Crisscrossing the Peruvian Andes

16.04.2025 we reached Huaraz. A little lost for a while on the steep street, we ended up, by chance, checking in at Santa Cruz Hotel relatively late at night (after dark).

Next morning at breakfast, we discovered the dining room’s spectacular view to the Cordillera Blanca, one of Peru’s most famous mountain chains. As we ate breakfast we got introduced to Bjørnar from Oslo, the owner of the hotel. Bjørnar told us that he has lived in in Lima for more than 20 years and that he visits Huaraz regularly to check on the Hotel operation and enjoy some mountain trekking in the surrounding Andes mountains. As a compatriot, it was a pleasure to hear him explaining (to Mona) his preference for lonely high mountain trips and how he tries to avoid people and touristic routes. As a true Viking, Bjørnar is in fact the first Norwegian we have met after combing large parts of South America, and to meet him in Huaraz was really a pleasant surprise.

Interestingly, as a person with a well-formed global mindset as a result of many years abroad, Bjørnar admitted that he did not see himself ever returning to Oslo – with his Brazilian wife and daughter it was simply out of the question. Too much time has passed and too much has changed – I know the feeling.

Earlier, as we crossed Argentina, we spent a night at Camping Municipal Ituzaingo not too far from Salta. During our stay, I started conversing with another Toyota overlander. His name was Ricardo, and he was from France. Fortunately for us, he has a lot of travel experience amongst other from Bolivia and Peru and was able to give us route suggestions for the area north of Huaraz, including a contact to a local guide. Now talking to Bjørnar and his Peruvian hotel manager, we had an opportunity to triangulate the various ideas we had about our route options as we headed further north.

Preferring to stay on more narrow and less trafficked roads, we soon had a rough overview. However, our plan was uncertain since mountain roads in the Andes often close due to rain and subsequent mountain slides. Locals usually relatively rapidly remove masses of mud and earth using excavators as they depend on road-transport for supplies between the villages and transportation of people.    

So, our plan depended on consulting with locals along the route. And, so we did – we were in for some exiting driving, and stunning views of nature at high altitudes and deep valleys as illustrated by the following photos and videos. Sometimes words simply fall short of describing what we saw and what we experienced.