Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. On August 7, 2026, I completed my goal of running 1000 miles in the Andes of South America in a nondescript spot on the Peru Great Divide.

Lines

Stats

Words

This adventure never felt easy. From beginning to end, I slogged at a snail’s pace in oxygen depleted air, fatigued, and nauseous.

No charity fundraiser. No pretty girl at home to think about. No delirious euphoria from crushing miles and eclipsing personal records. Day after day the adventure pushed me to go a little deeper into myself.

The terrain demanded my full attention and humbled me constantly. My mantra became, I am an idiot, because it seemed to be the only phrase that held true after small wins repeatedly compelled me to stop checking the map, skip snack breaks, and quit drinking water.

Despite missing the extreme emotional highs and lows of other continents, a subtler satisfaction emerged. I feel connected to myself and trust my intuition.

Now that I’m home, I notice I am not trying to control my life’s path, nor trying to write the ending before it happens in the way I was when I left. I just read Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken for the first time.

I can relate to the desire to pick the best road before you can possibly know which is better. In Peru, I often passed trucks with Dios es mi guía across the windshield. “God is my guide.”

I still don’t believe in God, but I believe that each person lives one life, and it unfolds in the way that it does along a single path out of the infinite possible paths. That gives me enough faith to accept that my life is controlled by forces larger than me.

I was surprised to learn that the two roads in Frost’s poem were more or less identical. It’s tempting to tell a heroic story after the journey has finished.

Thank You

Mike Cassidy — my emergency contact

Kathy and Andy Cohen — my mom and dad

Lukas and Daniel — my best friends

Charlie McClung — my adventure partner for 3 weeks who came down from Seattle

Chris Andrews — my coach

Roberto Morales — my guy in Ecuador

Kalle — carrying my backpack 10 km for me

Gracias a la gente de Perú y Ecuador. Cada día recibí la ayuda de alguien amable. Esta aventura no habría sido posible sin la amistad de desconocidos, así que muchas gracias desde el fondo de mi corazón. ¡Viva Ecuador! ¡Viva Perú!

and Thank YOU for following along.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

Trip Report

Summary: Run from Junin to Cruce Las Vegas, surpassing my goal of running 1000 miles in the Andes, and then catch a ride to Lima.

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My favorite meal for breakfast: soup from a street food cart. This one has a hard-boiled egg and sliced potatoes.

When I go to pay for my meal, the lady tells me my check is already paid. I’d been sitting next to a taxi driver, and he paid for my meal without telling me. How kind.

Time to hit the road. By this point, I’ve figured out I will almost assuredly hit my 1000 mile mark at some point on this run. I’m excited to finish, but the day starts just as hard as if it was my first day at altitude— I feel fatigued and stomach upsets prompt me often to stop to poop.

Here comes the freight train transporting minerals from the Andes to Lima, the same route I will try to follow today.

the monument to the Battle of Junín, a decisive battle on Aug 6, 1824, in which Simon Bolivar’s Patriot army defeated Spain’s Royalist forces and paved the way for Peru’s independence.

The battle was fought entirely between cavalry forces

Watering hole where ducks, gulls, flamingoes, and vicuñas congregate

Instead of fencing in their horses, oftentimes people here will tie the front legs together so that the horses can’t go far. A bit sad to see

1,000 miles in the Andes. I hit 1,000 miles in the Andes in a nondescript spot in the Peruvian altiplano. the moment is slightly anticlimactic, as it follows a particularly unremarkable day marked by dehydration due to lack of water sources, the usual stomach problems, and efforts to power through fatigue.

I cross the train tracks to head to the highway and look for a hitchhike to make my way to Lima from which I’ll fly home to the USA.

When I get to the highway, it becomes apparent that this is a real freeway, not the kind you can hitchhike on. I run 2 more hours to the next little town on the highway.

In the “town” of Cruce Las Vegas, it’s possible to hitch a ride, and a nice family stops after about 10 minutes of sticking out my thumb.

30 minutes later we arrive in the small city of La Oroya, where I’m surprised to find a car to Lima that very night. Shortly after 7 pm, I’m in the fastest car on the road for 60 s/$17.62.

Around 10pm, the car drops me off on the side of a highway at the edge of Lima and from there I catch a city bus playing EDM music with flashing neon lights inside.

I make it to Plaza Norte where my camping gear was shipped a week earlier. This neighborhood feels like Sin City, full of nightclubs, casinos, prostitutes, and “jacuzzi hotels”.

