In May 2017 I travelled overland through spectacular Andes mountain scenery from Peru to Ecuador, the next country on my journey around South America. Below are some of my favourite photos and videos from continental Ecuador. My Galapagos Islands visit will be blogged separately.
I spent my first few Ecuadorian days in and around the idyllic Hosteria Izhcayluma and nearby Vilcabamba.
Mosquito with extremely long legs at Rumi Wilco Nature Reserve, Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Huaraz, north of Lima, is the capital of Peru’s Ancash department and a great base for trekking the Andes Mountains.
Ancash has many peaks over 6,000 metres’ elevation including Peru’s tallest mountain, at 6,768 metres, Huascarán. In May 2017 I was keen on hiking and seeing amazing landscapes. I wasn’t getting too high though, after previously experiencing altitude sickness twice above 5,000 metres.
While visiting Huaraz I hiked Laguna Wicacocha and Laguna 69. For more serious trekkers, the region has many multi-day options including the classic Santa Cruz trek.
Following are my favourite photos of Huaraz and surrounds.
South of Huaraz, the hike to 3,750 metre high Laguna Wicocha is a great half-day outing and altitude-acclimatiser. As a bonus, the views are fantastic.
Worker riding tricycle with trailer next to Laguna Wilcacocha and in front of snow-capped mountains
The scenery and views around Pitumarka in Ayapata District blew me away. Travelling from Macusani, Rocío and I accompanied guide Ulices and our Hilux 4WD driver for the first of two amazing day trips.
Seeing the glaciers, mountains, waterfalls, lakes, Andean geese, flamingos and other birds on the way to Taype was a great start. At Taype we turned off the main Ayapata unsealed road and drove past Lake Taype surrounded by mountains and potato fields.
Lake Taype with potato fields in the foreground and mountains behind
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The journey from Ayapata to Puerto Maldonado was my most amazing and varied single day of travel ever. Seeing glaciers, tropical jungle and other magnificent landscapes all on the same day is hard to beat.
In late September 2016 Rocío and I wanted to get from Ayapata, Puno Region to Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios during daylight to view the scenery. There was no direct day transport, not even from Macusani. Using local advice, we reached our destination via the following steps:
A mountain with sheer cliffs towers over this building between Ayapata and Macusani Continue reading
The highlight of my visit to El Calafate in January/February this year and, indeed, one of the absolute highlights of my trip, was seeing the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. The glacier’s awesomeness cannot be overstated. The mild and sunny weather on both days I visited accentuated the experience.
According to Wikipedia, a glacier is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. Perito Moreno’s movement slowly pushes it against the land, causing various sized pieces of ice to fall off regularly. I was lucky enough to witness and record a giant ~50 metre high slab falling off the glacier (see video below). Every four or five years a bridge forms in the ice and crashes down even more spectacularly. The bridge last ruptured on 10 March, more than a month after I visited.
The head of the Perito Moreno Glacier pushing against the land Continue reading