The Cajas

We still haven´t made it to the bikes yet, but yesterday we did run for the first time since we arrived in the Andes. We´ve been so active since we´ve gotten here, walked a ton and hiked a lot, but the terrain has been nearly impossible to run on, and we couldn´t motivate to brave the polluted air of Cuzco. Yesterday, we visited Ecuador´s National Park known as the Cajas. We drove through it on our way to Cuenca after flying into the coastal city of Guayaquil a few days ago, and I was drooling out the window as we passed through (in large part in awe of the park, but also to escape the nauseating and overpowering smell of hot urine wafting out of the bus´ bathroom stall). The park is a wonderland of water; after spending two weeks doing nothing but climbing and descending in the arid mountains around Cuzco, it was a relief to see high mountain landscapes that actually were somewhat flat and which were covered with signs of water. Flat is relative, but the park is dotted by lakes and ponds and endless rivulets and creeks of running water. Cascades roll over time-eroded and sanded stone, and peaks and ridges surround the huge flat spaces filled with these different manifestations of water. Through it all are stands of gnarled and equally weathered trees and brush, and clouds and mist roll across the mountain landscape.
So, yesterday, we set off for the park, intent on covering some serious ground without the joy of switch-backs or 40 pound packs to slow us down. We´d run when we could and hike the rest, all the while basking in the beauty of these amazing mountains. After the ranger at the entrance station told us a nice 3 km path would keep us busy for four hours and once seeing that the glossy map recommended at least 17 hours for the route we were eyeing, I had to convince Abby to trust me that we could safely run and trek our way across the park and get out before dark, all within a 7-8 hour limit. With warnings of lost hikers freezing to death, and the high altitude debilitating hikers, Abby was the voice of reason. I was not to be turned away however, especially after our defeat on the trail to Choquequirao, and after she somberly placed her fate into my hands, we set off on an epic adventure. We crossed bogs, skipped across rocky terrain, traipsed off trail across grassland, using lakes and streams to navigate. We crossed a saddle around 13,500 feet (our high point for the trip thus far) and descended over a thousand meters through three distinct ecosystems: the sparse high altitude cajas, a mossy and dense rainforest and a lower coniferous valley. We strolled by countless splashes of color as a variety of meadow flowers vividly spotted every trail we trod, and at one point our trail plummeted down a trail that demanded every ounce of attention and skill without requiring us to be tied into ropes. As we neared the finish, a pair of German hikers pointed out a toucan perched in a tree near the trail, and a herd of llamas grazed silently in a meadow below. After walking part way out to the main road, fortune smiled upon us once more, as we were offered a ride by a local farmer. We jumped into his truck, expecting a lift to the main street where we´d catch a Cuenca bounds bus, but instead he gave us a ride back into Cuenca itself.
In a trip filled with the best day hikes I´ve ever done, I´ll add this to the list without hesitation. We made it the entire distance in just under six hours, soaking in the Grimm-like world around us while also getting a good workout in for Untamed. Who knows if it will happen, but it looks like we might get on bikes for the first time in a couple of days. Following that, and a good soak in thermal baths in the center of the country, will be four nights on the flanks of Cotopaxi, one of the highest mountains in the country, where we also, theoretically, will have access to bikes. And a recent and very exciting development will have us ending the trip with a training day, hosted by Team Proyecto Aventura somewhere around Quito. We´ll be biking with them too, so hopefully the next ten days will make up for three weeks without our trusty steeds!

*Pics to follow if we ever find a good computer again...