Cordillera Huayhuash – Day 8 – Incahuain to Llmac to Huaraz

Day 8 – Incahuain to Llmac to Huaraz

It’s was our final day in the Cordillera Huayhuash! We had a big decent down to the tiny village of Llamac. We decided to take the alternate “water route” to avoid another 900ft climb. We were absolutely exhausted!

We set out at 5:15am. The sky was cloudy and we couldn’t see the glacier at the other end of the lake. We hiked fast to get to town dreaming of a hot breakfast. It took us 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to Llamac.

A mountain homestead surrounded by rock walls to keep the cattle and sheep in. It was an incredible experience to be surrounded by the native people. We often pondered how they survive and live year round off the land in such a harsh environment. 

Every now and then a pup will emerge from the wilderness to say hello. 

We felt amazing reaching the paved neighborhood streets. Llamac is a beautiful place with very kind, friendly people.

Right when we arrived in Llamac, we saw two men walking in the street together. We asked them where we could find breakfast. One of the men excitedly walked us to a woman’s home and told the woman we wanted breakfast. The woman sat us down, grabbed her toddler’s hand and told us she would be right back! We sat there in silence unsure if we should stay. About 5 minutes later, she arrived with fresh bread and a handful of eggs! She made us hot milk and coffee and an egg nestled in a warm piece of bread. It was divine! It was an experience we will never forget.

Out of ALL the dogs… this guy had to be the my favorite. He was so lovey and followed us all throughout town wanting to play!

After breakfast we walked to the bus station to catch the 11am bus to Chiquin and then onward to Huaraz. Jake and I had quite the adventure when our first “bus” arrived. It was a cargo truck. No seats. Instead you had 2 options: ride in the back with a pile of goods and no view or ride on top of the vehicle on 4 wood boards clinging to the side of the truck. We chose the view. I should probably add, the 2 hour journey to Chinquin was a dirt road, in a steep canyon with drop offs. It was wild and unsafe, and super fun. We had to keep our eyes out for trees. We were whacked numerous times by branches. The truck would stop to pick up other people needing a ride. A couple gentlemen climbed the ladder to join us with a hand saw and machete. “Perfect,” I thought. “Let’s add more hazards to this ride!” As worried as I was to sit on top of a moving vehicle, it was a cool experience and the others on top of the truck with us were very friendly and welcoming.

We sat on top of these boards which moved out from under us the entire ride. 

This poor guy was trying to sleep the whole 2 hour ride. Its hard to get shut eye when you’re being tossed around in a tire!

Once in Chaquin, the adventure continued – this time with food. We were starved after hiking all morning and after our death ride. With an hour before our final bus back to Huaraz, we went to the first restaurant we could find. There was no menu, just whatever the chef felt like cooking. We didn’t know what to expect and had no idea what would be brought to the table! We were served vegetable soup to start, followed by a big plate of rice, chicken, green mashed peas and banana juice. It was delicious!

Boarding the bus to Huaraz was luxurious compared to the truck. We were both pretty beat from the day and were excited to get into town. It was pouring rain when arrived back in Huaraz. We settled into our hostel, ate a great meal and finished the day with a load of laundry.