July 27th 2024 – Caraz, Peru

My hunt for a new pair of shoes led me to a mall in the northern part of Cajamarca. My luck was about to change. Not only did I find a shop that carried my size, I found a Merrell store (one of my favorite shoe brands) with a selection of models I could choose between. The staff was very knowledgeable about their products and gave good advice. With a pair of Moab Flight I found exactly what I was looking for. It was at the last minute – the soles of my old shoes had almost no thread left and were worn through in a couple of places.

I put the shoes to good use right away. Cajamarca is a big city. We stayed at a hotel more than 2 km from the city center, did a lot of exploring and walked everywhere we went.

I have to mention Wistol Gym near the hotel.
It was a mix between a MMA club and a regular gym. The owner Cristian Torres was the jiu jitsu coach. I have a background in martial arts and got invited to join a MMA class. Even though I’m nursing some old injuries and sparring would have taken its toll on me, I regret that I turned down the offer.
Christian was a very sympathetic guy. He refused to take any payment from us.

We got several things crossed off our to-do list while in Cajamarca. After 3 days with chores it was a pleasure to get on the bikes and see the city disappear in the mirrors.
The riding was great all morning on fun roads surrounded by beautiful scenery only interrupted by occasional roadworks.

After lunch the roads deteriorated. Even though we were traveling on a main road between bigger towns we had more dirt, sand and gravel under our tires than asphalt. The worst parts were actually those consisting of tarmac that hadn’t been maintained for years. I really hate bad roads where I have to keep the speed down and swerve around trying to find the best line in an attempt to protect the bike.

Riding in Peru adds another challenge. It seems like the idea about staying in your own lane hasn’t caught on yet. There are signs everywhere reminding drivers to stay in their lane, so it seems to be a recognised problem. The way to deal with it is to be alert and always stay to the far right in your lane when approaching blind crests and corners.
Another thing to be aware of is that Peruvian drivers pass as soon as they catch up to a slower vehicle unless they can see an oncoming vehicle blocking the way – blind corners or crests, no overtaking signs or double solid yellow lines have absolutely no impact.
When it comes to city traffic there is yet another thing you need to learn. Whoever honks their horn first has the right of way at intersections with no traffic lights – and when you have honked your horn there is no reason to slow down.
It seems like risk assessment is an unfamiliar concept for the average Peruvian road user. I’m surprised that we haven’t seen more accidents.
By being alert and riding defensively we have avoided any incidents or close encounters so far.

We reached Huamachuco late afternoon and knocked on the door of a small hotel on a quiet street 2 blocks from one of the most beautiful Plaza de Armas (central square) I’ve ever seen. They had a lovely room for us and a living room with a fireplace – it gets cold at night at + 3.000 m/10.000 feet.
The plan had been to stay for only 1 night but the town was so charming and the hotel so cozy that we had to stay for 2.

On departure day I awoke with nausea and an upset stomach. We had to stall a bit to make sure I had the guts to leave the vicinity of a bathroom. By late morning I felt ready to take the gamble.
We followed the main road “3N” out of town and headed west.

I had prepared the day’s route in advance using a combination of Google maps and OSM on my Garmin. I have learned that neither is to be trusted here in Peru and even the best laid plans are just a draft.
Google maps had predicted that the planned route should take around 4 ½ hours. Our host at the hotel had claimed that it could be done in less than 3.

Not long after leaving town, we turned off onto a dirt road. We followed it for a couple of kilometers until we reached the first of several rivers on the route. The bridge across was out and the road blocked. There was a detour across a ford but the water was close to 1 meter/3 feet deep and fast flowing. It was not a gamble I was prepared to take.
We decided to return to 3N and follow it to our destination. It would add distance but hopefully the road conditions would be better…

For a while it was a hoot to ride 3N. It climbed above 4.000 meters/13.000 feet and stayed there for a while. There was a lot of mining going on in the area. It marred the otherwise majestic landscape.

Riding in the Andes has changed my perspective on altitude. In The Alps anything above 2.000 meters/6.500 feet is considered high altitude and in The Rockies 3.000 meters/10.000 feet is something.
At 3.000 meters here in Peru you will typically find yourself in a valley with villages and farms surrounded by much taller peaks. The climate between 2.500 and 3.500 meters provides pleasantly warm days and cool nights.
It’s not only the elevation that makes riding in the mountains of Peru next level spectacular. When the roads are surfaced and maintained they are some of the best I’ve ever ridden. The unavoidable dirt and gravel sections can be challenging but even to a guy like me who prefers blacktop the scenery makes it worth the effort.

Early afternoon as 3N veered south the pavement was replaced by dirt and gravel. For the remainder of the day sections with asphalt would be an occasional present.

To punctuate a long and challenging day we had to drop down into a canyon and climb out the other side on one of the most spectacular roads I’ve ever ridden while racing the fading daylight. This was not a place to ride after dark! As we climbed out of the canyon we passed the wreck of a car that clearly had dropped from far above. The area around the car was littered with all the items a family would bring on a trip. We later learned that the accident had happened earlier the same day.

We made it to Pallasca as the sky turned dark. Katrine stayed with the bikes at the town square while I went hunting for a place to stay. The few places I could find on iOverlander and G-maps seemed deserted. As I was walking back towards the bikes a Toyota Highlux rolled up alongside me. There was a whole family inside. The woman asked if I was looking for a place to stay. When I confirmed she gave me directions to their home by the town square where they ran a small hostal.
It was a 3 storey building. The ground floor was a hardware store run by the husband. The family lived on the floor above and the top floor consisted of 3 guest rooms with a shared bathroom.
We got the last available room. It was basic but clean with a comfortable bed and they let us park our bikes in the hardware store for the night.
Both Kat and I were completely shattered. I was still nauseous and hadn’t eaten anything all day. We went to bed early and passed out immediately.

I felt better in the morning. Katrine was still exhausted from the previous day but Pallasca didn’t tempt us to stay another night. We decided to move on.
On recommendation from the locals and confirmed by G-maps we left town on a 2-track dirt road. It was a shortcut that would reconnect us to 3N further south. The road started out rough but gradually became better. The scenery was out of this world. At one point Katrine mentioned that it reminded her of “Mordor”.

In the afternoon we reached Cañón del Pato famed for its many tunnels, sheer drops and waterfalls.
It didn’t disappoint.

We arrived at La Casa Azul on the outskirts of Caraz with plenty of daylight to spare.
La Casa Azul is a hostal and campground for 2 wheeled travelers. It is also a small motorcycle rental company. All is owned and run by Victor and his family who live at the premises. There is a very welcoming atmosphere. It’s a good place to kick back and take a break from the road. Victor is a motorcycle traveler himself, knows the area like the back of his hand and is more than happy to share his knowledge.