(energetic music playing) - [Eric] I have just arrived in the city of Huaraz here in Peru.

I'm going on a big trek in one of the dream places for me the Cordillera Huayhuash.

Virgilio, where are we going?

- [Virgilio] We go to a path which is called Sambunya.

- [Eric] Just in the last 300 feet or so, I started to really feel the altitude start to pile up on me.

And this is one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the whole world.

I truly love it.

Holy moly.

I think this is the most blue lake I've ever seen.

(women singing) That was a huge avalanche that just came down.

They've been heating up the rocks all day today and that is what we're actually cooking with.

This is a powerful experience being here.

This landscape is unlike any place I've ever been.

I'm Eric Hanson.

When I see a trail I see more than a path from point A to point B.

(piano music plays) A good trail is the ultimate opportunity to explore, to discover new landscapes and to challenge myself.

(piano music plays) When I don't have a pack on my back, I'm thinking about my next big adventure because my mission is simple.

My mission is to discover the world's most epic trails.

(water rushing) Epic Trails is made possible by the following Alaska by rail.

Passengers can travel the coasts and wilderness of Alaska with baggage, service, meals, and wheelchair access.

Information available at AlaskaRailroad.com Collette offers small group exploration tours, destinations and local experiences.

Explorations by Collette.

Guided travel since 1918.

Vivid-Pix memory station and software allows users to scan personal history items like photos and documents, record voice narrative, and share what has been conserved.

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Host- Additonal support provided by these sponsors ♪ upbeat music There are only a few places in the world that stir my heart with a wild passion.

Ancash, Peru is one of them.

(techno music plays) Here in central Peru are the jewel of the Andes, the Cordillera Blancas and the Cordillera Huayhuash, two pockets of mountains that sandwich Huaraz, the capital city of Ancash.

Ancash is full of natural beauty.

The lakes practically glow emerald green.

Birds make their habitats in the unique high altitude ponds and below the blue ice of the glaciers the lush green of the fertile valleys and mountain sides paint a picture of an idyllic lifestyle.

Simply put, Peru is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.

And the Cordillera Huayhuash is Peru's most dramatic mountains.

This is why I've traveled to South America.

To trek Peru's marvelous Cordillera Huayhuash.

(soft guitar music plays) I have just arrived in the city of Huaraz here in Peru.

Now, Huaraz is a very special place to me.

I spent a lot of time in this city when I did a big solo trek through South America.

And also Huaraz is one of the main adventure hubs for all of Peru.

Anybody who's a climber or a trekker has definitely come through Huaraz in order to do some of the most fantastic treks in the whole world that are based right outside of the city.

So, over the next couple of days, we'll be settling in here to Huaraz and then I'm going on a big trek in one of the dream places for me, the Cordillera Huayhuash.

It's gonna be a big adventure ahead.

All right, let's go explore the city.

(soft guitar plays) The city itself is relatively small in terms of the square footage, but they pack a lot of people in.

There's over a hundred thousand people that live in Huaraz and it is a bustling town.

It's got traffic everywhere, you've got people working on the streets, you've got markets, people are trying to sell stuff.

It's got its own vibe that is very unique to Huaraz.

And I actually really like it here.

I just saw a really amazing looking pile of strawberries right over here at this marketplace.

So, I'm gonna get some 'cause they look delicious.

(soft guitar plays) (Eric and merchant speaks Spanish) - Seven years ago, Cafe Andino was the place that I hung out at all the time.

And it's where I did all of my planning for the treks that I was going on.

So, it only felt appropriate to be meeting up with Virgilio.

at Cafe Andino to talk about going on the Huayhuash trek.

- Hello.

- Hey, how are you?

So good to finally be here in Huaraz?

- Hmm, good.

- Yeah.

- Ready to go to the mountains, eh?

- I am very ready.

What are we gonna be doing for the next few days, next week or so?

- We leave the day after tomorrow and then we drive into the South for five hours to Chiclayo.

- [Eric] Peru is this interesting place where it has this blend of really rural feel and also bustling city life.

And so just outside of Huaraz is this spectacular landscape, but the only way to get there is on this really rough road that just climbs and winds its way up these spectacular mountains.

So, Virgilio and I, we set off from Huaraz to go up to Yungaguco and some of the surrounding passes that are back tucked into the mountains that are spectacular in order to get my first acclimatization hike.