I buy rice and beans street food for dinner and find a quiet(er) hotel by midnight. i am feeling the full force of culture shock but manage to sleep well after a long day.

Thank you for following along on the journey! Tomorrow I will make one final recap post.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Huallyay Tree Forest to Junín Lake.

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Wake up in the village of the stone forest. I’m surprised to see fog because I haven’t seen rain in weeks.

Breakfast of champions: lamb soup

Several more miles of stone forest running lie ahead on the route south

These rock formations defy imagination

Again I have the place to myself

Demi-goddess Queen distributing orders to her elephant spartan general, or so I imagine

Animal train

Shy guy

Nice bridge, no cars here, foot traffic only

I’m surprised to run into the Fiesta de Santiago, an annual festival where Peruvians count their cows by lassoing each one and tying a ribbon or “cinta” around the neck

Red/pink ribbons represent blood to signify vitality

The tinya is a traditional drum that this woman plays for the cows

Caña is a strong alcoholic drink, and this lady exerted strong pressure on me to drink. Normally I would refuse, but with a couple days left in my 1000 miles Andes run, I let loose.

3 shots in 10 minutes and I’m inebriated at 14,000feet.

Confirmed that alcohol is a performance reducing drug. But I’m having fun.

I reach the village Ondores

Hi cows

My first flamingo sighting in South America. Right before sunset

Gorgeous

Sunset

After sunset, I catch a hitchhike the final 10 kilometers to Junín, a small city at the south end of Lake Junín. It’s cold here. Noodle soup dinner. 😋

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

Trip Report

Summary: Run from Cerro de Pasco to the Huallyay Tree Forest.

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Wake up in Cerro de Pasco, widely considered to be the highest city in the world with over 70,000 inhabitants living at 4300m/14104ft.

The Spanish learned about silver here in 1630, and almost 400 years later, silver, zinc, and led are still extracted from the mine. Even the central plaza is mine-themed.

The city water supply is contaminated from the mine.

A 2005 study found 84.7% of children under the age of ten in one neighborhood to have led poisoning. In 2008, the Peruvian government passed a law to relocate the entire city of Cerro de Pasco due to contamination, but almost 20 years later, it’s still here.

The mine is now 2 kilometers wide and 300 meters deep. Since 1630 it’s been owned by the Spanish colonists, American investors (1902-1974), the Peruvian state (1974–1999), a Peruvian private company (1999-2011), and now Canada’s Transition Metals, a subsidiary of Argentina’s Integra Capital.

“For a clean Pasco. If we conserve the water, we conserve the life.”

“Do they move a lot of dirt in Cerro de Pasco?” is like asking if the Pope is Catholic.

Alpacas galore

She needs Wide open spaces.

Room to make her big mistakes

She needs new faces

She knows the high stakes

The Chicks

Railroad! This is an active train, though not for passengers. Minerals from the mines get sent in freight cars to Lima for export.

Reminder that I’m getting closer to the end.

A tall white guy hops out of a car at an intersection and immediately sticks out his thumb to call for the next hitch. I walk over. Sebastian is a 20 year old German who’s been volunteering in Oxapampa for a year. He works with other volunteers teaching sustainable farming practices and met a Peruvian girlfriend. This has been the most fun year of his life, and he dreads going home in 2 weeks.

Even in contaminated water, life goes on. A line of ducks swim by in the stream

I pass a prison and hope the guards in the towers don’t mistake me for an escaped prisoner.

I pick up the pace as the sun lowers in the sky to make it to one more landmark before the day’s end

Huayllay Bosque de Piedras (Stone Forest) is full of wild rock formations

I have the place to myself for sunset

Don’t miss the stone forest for the stone trees

Well this is crazy. As I exit the stone forest to reach the nearest town, I stumble onto a local rock band Edson Falcon filming a music video in the twilight. Watching the drummer rock out was therapy.

Eggs, rice and potatoes for dinner

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Oyón towards Cerro de Pasco with a newly lightened pack and hitchhike the rest of the way to the city.

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I realized that I could probably send my camping and other heavy gear to Lima if I continued hitchhiking at the end of each run to finish the night in town. When I woke up in Oyón, I went to the bus terminal and paid 15 soles/$4.46USD to ship my sleeping back, tent, rain gear, and other emergency items to Lima where I can pick them up when I finish my 1000 miles in a few days.

