wool. I bought a table runner from her,weaved locally,and a Peruvian hat for Lu. In fact I bought several hats for Lu along the trail which has become a bit of a joke, they're all so nice and Lu likes hats. All relaxed we get to our start point, porters loading up the mules with all the equipment, tents, clothing, food, cooking equipment etc and we head off on a steady two hour climb to our first destination Quishuarani. It is incredible, you start to trek upwards and you start to puff, your lungs trying to eek out every bit of oxygen. The trick is to take it steady, get into rhythm and take regular breaks. The scenery is stunning so plenty of photo opportunities. Dilemma, do I bring my canon camera and all the lenses or stick to my Olympus point and shoot. I decide to bring the canon and lenses which weigh quite a few extra kgs which in your back pack at normal altitude are nothing but on a trek at this altitude is a whole different ball game. Our first night is with a family at their farmstead all built with mud bricks. It is a fascinating in-sight into their everyday life's. Tents erected in a barn area we are informed it will be cold and could reach -5 degrees overnight. Francois plays volleyball with the families children after we give them fruit, bread and some toys. The woman display some knitted wears and funnily enough I bought a hat, nice hats. Our porters cook dinner and before anything we drink coco tea. This aids in preventing altitude sickness and we have it morning and night. A dinner of soup, fresh trout, potatoes and vegetables was very welcome as was the 10 hrs of sleep that followed after watching the freezing fog creep up the valley. Toasty warm it was the best sleep I've had all expedition.
Woken at 0530 with hot coco tea and a bowl of hot water for washing we kit up for seven hours of trekking, after a hearty breakfast of course, all knocked up with the aid of a gas bottle and a few pans. Before we leave Odin demonstrate how to chew the coco leaves, place the wad between lip and gum and gently suck the juice which opens and numbs your mouth and throat . Apparently this aids in prevention of altitude sickness. Again it's a steady climb, unrelenting and it takes its toll. It's getting tougher, less oxygen, more pain but steady away we slowly cover the km. It doesn't help seeing the local ladies in beautifully coloured skirts with big loads of wood or produce strapped to their backs running past you at a rate of knots. However one such lady came tearing past only to place the contents of her shawl before us. It was a welcome break and yes I bought another hat. Shortly after this we come across a mountain trout farm and take a break. Another aside to altitude is it can play havoc with your stomach and when you need to go ( if you get enough warning) you definitely need to go, sharpish. Well this phenomenon occurred and I raced over a couple of hillocks out of view, paper in hand, found a quiet spot, in the process of dropping my trousers and just happened to look up to see three local ladies sat on the hillock opposite watching me. A friendly wave, I shout morning, hoike my trousers up, and head off over another hillock at an even greater rate of knots out of view.
The scenery is indescribable and the camera doesn't do it justice. Mountain lakes, crystal clear, turquoise in colour, deep valleys covered in trees or plateaued and farmed, with back drops of rugged mountains the peaks softened with snow, all adds to an amazing experience and makes up for the fact I'm blowing out my arse. As you ascend you tend to get a bit ratty and the last thing you want is to talk ( you need every bit of oxygen ) and you don't want to be told you look rough, several times by some bloody Aussie bloke. Geoff and I look out for each other but patience was wearing thin and we both told each other to bugger off at some point haha. The last 100 m climb to the summit was tough, slow and forcing one numb leg in front of the other was hard graft, but we made it and enjoyed a while relaxing and taking in the spectacular scenery at 4780 m. Once over the saddle we start to descend in the knowledge that every step down is more oxygen. The mountains are incredible and our descent brings us to a local school at Cancha Cancha, which will be our camp for the night. We pay about £30 for a sheep and it is slaughtered and prepared. A fire is constructed and stones built above it to heat. A layering system of straw, plastic, earth and rocks gently cook the lamb. However it's a tough old beast and the choicest cuts seem to disappear. A good meal, if you like rubber, a chat and cups of herbal teas before heading off for another excellent nights sleep. The following day is much the same, up early, breakfast and back on the track not before all the local school children descend on us for books and pencils. They wear such colourful clothes but are grubby with it and with rosey cheeks. It was lovely seeing their little faces light up at receiving such small items. We continue down this side of the valley which has changed, now into woods, a fast river cascading through huge boulders, it's beautiful. We reach Fundo Huaran, hand out more pencils and books and chat with the locals. It's been a great trek and finally we reach the end, have lunch, say goodbye to our porters who head back over the mountains the way we came and we head off in a minibus to Ollantaytambo to catch a train to Machu Picchu ready for the next adventure, that of Machu Picchu. In all an absolute fantastic few days, hard graft trekking at altitude but totally rewarding, integrating with the mountain folk, the beautiful scenery and a sense of achievement.

Adios mes amigos

Tony x


1-3. Calca market
4-5. Lunch at the hot springs, sulphur, smelly
6. The lady I bought my runner and a hat from, spinning wool.
7. The beautiful surroundings
8. Our porters getting ready to load the mules.
9. On our way.
10-14. Some of the lady's we met en route, harvesting potatoes, resting by a hut, selling her wares, carrying a load.
15. Beautiful mountains
16-17. The farmstead where we stayed the first night
18-20. Children from the farmstead.