pedalpanam

Hands down one of the most incredible days of cycling on this trip. I’ll try to let the pictures do most of the talking.

I had caught up with Greg in Huaraz, and Torrey and Lucie, who I met in Trujillo, had made it there as well, so we headed out together.  South, upvalley for a little while then the turnoff on a gravel road into the park.

The uphill didn’t seem terrible but we weren’t moving too fast either, the altitude was certainly getting to us.  So we called it a day about a mile before the ranger’s station at around 4,100m (13,500 feet).  That night it got just below freezing, the first time for me since February in Mil Cumbres near Morelia, Mexico.  But the next morning the sun was up and there were little clouds, so the weather was perfect for biking.

More photos below

Continue reading Huascarán National Park

16,000 Feet from Matt Kelly on Vimeo.

By far the highest elevation so far on this trip!  The day consisted of climbing from the highest overnight campsite yet at 4,100m (13,500 feet) to just under 4,800m (15,700 feet), then a downhill of about 500 feet and then up to 4,884m (16,023 feet)*, but at that moment I didn’t realize it was actually that high.  It is hard to describe the effects of the altitude, other than you and your brain move really slow.  Breathing for the most part was OK, as long as I didn’t try moving too fast.  The views in Huascaran National Park were incredible, stay tuned for pictures later today.

*(according to the guys from panamerica.ch who did it a few years ago).   Also check out Jeff Kruys’ blog, he and another cyclists camped at the pass and got a little snow over night.

I was eager to get out of Trujillo, in the week I was there I had seen only a few hours of sunlight.  When I arrived after coming down from the mountains I was sure it would be warm, as it was on the coast and in the tropics.  But because of cold ocean currents or other meteorologic phenomena, the sky was overcast the whole time and folks were out and about it gloves and scarves.  The 5o miles south of Trujillo marked the first time I had been on the Panamerican Hwy in Peru, and it was a reminder why I’ve been avoiding it and the coast so far.  Bleak, windy, though to be fair, generally a good shoulder the whole time.  I loose a bolt for my chainring, as I had only finger tightened them in Trujillo while I was tuning the bike and never got around to clamping things down.  Despite many thousands of miles on the road, this was the first time I’ve changed chainrings, and always learn something new every time I tune the bike.  Even obvious things like tightening super-important bolts.

I passed lot of agriculture, which I found odd as the sand and rocks that seem to cover the area doesn’t seem very fertile.  But somehow through the magic of irrigation and probably lots of chemicals, you can grow anything from grapes to asparagus.

I reached the famed dirt road that is a shortcut east into the Santa River valley, a private mining road that avoids heading down the coast to Chimbote.  I’m not sure what cyclist was the first to try this route, but this little nugget of knowledge has been circulated amongst cyclists for a while now.

Continue reading Huaraz, Peru

12000 from Matt Kelly on Vimeo.

More or less what I’m saying when it is too windy to hear me:

Almost 3 weeks since I last posted (but as usual, I’ve been adding short updates via Twitter). After a few days off in Cajamarca, Dylan, Greg and I were ready to find some quieter towns. That we did. First to San Marcos, then to Cajabamba.

I woke up in Cajabamba and knew things Weren’t Good. I optimistically went to buy some fruit with the hopes of getting back on the road, but the sights and smells at the market made me rather nauseous. I packed my things up and walked a block to the hostel Greg had stayed at, I wanted a little more comfort and a clean bathroom for what would be a bout with food poisoning. I’ll spare you details but needless to say I spent a few days in bed getting over a fever and not eating much more than a roll of crackers.

Continue reading Trujillo, Peru

How many days in a row can you say “This was my favorite day in Peru so far!”?  Apparently at least 4.  Last time I updated from Leimebamba I had spent another day riding along the Utcubamba valley.  That was favorite day 1.

Continue reading Cajamarca, Peru