For my last 80 miles, I’ll get to try out a new style of adventure: truly running on roads with just some snacks, water, and warm clothes + hitchhiking to wherever I need to go. I’m excited to try this out.

The run starts off jubilant. I’m jogging extremely slowly, but jogging consistently uphill to 4000 meters.

stop to swim at a crisp high altitude Laguna

The prettiest woman stopped and gave me an orange. Her smile made me blush and brightened my day.

Then some miners stopped and gave me a banana. Good vibes here

Buenaventura. I thought this meant good adventure, but it means good fortune… and

Compañía de Minas Buenaventura is Peru’s largest publicly traded precious and base metals company

Big mining town

Ucchucchacua is the 12th largest silver mine in the world, I later learn

Abra Ucchuchacua, 4737m mountain pass

Cattle country

hey alpaca

As the sun lowers in the sky I realize I’m still hours, even by car, from the nearest city. I start looking for a hitchhike

a man driving his family stops to pick me up. I find myself immersed in a family dynamic with a mama passing around snacks after a full day with myself

After the man drops off his family at home, he loads up a huge truck with alpacas and offers to drive me in that to the next city. He will skip sleep and drive through the night to a fair where he can sell alpacas.

A new woman and child also hop in the truck. I take her to be his mistress on account of his other family that he was driving in the daylight. I’m too tired to give much thought to the situation and fall asleep sitting between the man and his mistress.

In case you’re curious, cows sell for 2000s/$595USD, horses sell for 800-100s/$237-297USD, and alpacas sell for 400s/$119USD.

The man tells me people eat horse here, they make ham from the horses. But his mistress tells me that’s not true when I ask her. Glad I double checked before telling the world that Peruvians eat horse ham.

When we arrive in Cerro de Pasco at night, locals are performing choreography in the central plaza, Parque Minero.

At this point, all I know is that Cerro de Pasco is a mining town and not to drink the water which is contaminated with metals from the mine. More to come tomorrow on this peculiar city.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other onthe world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Cajamarca back up to the Peruvian Altiplano, and when night falls, hitchhike to Oyón.

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After a monster day running 28 miles into the cañón, it turned out I wasn’t as invincible as I thought. The following day, I waited for cars all morning to take me back to the cañón from the town to which I’d hitchhiked the night before.

Subconsciously I must have sabotaged my plans to catch a ride by not hopping on the first bus I saw and then somehow not finding another bus for several hours. By the time I finally caught a ride, it was 3pm and I opted to stay on the bus until Cajatambo, resulting in an impromptu rest day.

When I got to Cajatambo, I enjoyed the final night of a 10-day Festival. The two men you see centered represent the Spanish conquistadors, and they will steal the indigenous women lined up on both sides from the Incan warriors. These actors have been marching and dancing since morning.

The following day I wake up in Cajatambo still feeling bad. I wonder if I’ve gotten sick but can’t delay miles any longer. I start extremely slowly and stop to break after only 2 kilometers.

Throughout the day, I gradually come back online and can run a little bit

Even on a highway, I find myself continuing to pass traditional folks living off-grid

nice vistas as I approach a mine

Herein lies a silver mine

Waterfall ice! It’s definitely getting colder as I go further south from the equator.

Laguna and red mountain

Nice lighting

before sunset

Sunset

After sunset

Hitch hike with these kind truck drivers who stopped for me. They drive me to Oyón, the next city along my route.

Chaufa (fried rice dinner)

I’m beginning to like this routine of running until nightfalls and then hitchhiking to towns. It’s getting colder as I go further south, and I’ve satiated my appetite for camping this summer.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other on the world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Corpanqui to the Cañon de Rio Pativilca, the massive gorge that divides the Cordillera Blanca from the Huayhuash, along the Peru Great Divide backpacking route.

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Sunrise over Corpanqui at 6:30

Within a couple hours of starting my run, I meet Silvio who saw me running yesterday. He invites me to eat breakfast with his family

Silvio instructs me to eat well and gives me more food than I can finish. Breakfast is caldo de gallina (chicken noodle soup), potatoes, avena (sweet oat drink), and bread.

Then, Mama makes cheese sandwiches for lunch. Especially grateful for people like this who go out of their way to take care of a foreign traveler.

This also reminded me of exactly why it’s worth getting off the standard tourist circuit, where local people have been overwhelmed and jaded by tourists.

