Navarra

Navarra 86 years old in Llamac. She remembered me from years past and I stopped in to say hello. She looks quite serious here but is full of laughter and life. I told her I'd visit her again in just a couple weeks to check in. You can see the mountains tattered on her skin. It's beautiful. It's resilient. It ain't easy.

Gateway

Incredible gateway and morning along the shores of Carhuacocha

Hermes and Pipesconcho

Hermes, 67 shows off his horse and backyard. His horse's name was something like Pipesconcho, which he told me translated to something along the lines of "The one and only"

Elifio Eusavio

Elifio Eusevio of Huayallpa (70 years young) carries down an 8 day old lamb who wouldn't milk from it's mother, so he was taking it to town to bottle feed it. Years ago he worked for the local outfit I coordinate with to guide and make these trips possible. He recounted stories of his time as an arriero (horseman) for our groups. He also had a pounding headache from such a long day heading up 4k vertical feet to retrieve this lamb. I gave him a couple ibuprofen and we walked back down to town together. When walking he spoke about the changing climate unprompted as rain clouds began to develop. “When I was a little kid all of this area was covered by ice” (As he pointed to a high cliff of barren dark rock)…”It’s much warmer now, and the rains are unpredictable…”I think that’s why I get more headaches with the weather constantly changing.”

Fire Over The Mountains

We reached camp in Cutatambo 2,00 feet below. We had already crossed this pass (Santa Rosa) earlier in the day. I Was feeling good and sped back up climbing several throusand feet to catch these fleeting magical moments with the Huayhuash mountains warming my soul and connecting me deeper with this land.

Blue Reflection

Stunning calm blue reflections about at dawn along the shores of Laguna Carhuacocha

Out of the Mystic

A mystical scene at camp in Carhuacocha as the clouds lift after dumping snow up high and a solid 2-3 inches of cold rain in just a few hours time. Aniseto, our horseman returns from checking on our burros grazing above to make sure they hadn’t gone too far.

Ready to Work

Horses at camp wait patiently to be loaded with gear for the day at camp in Carhuacocha

Niler

Niler Flores guides his 70 sheep down from Trapecio to Huayhuash.

Passing Time

Elder in Huayallpa. We chatted for a few moments, and I played with her cute dog. Frequenting these communities over and over has allowed me to gain intimate access and relationships versus being a fleeting visitor. It's a wonderful feeling.

Sonya and Juan

Sonya and Juan take a pause from their morning chores milking the cow behind their home in Carhuacocha.

Leading Lines to Jirishanca Chico

Jirishanca Chico reflects in this small lagunita leading the eyes into all of its splendor.

Pachamanca Stew

Mario works on getting rid of the (lana) wool from the sheep's head before cooking it in the earth oven pictured behind. Every part of the animal is used and there's a deep connection between food and the land. A pachamanca (earth pot) is a community feast cooked on a traditional oven made from superheating rocks and cooking the food directly on them. The sheep's head will become part of a soup.

Jahuacocha Dusk

Mitucocha Blues

First light at camp Mitucocha

Catch of the Day

Marco, Alex and Esteban stand proudly with their fresh rainbow trout caught in the lakes seen below. Later, we'd enjoy some fresh ceviche at camp.

Last Ride

I bought a sheep for a Pachamanca (community feast). This was his last ride before being killed for our community feast. Nasario carries him from Viconga to Cuyoc.

Hillside Sheep Herding

Back to the Corral

Bringing the cattle back from the grazing grounds to the corral in Mitucocha. Another day's work. Amazing to watch how efficient this guy was on the horse getting all the cows where they needed to be for the night.

Jurau Falls

Covering the Huatia

Aniseto and Eulalio work quickly to cover the earth oven or Huatia with plastic tarps. The huatia is constructed by building a conical oven using stones with a hole at the bottom for room to put firewood. Once the rocks are placed, firewood is inserted and lit. It takes an hour or so to superheat the rocks. Once superheated, the rock dome is knocked down and the food is placed directly on the rocks to cook. It's then covered with straw and herbs to retain moisture and flavor. Lastly, it's covered with tarps to lock it all in. After 45 minutes or so, the food is all cooked, and you peel off all the layers to enjoy this amazing meal!