Route : Olleros - Canrey Chico - Punta Yanashallash - Chavin
Level of Difficulty : Little difficulty
Suggested trekking season : The best time for doing this trek is from the first week in April to the second week in November.
Duration : 4 - day expedition
Description :
The Olleros - Chavin trek is one of the most popular in the Cordillera Blanca. It takes us through the three natural regions: Quechua, Suni or Janca and Puna, ranging from 3,090 m .(10,135 ft.) to 4,700 m .(15,416 ft.) of altitude in the southern part of the Cordillera Blanca. First, we will head to a community named Olleros, where we will begin our trek. There, muleteers and their donkeys or llamas will transport all the loads throughout the circuit. During our first day of approach, we walk along a dusty path that leads up to a village called Canrey Chico. On our way there, we will appreciate the Andean way of life and will learn more about indigenous art and the use of quincha and adobe (a mixture of mud and wheat hay) in their constructions. As we pass near farmlands, we will see how farmers combine traditional techniques and new farming technology in order to improve the quality of their crops without altering soil fertility excessively. Since the uphill walk brings us to an increasing altitude, the landscape begins to change and take on hues that match the green Andean pastures and the beauty of the Cordillera Blanca. We enjoy the Shacsha glacial peak to the north and Pucaraju to the south. Among meadows and plains, they keep us company until we reach the Uquian Valley before arriving at a small village named Sacracancha, made up of a few small huts with adobe walls and thatched roofs.
Our long journey takes us over a pre - Inca trail built with stone slabs. Part of the construction has deteriorated due to the passage of time since it was built before 900 B.C. The structure contains sections which amaze and surprise visitors since they still contain vestiges of a great work of engineering built in harmony with its natural surroundings, which brings it to life and provides a special contrast. We are led to a large meadow surrounded by rock massifs to the south and the majestic Uruashraju glacial to the north, displaying its wonderful, vertical southeast face. As we follow the winding pre - Inca path, we make out a few scattered huts on a field. Rather than a small community, it appears to be home to a few shepherds who tend to their flocks and cattle. Locals tell us about a stone building known as Tres Ventanas, Three Windows. According to an Andean myth, this miniature stone temple symbolizes the three sacred worlds: the heavens, the earth and the world underground. It is located in Punta Yanashallash, at 4,700 m .(15,416 ft.) , a short distance from where we are. Arriving at the pass is gratifying, since the beautiful landscape before our eyes makes us think such a view would not be possible had the hands of our indigenous ancestors and Creator not joined to achieve such a scene. Our descent down similar trails, among rocky walls, flights of stone steps and polished surfaces bear witness to our ancestors' architectural techniques. We continue decreasing our altitude until we reach the Soncopampa Valley , which leads us to an Andean community called Shongo, made up of 60 families. This is an interesting village since its inhabitants have preserved a traditional way of weaving textiles and use ichu or straw to manufacture hats, baskets and ropes.
The colorful valleys are set off by the geographical accidents on this side of Cordillera Blanca, in which the numerous valleys we see create a certain confusion with respect to our own location and that of our goal, the Chavin de Huantar Temple . We find numerous communities that contrast harmoniously with the Andean landscape and realize that their customs and traditions manifest themselves in their dress and way of life. Jato and Chinchucancha are two memorable villages due to original Andean architecture and pleasant disposition of their inhabitants. It surprises us to notice that the path has a prolonged uphill stretch shortly before reaching our final objective. This is because we have to cross a glen since the local topography is rather vertical. From the highest point, we can see the Huachesca River flowing into the glen's depths as well as our long-awaited objective, the Chavin de Huantar Temple , Center of the Universe. An impressive archeological monument, it is a temple consisting of consecutive platforms which form a pyramid and steps. The platforms located near the top were used as altars. The main entrance is about 70 meters long and the flight of steps at the entrance is 14 meters wide. The building boasts a doorway framed by two beautiful sculpted columns.
The temple walls are built in perfectly aligned rows of polished stones. Every so often, heads sculpted in stone ( cabezas clavas ), of horrendous appearance, emerge from the walls. Within the building, we find a great figure called the Lanzón , which must have been the main deity. It is located in the oldest part of the temple, where we can also find underground tunnels. The Chavin people were magnificent sculptors. The stone shows us the complex techniques they developed, which enabled them to create stylized animal renderings such as the Jaguar, Snakes and the Condor. These beings also appear on the Monolithic Lanzón, the Raimondi Stela, the Tello Obelisk and many other stone sculptures. Upon departing from Chavin, visitors experience feelings difficult to describe, a mixture of emotion and magic, not only for having visited one of the most significant temples of Peruvian archeology but also because Chavin transmits a unique vision of our identity and history. If you find the Inca Culture fascinating, the Chavin Culture will astound you. It developed and reached its apex in 1,200 BC. As the oldest Peruvian culture, it served as foundation for later ones, including the Inca Culture.
First Day : Huaraz - Olleros - Canrey Chico - Sacrancancha
Second Day : Sacracancha - Punta Yanashallash - Shoncopampa Valley
Third Day : Shoncopampa Valley - Jato - Chavin de Huantar Temple - Huaraz
Fourth Day : Rest day. (Arrangements can be made for those interested in keeping or omitting this day. Interesting alternatives are available.)
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