Large carpenter bee. I thought this was a bumble bee because it’s massive, but it turns out to be completely different. Carpenter bees are solitary and hairless

The entire village turned out to harvest corn in sweltering heat. An encouraging example of a community that works together.

the final shop before my descent into the cañón. The mama invites me inside to sit sheltered from the sun

The ROOSTER

There’s the cañón. Over two days, I am descending from 4000 meters to 1300m or over 8000 feet. This great gorge is significantly deeper than the Grand Canyon and divides the Cordillera Blanca from the Cordillera Huayhuash mountains.

I’m afraid of the heat and critters I will find at the bottom.

A bird grasshopper. In identifying this critter, I learned that grasshoppers are the same animals that swarm as locusts. “Locust” only describes the behavior of a grasshopper after crowding makes it social, and the grasshopper changes color and shape. Only about 20 of the world’s thousands of grasshopper species are capable of flipping to locusts. Three species in the Bird Grasshopper species can do it, and in 1988, one species was documented flying across the Atlantic from West Africa to the Caribbean.

I thought this was some kind of scorpion because of the curled tail, but it’s an Anisomorphini insect, a type of stick insect that can secrete a toxic gas from its curled tail as a defense mechanism.

Deeper

Snails. I recently learned that snails exist everywhere in the world, including under the sea

Paper wasps

Squashed road toad

I reach the bottom of the cañón after dark and realize this place will be very hot to walk through during the day. Additionally I recall that my tent is only a tarp and doesn’t lock out the bugs. I determine that if I want to keep going, I should walk through the night to ascend the other side of the cañón before the morning heat… but then a truck comes and I opt to hitch a ride

I get to ride on top with a couple teenagers

I go from hot to cold and shiver on top of the truck until it drops me off in the nearest town. By the time I’m sitting in my hotel room, the time is almost 10pm. What a day.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, I set two new FKTs, on one the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014, and the other on the world-famous Huayuash Circuit. Now I am running with the wind through the Peruvian Altiplano for my final stretch of 169 miles. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

Trip Report

Summary: Run from Hatun Machay to Corpanqui along the Peru Great Divide backpacking route.

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I wake up in Hatun Machay, Peru’s largest rock climbing center, at the usual 5 am. It’s freezing, but I’m ready to resume running after almost a week off for a(nother) stomach bug and rock climbing.

The day begins cutting across cow fields as I make my way towards the Peru Great Divide, one of the world’s most famous bikepacking routes. Cordillera Blanca in the distance to the east.

within a couple hours I arrive in the town of Conococha, and officially join the Peru Great Divide bikepacking route. I sit down for a breakfast of quinoa (drink) and two cheese sandwiches. The cheese sandwiches are a slice of cheese sandwiched by bread.

A Laguna below

Last month, Keiko Fujimori became the 10th president of Peru in the past 10 years. I have yet to meet a single person here who voted for her. The criticisms against her were most succinctly captured by 13 year old boy I met in a rural village, “Se vende Peru.” She’s putting up Peru for sale.

In the middle of my run, a bikepacker appears in the distance! Ronan hitchhiked from his home in Bayonne, France to Spain, then hitched a ride as crew on a sailboat to the Carribean, and then biked across South America for four months.

We were so excited to run into each other that we stopped and shared a coffee.

Ronan and I discover that we’re both at the tail ends of our journey and fly out of Lima in about a week. We exchange contact info and set an intention to meet in Lima.

Begin descending from the 4000 meter altiplano down. You may recognize the mountains in the distance from the Huayhuash range

I spy a car at the bottom of the gorge 🙄

Nice trail

Shortly after 5 pm, I arrive in the cute town of Corpanqui. In the plaza, I meet a lady who owns a hospedaje (in reality she has a guest room).

The bed is covered in what looks like saw dust, so I sleep on the ground in my sleeping bag. The woman cooks spaghetti and tomato sauce with tuna for dinner 😋

Sunset in Corpanqui

For the remaining 169, I will hit the roads and zoom along the Peru Divide bikepacking route before my flight out of Lima on August 9.

But first, I get to see my Swiss friends Sara and Gian one more time. They’ve been driving from the northern tip of Canada towards the southern tip of Argentina for three years.