Today's objective for be Virgilio and I is to acclimatize.

Well, he's already well acclimatized, but for me as an outsider coming in to do a huge truck like the Huayhuash, it's super important that I actually get my body adjusted to being at, oh, 15,000 feet up here.

So, we are in Huascaran National Park, one of the super impressive places in the Cordillera Blancas just outside of Huaraz.

And we're getting in a good hike to just start getting me to breathe and be more used to what's coming ahead for the next few days.

(upbeat music plays) Huascaran is the tallest peak in Peru at over 22,000 feet.

It is a beast and I love standing in its presence.

It is so cool.

(joyful guitar music plays) I used to do about two or three months worth of living out here as I trekked in this area.

So, it feels very special to be back in Huascaran National Park.

And this is one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the whole world.

I truly love it.

And anybody who's been a climber or a trekker might know about this area.

So, I'm getting in my acclimatization.

Feels good to be back.

Hopefully I'm ready for the Cordillera Huayhuash.

Whew!

It's gonna be a big one.

(upbeat music plays) Today's the day.

Virgilio and I are setting off.

We got the crew behind us.

They're packing up camp and today we're heading off way up over that pass that's behind me.

So, it's gonna be a huge day.

A lot of elevation gain and then a big descent down the other side of the pass as well.

So, the sun is just now hitting us and it's time to go.

(gentle guitar music plays) - [Eric] Virgilio, where are we going?

- [Virgilio] We go to a pass, which is called Sambuya.

You see the black mountain?

- [Eric] Yeah.

- [Virgilio] In the middle?

- [Eric] Uh huh.

- [Virgilio] Yeah, the pass is to the right side.

- [Eric] Okay.

(soft guitar plays) (Eric whooping) Doing a trek like this, we have- The team kind of spreads out a little bit.

So, we have good Gregorio Chileno who's behind me here and he's our master chef and our cook.

Behind him is Rosalino.

He's our aveiro and in Peru are very important for any trekking expedition because they're the horse masters and donkey masters.

He'll be ready for us when we get into camp on the other side of the pass.

(gentle guitar music plays) So, we begin our ascent and it is knee pounding killer.

It is hard work, but every step of the way we have this beautiful mountain that's behind us that's just drawing us further into the mountains.

(soft guitar plays) We're making some big progress, but boy, am I feeling it?

Honestly, just in the last 300 feet or so I've started to really feel the altitude start to pile up on me.

This is hard.

This is quite a big challenge out here.

(soft guitar plays) Oh!

Virgilio.

- [Virgilio] Yeah?

- [Eric] Oh!

(Eric grunts) We did it!

- [Virgilio] No, Eric.

Sorry.

This is not the pass.

- What?

- We are near the pass.

The pass is over there.

- What?

- 15 more minutes.

- Oh, you said that 15 minutes ago.

I'm tired.

I feel a little deceived.

I thought we'd made it.

Turns out there's another pass.

This is a false pass.

Miles to go before we sleep.

(soft guitar plays) So, at long last Virgilio and I approach the pass and I cannot believe the landscape that stands before me.

The whole mountains just open up.

I have a whole new view of an entirely different set of the mountains.

And perhaps most impressively is this jewel, this emerald jewel of a lake that is at the base of this glacier and these spectacular mountain ranges.

Okay.

I think this is the most blue lake I've ever seen but how does that even happen?

'Cause I've seen lots of lakes and only one like this.

- [Virgilio] Really depend the sediments of the mountains.

- Yeah.

- Which goes to the lake.

- Okay.

- What kind of the sediments there are, you know?

And also it's very important to know how deep is the lake to have a good color.

- [Eric] Yeah.

- And also it's very important.

The sun.

- Ah, okay.

There's not a lot of places in the world that just knock me over with how beautiful they are.

But right here I am astounded.

This lake is so, so blue and beautiful and the mountains that are behind us.

I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful pairing and I'm honestly just, I'm feeling speechless here.

I'm trying to put into words how I feel, but this is a powerful experience being here.

This landscape is unlike any place I've ever been.

As we're hiking through and having lunch and just being up in the mountains, about every 30 minutes or so I would hear this rumble and you know, just wondering what it is.

