Photo: PromPeru Peru's Magical North Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 09795A Price: Deposit: $200 Capacity: 12 Leader: Peter Calingaert
The Trip  Photo: Peter Calingaert Starting from Lima, we proceed northwest along Peru's arid Pacific coast before turning inland to explore the mountains of the famed Cordillera Blanca, with the highest peak in Peru. We continue to the major northern city of Chiclayo. Then we drive across multiple mountain ranges into the central highlands around Chachapoyas, where a particularly successful culture developed starting around 800 AD. From there we cross the mountains twice again to Cajamarca, where the Spanish invaders defeated the last Inca emperor. We conclude with a flight back to Lima. Because of the appeal of Machu Picchu, those parts of Peru that lie in the opposite direction from Lima are underappreciated and undervisited. Their highways and tourist infrastructure are inferior to that of the more heavily visited areas. Of the many pre-Columbian civilizations that flourished in Peru, the Incas have received most of the publicity. The outstanding accomplishments of the Chavin, Chachapoyas, and Moche cultures – to name a few – have often been undervalued. The trip is designed for Sierrans who want considerable outdoor activity during
the day and don’t mind challenging mountain roads, but seek some comfort
at night. It allows sufficient time to experience northern Peru’s coastal
and Andean environments, including the country’s most spectacular scenery,
and to present several rich pre-Inca cultures of this rather little visited
portion of a fascinating country.
Day 1: Trip members will transfer individually from Lima airport to our comfortable hotel in the elegant Miraflores district of Lima (300 feet). Overnight: Lima. Day 2: After breakfast (the first included meal), we will have an introductory meeting. We will then enjoy a half-day tour of Lima, featuring the well-preserved monastery and church of San Francisco, the colonial city center, and the Museum of the Nation, whose exhibits introduce Peru’s many civilizations. We will then board our bus and drive north along the Pacific coast to overnight in Barranca. Day 3: We begin with a morning visit to the Sacred City of Caral, a product of the oldest civilization in the Americas, dating possibly to 3000 BCE. This 163-acre site developed almost simultaneously with the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China. Afterward, we drive up the valley of the Rio Fortaleza, across a 13,400-foot pass in the Cordillera Occidental, and down the valley of the Rio Santa to reach the town of Huaraz (10,100 feet). Overnight in nearby Monterrey.  Photo: Peter Calingaert Day 4: Today we drive in the shadow of Peru’s highest peak (22,200-foot high Huascaran, in the Cordillera Blanca) and turn uphill into Huascaran National Park, where we visit the beautiful twin alpine lakes of Llanganuco (12,600 feet). The turquoise lower lake Chinancocha is female; the green upper lake Orkoncocha is male. We continue by exploring the Santa valley, including the site of the former town of Yungay, obliterated in a massive landslide that struck without warning in 1970, burying some 18,000 inhabitants. Overnight in Monterrey. Day 5: We drive through Huaraz and cross the Cordillera Blanca on a curvy and vertiginous road through the Kawish Tunnel (14,800 feet) to reach the archaeological site of Chavin de Huantar, built at 10,700 feet between 1200 and 800 BCE. This is the major legacy of the Chavin culture, which influenced strongly its successors in northern Peru. Much of the construction is underground, and will repay our leisurely visit. Overnight in Monterrey. Day 6: Today is a long travel day to reposition us farther north. We first drive back to Lima, then take a scheduled 85-minute evening airline flight to the important northern coastal city of Chiclayo (160 feet) for overnight.  Photo: INT Day 7: We devote the bulk of the day to an excursion into the Chaparri Ecological Reserve. Located in a dry lowland forest east of Chiclayo, this 84,000-acre private reserve was created by the community of Santa Catalina and the famous Peruvian wildlife photographer Heinz Plenge. Designed specifically to protect the spectacled bear, it involves the local population in its conservation programs. During our nearly level hike through the reserve for a few hours with a local guide, we expect to see bears in large semi-wild enclosures, as well as the endangered turkey-like white-winged guan and other rescued fauna. Overnight in Chiclayo. Day 8: Today we visit the “richest burial ever excavated in the Western