We go rock climbing at Hatun Machay, a stone forest that hosts Peru’s largest climbing center. At 4290m (14071ft), this is one of the highest crags in the world.

whatever a stone forest is, I like it

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, on July 21, I completed the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Now, I am running the world-famous Huayuash Circuit to establish the first FKT (Fastest Known Time) in the unsupported category. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from close to Huayllapa to Llamac over the course of 39.07km and 1968m ascent, completing my bid for the unsupported Fastest Known Time.

Link to Map Line

Wake up at 5:50 almost an hour after my alarm. I must have slept like a rock.

River looking good after the rain

scea bellona moth. Possibly only found in Peru.

Donkey train

A man cruises right past me on the trail, and I immediately speed up to try to hike with him. I’d kill to have some company from someone who can go fast.

Ilario and I go on to have a most interesting conversation. Ilario has worked in these mountains for 30 years, originally as a porter and now as a cook.

I ask him about the “Community Fees”. Every time I’ve entered a new valley, someone has approached me saying I need to pay a community fee to pass through the area.

I found this experience stressful because I hadn’t anticipated all the expenses on trail, and only had a little cash remaining. Additionally, as a solo hiker, when I only have 2-3 social interactions per day in the mountains, I don’t particularly enjoy that 50-100% of those come from people telling me to pay them money.

Ilario tells me that the community fees started 10 years ago. Since then, there have been small improvements here and there, but mostly the money disappears into the pockets of the community president. Every year a new president gets elected, but the same thing happens to the money.

I tell Ilario I’d been thinking they take the money and buy more cows, which fill these valleys. He tells me, No, the presidents take the money outside the community. They buy second and even third houses in Lima or Chimbote.

I tell Ilario that I think these community fees are really bad because the spirit of the mountains should be one of helping each other, not taking one another. These fees create a bad culture, I say.

Ilario tells me, The culture you’re talking about is the culture of the Spanish, the conquistadors. If you don’t like it, blame them. Touché Ilario.

But then I ask Ilario, “Weren’t the Incas like conquistadors too?” He says, Yes, but they had a better civilization. They grew healthy natural foods and built major temples of stone without any large machinery.

I say, “But the Spanish also ate healthy natural foods 500 years ago. The fertilizer and pesticides only came later.” Ilario agrees with that point, though to his credit, the Spanish brought all these dang cows.

Whether or not the Incas were as ruthless and exploitative as the Spanish, there is absolutely no question that the people of Peru hold the consquistadors responsible for infecting their culture and civilization.

Ilario tells me that Incan civilization was more advanced than Peru today, but just in a different way. He tells me that Peru’s government now is corrupt at every level. It’s no surprise that the community Presidents in the Huayuash steal money because all politicians at all levels do this. Peru has had ten different presidents in the last ten years, and each one has made life worse for the people, as Ilario says.

Just a few weeks ago, on July 3, 2026, Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of a former Peru president that ended up in prison, was certified in as Peru’s new elected president.

I say bye to Ilario before the first mountain pass of the day. He will wait for the rest of his group.

Laguna Susococha

Ascending to the second mountain pass of the day

It’s (almost) all downhill from here

I connect back with the first glacial valley I entered. From here I just need to retrace my steps to Llamac, the village where I started.

Out of the mountains, into the hills

Running into sunset

I arrive back in Llamac at 5:30 pm sharp. I’m happy with my effort and submit my total time of 2d 11h 14m 42s to fastestknowntime.com for the record in the unsupported category on this 120km route. Unsupported means I carried all my gear and food from start to finish.

The FKT in the supported category is currently held by Christophe Le Saux: 1d 1h 21m 0s 😮‍💨

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, on July 21, I completed the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Now, I am running the world-famous Huayuash Circuit to establish the first FKT (Fastest Known Time) in the unsupported category. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Laguna Carhuacocha almost to Huayllapa over the course of 44.28 km and 1,874 m ascent.

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Early start just a tad before 6 am

Lots of tourists here

I find 50 soles on trail! Good tidings

Glass

A dog joins me for the morning. I threw a rock at it to make it go away but it stuck around, confident that it would win me over.

The dog decides not to follow me down the other side of the mountain pass

Slow start to the day, but with good pacing and fueling, I gradually speed up

Went to fill water in a Laguna and sank so far I thought I fell into quicksand, or the mud equivalent

Nearing the mountain pass

The high point of the Huayuash circuit at 5023m, Punta Cuyoc.

the view down

Sheep with their lambs

Sunset illuminates the mountain pass from whence I came

A man continues working after sunset. He tells me I’m 2 hours from Huayllapa, the village I’m aiming for

I decide to hike as long into the night as I feel. My priorities are to sleep low where it’ll be a little warmer and to get a bit farther along the trail, but don’t need to reach town.

