Santa cruz Trek - Part 1

I was collected very early in the morning from my hostal by a mini bus and the group of people and guide with whom I would be spending the next 4-5 days.  I introduced my self, but due to the early hour no one spoke much during the 3 hour journey to the village of Cashapampa (2990m). I was sat next to a German guy called Dieter who looked to be in his 50´s and his much younger Bolivian girlfriend. Both of them were wearing jeans, which didn´t really bode well for the up coming trek.
As soon as we started the walk, which was a good 3 hours up hill before lunch, it became clear that Dieter and friend (she was so sulky and sullen I cant remember her name) were not particularily fit or prepared for what was in store. Dieter was also carrying a rather large and heavy back pack full of 2 litre bottles of coke, Inca Kola and yoghurt drinks!
The rest of the group consisted of a young French couple, Marine and Vincent, a couple from the UK, Nicole and John and then there was Annti from Finland and his girlfriend Julie who is a lovely mix of Mauritian and South African and looks somewhat like an eskimo princess. Our guide was called Freddy and the cook was Miguel and the donkey man was called Mellow, but I expect it is spelt differently.
I knew we were all going to get on well and it was nice to have some fellow people with similar sense of humour to mine.  When we stopped for lunch, Dieter and friend made it quite clear that they didnt want to sit with the group and positioned them selves 10 m or so down stream, where he proceeded to strip off down to his underpants! This basically set the tone for the rest of the trip. Dieter and friend walked slowly and kept them selves to them selves the entire time. The only conversation was the occasional "could you pass the salt/sugar/coffee" at breakfast or dinner when they invariably turned up late.



This is the only picture I have of Dieter and friend  from the whole trip

Day one, of the trek consisted mainly of uphill walking. About 6 hours to our first camp at 3760m called Llamacorral. I had my own little tent and there was a mess tent where we all sat and played cards before and after dinner. In general there was a really good atmosphere. Any further reference to we or the group does not include Dieter.
The weather and night time temperature was significantly warmer then the Ausangate trek (further south) but I was really pleased to have my new jacket!
Day 2 was an easier walk along the Santa cruz valley floor. The walk took us past 2 beautiful lakes.

We had opted to do an extra 3 hour side trip up to Arttueycocha where there was a lagoon. Although were were at fairly high altitude I noticed that there were many more trees and flowers that I had seen at similar altitudes elsewhere.

Female lupins

Presumably because we are in the tropics and nearer to the equator. I cant remember all the names but there were amazing trees with bark like red peeling onion skin tissue paper. The boughs hung with silver scarves of moss. There were lots of Mauve and yellow lupins (male and female versions), and Andean daisies, that grew close to the ground and had very dark, glossy foliage in perfect star shapes. 

Although there is a river running through the valley and glacial lagoons dotted about, the earth is very dry, dusty and not very fertile looking. We didnt get to camp much before 5.30pm, just before it got dark. We had probably walked about 20km with the extra bit to the lagoon. Our camp at Taullipampa (4250m) was much higher and colder. It was full moon that night and the stars and the mountains looked incredible in the semi dark.

Dawn breaking on the camp site

Day 3 was the Punta Union pass day. This was going to be the highest point of the trek at 4750m. The path was a 3 hour zig zag up to the top, from where we had spectacular views of the mountains all round.



Punta Union pass