But as we descend down, I see the very first of many avalanches just pouring off of the rock face.

Well, if that didn't just give you a sense of awe and wonder and respect for the mountains, I don't know what will.

That was a huge avalanche that just came down.

Holy moly.

(gentle music plays) It's been an incredible day.

It's been a hard day.

I can't complain about this being a day of work but it's definitely been a challenge.

It's put me to the test coming up and over that pass.

We're on the home stretch.

I can see where Rosalino has set up camp for the night and I am very excited.

So, onwards we must press.

(gentle music plays) Okay, when I was still a hundred yards away from camp I started smelling something amazing.

So, I want to go in here and see what the cook has got going on.

Chileno here, he has been preparing some of the finest food that I've ever eaten.

It's kind of how it works around here.

We have a delicious soup.

That's like our starter.

That is the first dish.

And now he's got, basically has a flank steak going on as a second course.

And then of course there's also gonna be a dessert thrown in there.

So, you can say I'm living pretty good out here in Peru.

(upbeat music plays) (guitar softly strums) There's something special about alpine lakes to me, and you know, there's a draw to 'em and a magnetism to 'em.

In the morning, I'm feeling like I just want to go wash my face and rinse off.

Kind of feel that briskness of the water.

Then Chileno, our cook, throws a little bomb out there that, "Hey, if you want to be like the locals, you go swim over in the real pond."

And you know, I take that kind of as a personal challenge.

And so he shows me where it is and like, yeah, I'm doing this.

You know, it's gonna be cold.

I know it's gonna be cold but I also know it's gonna be super rewarding.

So, I dive in and it literally takes my breath away.

Involuntarily, I just start shouting, hooting and hollering.

And I'm not even thinking about this.

It's just this innate reaction in me as the cold kind of jolts my body in the morning.

It is one hell of a way to wake up here in the mountains.

That feels good though.

Oh man.

(Eric whooping) A pachamanca is a really important traditional dish for the people of Peru, especially up here in the Highlands.

So, when Virgilio announced that they were doing a pachamanca for me, I was super honored and was very, very excited.

(gentle guitar music plays) So, they just pulled out all of the hot coals because they're not actually cooking with the coals.

They've been heating up the rocks all day today and that is what they're actually cooking with.

So, I believe that they're going to collapse this structure that they've built and then put the food on top of the rock and then that's what's gonna create the heat that's gonna cook the food for our pachamanca.

It was also one of the most incredible settings for a pachamanca.

Just sitting there up at 13,500 feet with the base of these spectacular glacier covered mountains.

Seeing all the ingredients go in, it was really, really rewarding and amazing.

So, now they're covering it with cardboard.

That's been soaked and now some vegetation, some green, and that actually is gonna bring out all the steam that's going to provide a lot of the cooking for the meat and the potatoes and all the veggies that are going into the pachamanca.

Rosalino was about as giddy as a boy on Christmas.

He was just so thrilled to be digging a hole and making a fire.

And it was really fun to see his excitement, to see Chileno and Rosalino kind of argue about what way to do things best.

They each definitely had their own style.

(Chileno and Rosalino speaking Spanish) It's really wonderful as it's time to start removing all of the earth, peeling back all of the dirt and you see all the grass that's under there.

There's this beautiful steam coming up through the green grasses, and it's just so charming looking and so idyllic that this is like a traditional way of preparing food.

It kind of makes me long for a little bit more of a connection to the earth like you can tell that people have here, even with the way that they prepare food and eat food.

(soft soothing music plays) The first bite.

Oh my God.

So good.

Oh, look at this potato.

Still steaming.

I have never had a sweet potato taste like that.

Oh!

Tender.

(Eric exhales) Oh my goodness.

That's incredible.

(joyous music playing) I'm all fueled up with pachamanca power, feeling satisfied.

And now Virgilio and I are setting off for another mirador.

We're heading up for a mountaintop to get a viewpoint of all of the surrounding valley.

(snaps) Let's go.

(soft music plays) As we keep going up, every subtle change in the perspective of the mountains brings it into a fresh light.

And it just keeps reminding you of how truly beautiful this place is.

Every different view of the glaciers, the way that the ice is forming on the peaks, the views of the avalanches.

- This is one of the best miradors in all wide world, really.

- Yeah?

Really?

- Yes.

