Day 377 – Santa Cruz Hike
Second day of Santa Cruz
The cook woke us at 6am with hot cocoa tea in the tent. We got ready for our 6.30am breakfast. It was simple yet filling. We continued packing our bags and tents, finally leaving at 7.15am.
Today will be the hardest day. Since we were doing the hike in 3 days, instead of 4 days we would have to go longer than normal. We had to hike to the tallest point of the Santa Cruz Trek. For the most part, the start of the hike was no more difficult than yesterday.
And then we reached a rocky section. This section is a steep upward climb towards the Punto Union.
Punto Union
The Punto Union is the highest point at 4,750 metres above sea level. It was difficult and slow going. We got to the top at 11.30am. After a quick breather, we were able to enjoy the beautiful views around us. The snow peaked mountain ranges and lakes are just stunning and well worth the effort.
The way down is so much better! After an hour of walking, we met up with the cook and ate another wonderful lunch. Here we chatted with the guide. He told us that there is actually a race through the Santa Cruz, with the record being 4 hours, to do this 4 day hike! Won by a local in case your wondering.
Laguna Jatuncocha
After the downhill section, we had a very long flat section to tackle. It wasn’t hard, but our legs were aching like crazy. At 3.30pm, we mercifully came to the camp site at Laguna Jatuncocha. We instantly threw off our boots. At the camp site we had we had some snacks and tea.
Then, half the group walked to the laguna, around 100 metres away. The rest of the group didn’t want to take another step. We went to the edge of the laguna and dipped our feet in the freezing water. It was refreshing after the ~17km day of hiking, which took around 8 hours!
We enjoyed dinner at 6.30pm and then enjoyed the stars above us.
As per yesterday, everyone was asleep by 8pm.
Super tough day!
Click here for our quick guide to the Santa Cruz Hike (https://travelthegap.com/quick-guide-to-santa-cruz-trek/)