Bike-packing Peru: Espinar, Pusa Pusa, Chivay

Tuesday, November 5th I woke on the wrong side of the bed. I don’t know what it was. but I was in a bit of a foul mood, a feeling that lasted most of the day. We all have ’em and I just needed to ride through it.

The day’s riding was fairly uneventful and while the landscape was vast it was barren and mostly just rolling hills that kept us at about 12,000′.

Around mid-day we pulled into the town of El Descanso. It had an undeniable charm to it and a lovely town plaza, as do most towns we’ve been through. It seemed we had arrived just as the school kids were on their lunch break. They flocked around us, playing with our bikes, asking all sorts of questions, even helping Reilly look at the map; I think the girls rather fancied him.

Late afternoon we arrived in Espinar, also known as Yauri. We found a very well stocked store where we purchased provisions for the next day or so. This time, however, it was yours truly who struck a fancy in Rebecca, the young woman working the cash. She made a point of introducing herself, asking my name and where I was from.

After a few smiles, I and my posse were back on the bikes. We rode out of town about about 8kms and set camp. As we ate, we watched an electrical storm gather all around us. It would be yet another night camping in the rain.

The next morning we rose, packed our gear and continued riding through those barren high plains, still around 12,000′. After about 90mins, however, the landscape changed dramatically. Suddenly we were surrounded by rocky canyons as we followed the Rio Apurimac to the truly magnificent Tres Canones. We rode in awe-inspired silence.

Beyond the Three Canyons, the climbing resumed. Another long slow grind to about 14,140′. There we came across several concrete graves and dozens of little piles of stones, presumably in remembrance of those who had died. I built one in honour of my parents, both of whom died over the past few years.

After a 12km rocky descent–yes, 12kms of spectacular descending!–we refilled our bottles in a cold stream under the punishing sun and heat. We were in search of Santa Maria, a small town identified on our map. Again, maps of Peru are not to be trusted. While we never did find Santa Maria, we did find a town not on the map.
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In tiny little Pusa Pusa, we secured provisions and spied a school yard. It looked like an ideal place to camp. One of the inquisitive children advised we should ask the director for permission to stay the night. Olga was happy to let us camp in the school yard, particularly as the clouds looked ominous.

As the rain and hail began to fall we had just enough time to duck into the school’s washroom. Sitting there on the floor while the nearby hills were covered in a thin layer of snow, we decided to cook dinner. As we ate, Olga popped her head inside the door. Embarrassed that we were sitting on the washroom floor and concerned about us camping under such a storm, Olga unlocked an empty classroom and directed us to spend the night there. Who were we to argue with the director?!

The next morning, Thursday, November 7th, we were on the bikes before 6:30am as we had promised Olga; classes began at 7am. Within about an hour and under clear skies, the climbing began. For nearly 90mins we slowly churned away, creeping along that dirt road towards a milestone we would all celebrate. We finally summited at a staggering 15,416′; a personal record for us all.

For the next two hours we enjoyed two incredible sections of descending, interrupted only by a stretch of flat dirt road surrounded by hills and mountains. The second section was some of the best down-hilling I’ve ever known. It was fast and twisting and the views were like no other. Arriving in the town of Cibayo, we bought a few provisions and ate lunch in the shade. Down here the temperature had risen to over 35C/95F.

Bellies full and back on the bikes, we enjoyed a three hour ride along undulating asphalt next to the river and past the very pretty town of Tuti. By about 4pm we arrived at our destination; the town of Chivay, a popular vacation spot for Peruvians and Gringos alike.

We rode to the plaza, found McElroy’s Pub(bills itself as the highest Irish Pub in the world), met the very friendly manager Johnny(Peruvian with excellent English) and ordered a cold beer. Johnny gave us advice on where to stay, where to do laundry(after two weeks, our clothing had taken on a life of its own) and with his extensive knowledge of the area, provided counsel on our planned ride through the Colca Canyon.

With instant unanimous agreement, we decided to stay a few days, enjoy the nearby hot springs and take a couple days off the bike; all well earned.

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4 Comments on “Bike-packing Peru: Espinar, Pusa Pusa, Chivay

  1. Wow… Thank you for such an in depth account of your experiences and photos too. Really enjoying “following” the three of you on your adventure.
    Happy trails!