I stop right around 7 pm and find a nice campsite next to a spring in a cow pen empty of cows. It is much warmer than the night before, and I sleep well, as rain starts and stops throughout the night.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America, which I started on May 22, 2026 as part of my greater project of running 1000 miles on every continent. On June 11, I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one. Then, on July 21, I completed the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Now, I am running the world-famous Huayuash Circuit to establish the first FKT (Fastest Known Time) in the unsupported category. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: Run from Llamac to Laguna Carhuacocha over the course of 44.23 km and 3,023 m of ascent.

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Between completing the Cordillera Blanca Traverse and starting the Huayhaush Circuit, I took a rest day in Llamac. There, Doris, the lady who took me into her care, served me oca, an Andean tubular vegetable that tastes like sweet potato. Delicious. Still finding new vegetables out here.

I begin the Huayhuash Circuit directly from Llamac at 6:12 am and rise fast above the village.

Cactus. Getting drier here

Glaciated peaks in the hazy distance

Notice the nice trail. This is a welcome shift to me from the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, which involved much off trail.

Donkeys are the real athletes. They hike faster than us while carrying all our own stuff. Great respect ✊

Enter the valley

First mountain pass, Rondo (4731m)

Fun descent

Wow views

I reach a road and pass some people who go, “Is your name Olly?”

How does this keep happening? I exclaim. They were none other than the Alabama family whose mother told me she was worried about me at the lake a week before. They asked for my Instagram and offered me food, but I couldn’t accept due to the requirements of the “Unsupported” category for my FKT attempt.

I really regret not getting a photo with them.

Second mountain pass.

Descending from the second pass.

Golden hour

Golden miracle?

Hi Chinchilla 👋

A very strong first day leaves me in good spirits. I meet Tomas and Matthieu from France in the final 30 minutes of my run and we end up camping next to each other and sharing company during dinner. I finish eating my cold-soaked ramen while they’re still chopping their carrots, onions, and tomatoes to cook. As proper Frenchmen, they will eat real food, and I experience a moment of shame for my American obsession with time and speed above all else.

Link to Map Line

Big Stats

Daily Breakdown

1. July 7 - Hualcallan to Jancarurish. Distance: 30.39 km (18.89 mi). High point: 4,838 m (15,874 ft). Low point: 3,147 m (10,325 ft). Vertical gain: 2,255 m (7,399 ft). Passes: 2.

2. July 8 - Jancarurish to Jancapampa. Distance: 30.95 km (19.23 mi). High point: 4,834 m (15,861 ft). Low point: 3,560 m (11,681 ft). Vertical gain: 1,327 m (4,352 ft). Passes: 2.

   July 9 - Stomach bug rest day in Pomabamba.

3. July 10 - Jancapampa to Colcabamba. Distance: 39.38 km (24.47 mi). High point: 4,607 m (15,116 ft). Low point: 3,337 m (10,947 ft). Vertical gain: 1,670 m (5,480 ft). Passes: 2.

4. July 11 - Colcabamba to Pompey (resupply in Chacas). Distance: 45.44 km (28.23 mi). High point: 4,829 m (15,842 ft). Low point: 3,323 m (10,902 ft). Vertical gain: 2,243 m (7,358 ft). Passes: 2.

5. July 12 - Pompey to Quebrada Honda. Distance: 41.31 km (25.67 mi). High point: 4,746 m (15,572 ft). Low point: 3,457 m (11,342 ft). Vertical gain: 1,411 m (4,628 ft). Passes: 1.

6. July 13 - Quebrada Honda to Quebrada Cojup. Distance: 26.85 km (16.68 mi). High point: 5,189 m (17,024 ft). Low point: 3,515 m (11,532 ft). Vertical gain: 2,367 m (7,767 ft). Passes: 2.

7. July 14 - Quebrada Cojup to Pitec (resupply in Huaraz). Distance: 24.82 km (15.42 mi). High point: 5,076 m (16,654 ft). Low point: 3,888 m (12,757 ft). Vertical gain: 691 m (2,268 ft). Passes: 1.