hemisphere”, that of the “Lord of Sipan”. Starting in 1987, three unlooted royal tombs of the Moche civilization were discovered and their contents carefully preserved. Rivaling those of King Tutankhamun, these include some of the finest gold and silver work your leader has seen, extraordinary by any standard but especially remarkable for having been crafted some 15 centuries ago. We view at leisure the stunning artifacts, displayed in one of the world’s best archaeological museums, and also visit the Sipan site. Near Sipan, we visit a hacienda that offers demonstrations of the famous Peruvian walking horses (caballos de paso) and of the coastal courtship dance, the elegant marinera. We also visit Tucume, the most extensive pyramid complex in South America. Overnight in Chiclayo. Day 9: Today we drive north and then east, over the 7,000-foot Porculla pass, down to cross the Rio Maranon (an Amazon tributary), and up again along the scenic Rio Utcubamba (“cotton fields”) as far as Chachapoyas, nestled above the river valley in the cloud forest of the central highlands (7,700 feet), for overnight.  Photo: Luis Ocas Day 10: We drive to San Pablo de Valera to take the easier of two hiking routes to view the Gocta waterfall. Long known to the indigenous people, Gocta was first brought to the attention of the outside world in 2006. There is considerable disagreement over how to compare the heights of waterfalls. Peruvians claim that Gocta, with two tiers totaling 2,531 feet, is the world’s third highest. Our round-trip hike will require 4 to 5 hours on a good trail, starting at about 6,300 feet with a total elevation change of approximately 750 feet. We will spend some time at the viewpoint. The rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight in Chachapoyas.  Photo: Peter Calingaert Day 11: Strengthened by our Gocta hike, we will now tackle the Chachapoyas-culture archaeological site of Kuelap (10,200 feet), perched on a hill overlooking the Utcubamba. Northern Peru’s answer to Machu Picchu, this oval fortress measures 600-700 yards long by more than 100 yards wide. Massive walls over 30 feet high enclose some 400 small circular houses, as well as a few larger structures. Built around 800, it was occupied until the 16th century. After visiting this mystical site, we drive farther up the Utcubamba valley to Leymebamba (6700 feet) to visit the excellent small museum built in 2000 by local people using local materials. It features replicas of the Chachapoyas burial chambers found in the surrounding mountains. Overnight in Leymebamba. Day 12: Today is our longest driving day, through the most spectacular scenery of the trip. We cross the 10,600-foot Barro Negro (Black Mud) pass, descend to cross the Rio Maranon in the tropical desert at Balsas (2,800 feet), then continue up over the 10,500-foot El Indio pass, down a bit, and finally over the 11,900-foot Gran Chimu pass on our way to Cajamarca (8,700 feet). Some of the road is paved. Upon arrival we unwind from the rigors of travel in the thermal baths at our hotel. Overnight in Cajamarca.  Photo: INT Day 13: Cajamarca is a lovely colonial town, in addition to its historic importance as the site of Francisco Pizarro’s 1532 capture of the last Inca, Atahuallpa. We visit the only remaining Inca building, said variously to be where Atahuallpa was held, or where his ransom in gold and silver was piled up; the church and hospital of Belen; the funerary niches known as Ventanillas de Otusco; and Cumbe Mayo, where we hike to an impressive two-millenia old aqueduct that highlights the talents of pre-Inca engineers. Overnight in Cajamarca. Day 14: In the morning, we will board our included 90-minute scheduled airline
flight from Cajamarca to Lima. There we will have the use of day rooms at our
hotel in Miraflores. We will continue our tour by sharing a farewell lunch
(the last included meal), and visit the Museum of History, Archaeology, and
Anthropology of Peru. This museum features important artifacts from the civilizations
we will have encountered earlier. The remainder of the afternoon will be at
leisure. The trip will conclude with an evening group transfer to the airport
for our international flights home. Getting There Participants wishing to spend extra time in Lima or elsewhere in Peru may wish to arrive early and/or leave late. Those who prefer to do so on their own can obtain myriad suggestions from the trip leader. Those who would rather be shown the sights can engage the services of the outstanding travel company contracted to the Club for the main tour. One possibility would be a pre- or post-tour extension to Machu Picchu.
