September 5th, 2015

I wake up with the sun for my 4th and final day of hiking through this amazing section of Huascaran National Park.  I say hi to Mario and stretch out my aching legs as I enjoy the last of my delicious blueberries (prominent just about exclusively in this region of Peru) before heading out the door of the refugio with a key in hand.  Tonight Mario is going back to town to spend the night with his wife and daughter, so I’m going to be entirely alone up in the mountains for the next 24 hours of so, 3 hours hike from he nearest village.  Should be fun.

Out on the now very familiar trail along the edge of the incredible Laguna Paron.  My legs are aching and I’m very tired, but knowing this is my last full day here I’ve decided I want to try the hardest hike I can, heading up towards the glaciers to the right of the far end of the lake.  That said, only a quarter of the way around the first lake my legs are aching deeply and I find myself sitting on a rock alongside the path, enjoying the view and trying to convince myself not to give up.

I get a small burst of energy and manage to make it further along the trail to the boulder in the lake where I spent time yesterday, and there I climb up onto it and collapse, accidentally falling asleep in the sun with the incredible mountains all around me.

I wake up maybe 40 minutes later feeling like a brand new man, glad I started early enough that this hasn’t made my goal impossible.  For the past three days the glacier below Pyramide and the waterfalls further right of that have been taunting me for the past three days.  I still doubt I’ll make it as I set out again further along Laguna Paron, but I figure it has to be worth a try.  I’ve even heard whispers there’s another lake or two up there.

Eventually  I make it to the far end of the lake and take a short reading break by the rushing river which feeds the lake running down from the incredible Laguna Artesoncoche where I’ve spent the last two days. As I glance up at the distant waterfalls and glaciers, I feel pretty unsure that I’ll make it so far, but I still have the determination to try.

I make myself put away my book, (The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell) and head back along the trail towards Laguna Artesoncoche, looking for a place to cross the river and loop back towards the lowest pass up to the waterfalls, and hoping there will be something like a trail there.

As I finally find a crossing and edge my way up I realize this is not going to be easy.  I find occasional brief sections of trails undoubtedly made by cows, but most of the way up I’m scrambling through underbrush until I reach the river which runs through the shallow gorge between the two hills leading up to the twin waterfalls to the right of the huge glacier, which by now is largely blocked from my views by the steep rocky hillsides on either side of me.

I climb up through the gorge for what seems like days, gasping for breath as I climb higher and higher up, the air growing thinner and thinner, and the path harder and harder to follow. Still, I here the water crashing down above me and that is motivation enough to keep going.  Sweaty and cut up by the brambles I’ve been forcing my way through, I stumble out into the clearing where the two waterfalls cascade down on continue along their way making pools somewhere between a stream and a lagoon. It’s utterly beautiful though after seeing the other lakes here, and considering the effort it took to reach I kind of expected more.

Still it’s beautiful and I take another brief reading break before sizing up the hills to my left which block my view of the glacier.  They’re steep and rock covered and look like they won’t be fun to clamber up, but since the waterfalls were somewhat underwhelming I feel like I have to try, especially since there’s another lake up there.

I clamber up the rocky inclines and crest the top sweating, out of breath, and exhausted, only to discover there’s another hidden valley and another even bigger rock covered hill to best before I get to see anything remotely interesting.  Such is life sometimes and there’s nothing to do but hurry up, since It’s already almost 2 o’clock and I’m very unsure how long it will take me to get back to the refugio, or If I’ll even be able to find a way down.

I make it to the top my legs and lungs all screaming in pain, and sweat dripping down my face despite the cutting frozen wind up this close to the massive glacier before me.  That said, it’s been worth the effort, and the view below me is incredible.

From up high on my perch on the rocky crest above this third lake and below the glacier and the mountains I also am gifted an incredible panoramic view of not only the surrounding mountains and the waterfalls, but both of the lakes I’ve previously visited too.

Again checking the time I quickly climb down the steep embankment to the lake, waking across the dried mud of one far end of it towards the aqua marine waters for a closer look.  It’s cold and I’ve got no time for a swim but I do bask in the incredible beauty all around me, including the closest view I’ve had of the dramatic looking Pyramide mountain above me.

I check the time and realize I have to start finding my way down, though I’ve no idea which way I’m going to go, not wanting to backtrack all the way back to the waterfalls, so I scramble over boulder after boulder, wary of the smaller rocks which slide and turn treacherously.  I reach the edge of the cliff and find it steeper here than I’d hoped but decide there’s no time too look for another way, and slowly edge my way down towards Laguna Paron.

It’s exhausting and treacherous work, and I slip more than once, mildly twisting ankles and scratching up my calves and shins, but luckily manage to escape without any serious injury.  It would have been bad news if I did, as no one would have even known until the next morning and nights up so high are viciously cold.

Eventually I make it down to the far edge of Laguna Paron again, feeling dirty and covered in sweat I decide it’s worth another swim despite the biting wind.  I quickly peel off most of my clothes and stumble not the icy pure water of the lake, swimming around for a brief few minutes before climbing out again and putting on some dry clothes, settling in to read for a few minutes.  the cold water has done wonders for my aching muscles and i feel refreshed and even enthused for the roughly two hour walk back to the refugio.

Eventually I force myself up and start heading back along the edge of the lake, taking lots of breathing breaks to look back the way I’ve come.  As the sun edges down towards the crest of the mountains to my right, the skies around the mountains clear and give me a final amazing view of Pyramide and the glowing Paron Lake.

I finish the walk and sit for a minute with my mother’s inukshuk marvelling at the way the clouds are reflecting off the mirror like surface of the lake in the last embers of daylight, before making it back to the refugio for some cheese sandwiches (the only food I’ve got left)  and heading to an early bedtime.  It’s a strangely terrifying and exhilarating feeling as night falls and I know I am utterly alone up here, but I sleep well and honestly enjoy the solitude.

But the entry’s not over, because Linder is not due to pick me up until 9 the nest morning, so I’ve decided to once more rise with the sun and go explore another waterfall seen from the road up, just a short half hour walk from the Refugio.  I wake up just before six and am out the door shortly after, feeling very sad that I’m leaving today.

My legs are more or less broken from all the hiking, probably the most walking I’ve done in any four consecutive days in my life, but I do make it down to the waterfall, appreciating the view of some new mountains, hidden by the lower hills at the refugio as I walk.

Looking down in the valley below me I can see where the outlet of the hydro project which has changed Laguna Paron is, draining it of almost 40 percent of it’s water, though not ruining the incredible beauty of the place.

It makes me think of San Rafael Falls in Ecuador and hydro project that will soon (February 2016 if nothing has changed)  destroy one of the most amazing waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Still at least here the impact has been fairly minimal and soon enough I’m at the waterfall, which crashes down into the valley, feed by the mighty but melting glaciers above it.

Exhausted,  I decide to head back rather than hiking up the rough trail to the base of the falls, satisfied with the view from here, so I return to the refugio that has been my home snapping some final photos of this incredible place before settling down to finish my book before Linder arrives to pick me up.  One thing is for sure; it’s been an amazing four days, and these stunning mountain lakes have been an undoubted highlight of the amazing country of Peru.