   July 15-16 - Immersion foot rest days in Huaraz

8. July 17 - Pitec to Laguna Tarahua. Distance: 29.29 km (18.20 mi). High point: 5,150 m (16,896 ft). Low point: 3,752 m (12,309 ft). Vertical gain: 2,162 m (7,094 ft). Passes: 2.

   Note: This day was likely the crux for me, as both mountain passes were above 5000 meters and off-trail. Read the report for more details.

9. July 18 - Laguna Tarahua to Laguna Querococha (resupply in Chavin). Distance: 27.60 km (17.15 mi). High point: 4,587 m (15,049 ft). Low point: 4,002 m (13,131 ft). Vertical gain: 1,083 m (3,554 ft). Passes: 2.

10. July 19 - Laguna Querococha to Raria. Distance: 29.28 km (18.19 mi). High point: 4,622 m (15,164 ft). Low point: 3,930 m (12,895 ft). Vertical gain: 1,270 m (4,165 ft). Passes: 2.

11. July 20 - Raria to Pastoururi (original endpoint of the traverse). Distance: 33.36 km (20.73 mi). High point: 5,005 m (16,421 ft). Low point: 4,440 m (14,566 ft). Vertical gain: 1,374 m (4,508 ft). Passes: 2.

    Note: This report contains advice for dealing with Toros Bravos and Vacas, which I recommend reading before heading out.

12. July 21 - Pastoururi to Highway. Distance: 29.77 km (18.50 mi). High point: 5,121 m (16,800 ft). Low point: 4,195 m (13,764 ft). Vertical gain: 529m (1,737 ft). Passes: 1.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

Trip Report

Summary: I complete an exploratory extension from the original southern terminus of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, crossing an unnamed mountain pass between Tuco and Chalhua peaks (5112m) and reaching the highway where I hitch a bus south to Llamac.

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I wake up at 5 am at my 4918m campsite somehow warm and in good spirits. I read in bed for about an hour to let things heat up a little bit.

By 7 am, I’m packed and ready to roll. Decision time. Do I walk over to the road and wait for tourists to show up, or attempt an exploratory extension that, according to my maps, would take me straight to the highway south?

My brain is a bit fried from two weeks of off-trail route-finding and high mountain passes, and I am satisfied with what I’ve already done…but somehow I can’t seem to resist.

A full day of blue skies and beautiful mountains await if I keep exploring, so I do.

Waraqu. High altitude cactus that look like cotton balls

No trails here. This place seems more deserted than anywhere else on the CBT

Laguna of otherworldly colors

I see some friendly vicuñas and let them lead the way up towards the mountain pass

Between my household bleach, syringe, and dime bag of white powder (salt), I’m starting to feel like a real junkie, but the main thing I’ve worked on with my new coach, Chris Andrews, is fueling and hydration. Salting my water now feels essential.

The vicuñas do not seem afraid of me and let me get close

New highest cow award 🥇!!!!

Clocked at a whopping 4960m or 16,268ft. This cow is grazing 1768 ft higher than the highest point in the continental U.S.

The Tuco glacier looks magnificent on the ascent to the mountain pass

I reach the mountain pass at 5112m and discover the south-side is snow free. This was the biggest open question of the entire traverse for me, as I knew a directly south-facing high mountain pass would have a high likelihood of being covered in snow.

A wave of elation washes over me as I realize I’m going to make it out to the highway from the Cordillera Blanca on my own two feet.

The view looking back up at the unnamed mountain pass after descending.

A new Laguna

The glacier on Tuco blows me away. This is where they should’ve built the tourist attraction, I think to myself.

No trails or signs of humans on this side of the pass. I feel like I’ve made it to Mars

As I descend, things get greener, and off in the distance I can see some structures, what I assume to be a mine

I reach the mine and the security guard calls me over. “Hey what are you doing here!?” he questions me.

I tell him I came over the mountain. Alone? Yes. Chèvre (“cool”).

He asks if he can take a selfie with me and I say sure. I ask if I can take one with him too.

I reach the gravel road. Now an easy 20km ahead to reach the highway.

cow eating a plastic bottle

Serpentine river

Laguna aguashcocha (4271m)

I reach the highway at 3:15 pm and start walking south waiting for a bus to drive by.

At 3:45, a bus stops for me, and I hop on. They ask where I want to go. Chiquian. “Do you want to go all the way to Llamac?” they ask.

