Huancayo to Huaraz

We spent 3 or 4 days resting at the La Casa Buela hostel in Huancayo getting the blog updated cleaning bikes and riding gear.I changed my rear tyre which  had lasted since Punta Arenas-.    The owner of the hostel is married to a New Zealander and his grown children living in New Zealand. We had to move on and headed toward to Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca mountains and many snow capped peaks over 5000 metres.

Lunch stop and this guy was having a sheep head soup.Not for me thanks.

Buying lunch for the restaurant and haggling over price.

The day was all tar seal and we headed through La Oroyo a mining town which had the unenviable reputation as one of the most polluted places in the world.Stayed the night in Huancho in a hotel.

The next we had the goal of getting to Huaraz before dark.

Another sheep getting tranported about.

Cleaning dishes at road edge.

We decided go via a gravel road over a high pass and dropping down into the Rio Santa valley, but we had a few hiccups the day started to close in on us because of the gravel roads and slow speed we were travelling at and we had to make a decision . Ride over a high pass on a route that could turn horrible or take the tar seal and play it safe. We decided to to take the gravel route which looked more direct.

Its getting late its snowing,its cold the road is getting slippery. Bald tyre. We are at 4300 metres and only 15 km into route.We decided to turn around.Now its getting even later. My googles completely fog up at one point so quickly that I have to stop quickly before I ride over edge. Heart rate goes up abit.

Wet and getting cold.

We start to go faster to get to Huaraz before it gets dark. I end up riding in the dark for about 30 minutes. Its something I try to avoid because of chances of having an accident increase .I end hitting a rock I didn't see, then just miss a dog. Also stopped by the Police at a check point again no problems though. Find a cheap prison type hostel.