We will normally stay in small hotels. Most of these are locally owned and operated, and have a three-star rating. Our clean, comfortable twin-bedded rooms will have private baths, except for the possibility of shared facilities at Leymebamba. Breakfast at the hotel will usually be a light buffet. Lunches and dinners will be taken sometimes at hotels and sometimes at independent restaurants. We will have a box lunch on some long driving days. Food will be plentiful, varied, and tasty. Although Peru is not a haven for vegetarians, we will accommodate them to the extent possible.
It is essential that participants be in excellent health. The main physical challenge is the elevation. On day three we zip from sea level to a pass at 13,400 feet and then spend three nights at 10,200 feet. After three more nights near sea level, we head uphill again to sleep at between 6000 and 8000 feet. We drive briefly to almost 15,000 feet. Our hiking is neither long nor strenuous per se, but some of it will be in much thinner air than most of us are used to. In addition to planned hikes in the Chaparri Reserve (near sea level) and to the Gocta waterfall (6250-7000 feet), there is substantial climbing at some of the archaeological sites, especially Kuelap (10,200 feet) and Cumbe Mayo (11,500 feet). Trip participants will quickly become aware that Peru is a "vertical country." Long portions of our route are on mountain roads that are winding, narrow,
unpaved, or all of the foregoing. Rather than split the group into 4WD vehicles,
which are not necessary in the dry season, we will all remain together with
the trip leader and Peruvian guide in a single medium-sized bus. To forestall
driver fatigue, we will use two drivers on the longest days. The group size
is limited to allow each participant to have a window seat as we travel through
hours of captivating scenery.
Sturdy, lightweight, broken-in hiking boots are a must, and a pair of trekking poles (with rubber tips for the rockier sites) will be helpful to some. No other special equipment is required. A detailed suggested packing list will be sent to participants.
The following books will get you started. An extensive reading list will be sent
to participants.
Conservation The most important single issue is probably global warming (not mere “climate change”), which is melting glaciers on Andean peaks. These glaciers have been a primary source of water for natural and supplemental irrigation of the coastal deserts. The resulting loss of this water poses an immediate threat to agriculture, and a long-term threat to sustenance of human life.Peru is the world's largest producer of fish meal, a substance used in fertilizers and animal feed, and the industry dominates Chimbote and other coastal towns. Many of the factories are located in the middle of residential areas, where they pollute the air with soot. They also discharge fish remains, oils, and proteins into public drains, often blocking them and flooding the streets with wastewater. Irresponsible industry practices are linked to serious health problems in Peru, including a cholera epidemic in the early 1990s; the life expectancy in Chimbote is 10 years less than the national average. The industry has also been a disaster for the environment. Factories decimate fisheries with bottom-net dragging and dump heated water into the ocean, creating dead zones along the coast. A foreign mining company has been digging for gold on a mountain considered sacred by the indigenous people as well as being an important source of water. Short-term production is continuing as workers extract gold from the ore in leach ponds. A new copper and zinc mine about 90 miles north of Lima has been operating without adequate environmental protections. The mine, owned by four multinationals, is expected to become the world's seventh-largest copper producer and third-largest zinc producer. Faced with a plethora of archaeological sites and a ready – albeit illegal – market
for pre-Columbian artifacts, Peru is not able to provide sufficient protection
of archaeological sites against theft and the concomitant destruction.
This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader. See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner. The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers, may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.
 General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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