Valle Ishinka

The weather of the Cordillera Blanca has fallen into a very predictable pattern. Rain every day. The Oregonian is happy here. Our last adventure was in the Ishinka valley, a large drainage about an hour from Huaraz. We joined a new Australian friend of ours, Henk, after meeting him and his fiance Issy briefly during the Santa Cruz trek. We had decided that some company would be appreciated for our next hike and in addition he already picked out a guide. This included transportation, food, and burros to carry our packs. It was an appreciated luxury not having to carry our heavy backpacks, and it turned into a relaxed hike to the base of 6,000 ft Tocallaraju. During spring in the Cordillera Blanca the only mountains that one can climb are limited to a few peaks around 5,500 meters. After shopping for guides ourselves we found that Ishinka and Uros were probably the only cheap and safe hikes to do before we leave Peru. Arriving with us at the base camp was the perpetual rain. Fortunately for us, there was a cave large enough to cook in and during the next 72 hours almost all of our food was consumed there. Our guide Allan was worth his price, at least in the food he made. Lomo Saltado, sauteed beef with rice and french fries, greeted us the first night and it seemed that the stove generated enough hot food to put the cold wet weather at bay. The actual hiking was not so hospitable however. Waking up at 1:30 am Ishinka was our first peak. After the previous week´s precipitation, there was enough powdery snow to make Allan frustrated. We prevailed and were rewarded with a fleeting couple hours of sunlight and a spectacular view at the top. The next day didn´t yeild the same results though. Maggie declined the chance to wake up even earlier the next morning, which turned out to be a wise decision. After several hours of grueling hiking straight up to Uros, it was decided that the snow made it too dangerous to cross the boulder field. The climbing was over before daylight and we were back in camp by dawn. Although slightly miserable, the experience was still rewarding. From this trip we are taking away something very special, a new recipe for oatmeal. Tons of water, milk, lots of sugar, and only a bit of the actual oats. It turns out like a creamy gooey slop!