- [Eric] Something that I've really enjoyed over the last few days is seeing Virgilio light up about cameras.

He actually has a pretty good camera that he's brought with him.

And as I am taking a lot of photos the camera crew here is taking a lot of photos and videos.

He has been actually coming up and being like, "Hey, can you help me take some time lapses?

Can you help me take some better photos?"

And it's really cool to see him being passionate about the photography here in the mountains in his home landscape.

(mischievous music plays) Sometimes men are idiots.

And you know, when we get together we like to one up each other.

And somehow some way we got into a push up challenge this morning.

I don't know how it happened.

Not gonna complain about it, not gonna justify it but it happened.

Virgilio, Rosalino, and I, we decided to see who could do the most pushups.

I'm not gonna say who won, but it wasn't Rosalino.

The ladies are laughing at us.

(Eric grunting) (Virgilio exclaims in pain) (Rosalino speaks Spanish) (both breathing heavily) (birds chirping) Well, the time has come for us to make our way out of the Cordillera Huayhuash.

We're leaving behind some of the most incredible mountains I've ever seen, and we're gonna be going up over a big pass and then out to the village of Pampa, and then that will be it my friends.

I will be sad to see this all go but we still have to get up and out of these mountains.

So, the adventure is not through.

Virgilio and I are setting off and we're gonna enjoy this final day on the trek.

(soft music plays) I think finally, after four or five days here, I'm starting to feel more acclimatized.

This isn't quite so difficult.

It's hard, but I'm not breathing quite so hard as I was four days ago.

- [Virgilio] This is the last climbing.

The pass.

The last pass.

- [Eric] The last bit?

- [Virgilio] Yeah, it is.

- [Eric] It's a sad thing to be leaving behind such a beautiful place.

It feels like the type of place you just want to sit at the base of these mountains for forever.

It does feel kind of like saying goodbye to an old friend, walking away from the mountains.

You know, you're kind of like parting ways after college.

You know you'll be back.

You know you'll always be friends.

You know one day you'll visit again, but it might be a while.

(inspiring music plays) Virgilio is a treasure.

He has been doing this for 20 years and you can see the joy and the passion that he has for these mountains.

He grew up in Huaraz nearby, and you know that when he brings people to these mountains he's sharing something truly important to him.

And it was really wonderful to get to experience these mountains with him.

He's so knowledgeable.

He's so kind.

He has such a compassion for me as a hiker, as an outsider.

You know, whether he is trying to give me his checking poles or making sure I'm not going too close to any edges which I was on 15 different occasions, way too close to the edges.

He's a great guy.

And I just see the passion for the mountains.

And it's wonderful to get to experience that with him.

Whoa!

Good job!

- Virgilio.

- Well done.

We are ending the trek.

Thank you for coming to Peru.

- Yeah.

- Huayhuash.

- Well, I am very grateful to you, also to the Apus.

That was an incredible experience.

You, Rosalino and Chileno were such a huge part of making this so fun.

The food was incredible.

It was so much laughter and smiles and the energy that you all brought.

You guys crushed it for us.

So, thank you so much.

- You're welcome.

Let's go to the last mirador to take photos and- - Yes!

- [Virgilio] Let's go.

- [Eric] Our last glimpse of the mountains.

- [Virgilio] Yeah.

(somber music plays) - [Eric] As I'm walking away, I'm just feeling like, man this place, it feels like it's changing me.

It feels like it has left an impression behind that I remember the first time I ever saw these mountains and it was with fresh eyes.

It was everything.

I felt it with just as much rush and exhilaration as I did the very first time.

There's more to this trek than I've gotten to do.

There is a version of this trek that's 10, even 14 days long.

And there is more to these mountains, so I know I'll be back.

(inspiring music plays) Epic Trails is made possible by the following Alaska by rail.

Passengers can travel the coasts and wilderness of Alaska with baggage, service, meals, and wheelchair access.

Information available at AlaskaRailroad.com Collette offers small group exploration tours, destinations and local experiences.

Explorations by Collette.

Guided travel since 1918.

Vivid-Pix memory station and software allows users to scan personal history items like photos and documents, record voice narrative, and share what has been conserved.

More online at Vivid-pix.com.

Host- Additonal support provided by these sponsors ♪ upbeat music (upbeat music plays)