Llamac is the tiny village at the trailhead of the next leg for my adventure 😼

I definitely want to go there eventually, but I need to resupply and maybe decompress in civilization. I ask the bus driver if Llamac has a hotel and store. She says yes, so to Llamac we go.

Next stop: the world-famous Huayhuash Circuit ❤️✊

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: On my 11th moving day and 14th total day, I run to the official southern terminus of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, the Pastoururi Glacier.

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First light at 5:55am over Raria

Mururaju looking good too

The cows are up and at ‘em by 6 am. I wonder what time they wake up in the morning and why they bother eating frozen grass instead of waiting for things to heat up a bit.

Blue skies. I don’t know if I’ve ever had such perfect weather on a mountain adventure.

Nearing Punta Raria

Now that’s a glassy Laguna if I’ve ever seen one

Frozen bog

Laguna Raria below Raria peak

I find a friend at Punta Raria (4801m). Meet Emilio. He left his home at 5 am to start walking up here an hour before sunrise to patrol his cows.

We arrived at the mountain pass from opposite sides at the exact same time, 8 am, and we’re both psyched to have company.

Once Emilio confirms none of his cows have tried climbing the cliffs above the mountain pass, he turns around and joins me for the descent

now that’s what a trail runner looks like

The night before, a fox killed a baby deer and left most of it. Emilio shows me the mark on the head where the fox bit the deer. He will take it home for dinner tonight.

Boil this plant and drink the tea when you have stomach problems, Emilio tells me.

Naturally, as an endurance athlete, I ask Emilio about his fueling strategy. “How do you hydrate and eat on a four hour sunrise hike?”

Emilio doesn’t fuel at all. He hikes with no food or water, just his perrito.

As we walk, Emilio asks me repeatedly to look in the cliffs above the valley floor and confirm I don’t see any cows.

Your cows really be climbing these mountains, huh? Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised at this point, but didn’t see any cows.

I asked Emilio my favorite question, “Do you have any Toros Bravos?” He said yes. Finally, I had my chance to demystify the Toro Bravo at last and quell my fears.

Emilio told me that as long as you stay on the edges of the fields or on higher ground and walk by, Toros Bravos won’t bother you.

So, what are Toros Bravos? In this case in Peru, they’re bulls that have been left to roam free in the valleys and live kind of wild. “They’re not domesticated,” Emilio tells me. They don’t fear humans and don’t see humans all that often, none of the standard submissiveness of the cows you typically see.

1-2 times a year the cattle farmers round up their Toros Bravos and bring them in trucks to local bullfighting festivals. Torreros from Spain and other parts of the world come to participate in these spectacles.

Note: For those using this trip report for your own adventures in Peru that may enter you into valleys with Toros Bravos, some more tips…

1. Bulls (and Cows) behave like cattle when they are in groups. The only time one will get aggressive and start to chase is when it gets isolated from the group. Stay away from the solo ones when possible.

2. There are also Vacas Bravas. Cows with cattle can be just as dangerous or more dangerous than bulls.

3. If a bull does chase you, take off your backpack and go to higher ground. Given the choice between tearing you or your backpack apart, the bull will always choose the backpack.

4. They’re territorial. The more distance you keep, the less likely you are to even enter their conscious awareness. Like I said before, edges of fields and higher ground.

Emilio and I part ways at the bottom of the valley and he points me towards my next mountain pass. I’m grateful that I had some company for the morning and feel good in this bumpy valley.

I pass a fat shepherd named Cristobal and he starts asking me about impuestos. I thought maybe he was talking about importing things and told him I came to South America in an airplane.

No, it turns out he was asking for money. I took out my phone and confirmed I was in Huascaran National Park, for which I already paid the entrance fee. He insisted there was a ticket office and an additional fee for the community. What community? You’re the second human I’ve seen in two days.

In the end he asked for 10 soles ($3USD), so I just gave it to him. What a contrast between the only two humans I’d seen that day. The first was thrilled to see me and shared a morning hike, and the second treated me like an ATM.

after paying Cristobal, I climbed up the final set of mountain passes before the southern terminus of the CBT.

Unnaamed, these passes skirt around the flank of Cajap, and referred to as Cajap Pass 1 and 2 by Cam Honan, the originator of the CBT.

Heading towards Cajap 2

Cajap 2 (4814m).

I have to imagine that stone wall is a cattle fence even though we’re at a mountain pass.

Laguna Japracocha (4782m)

This must be the highest altitude swim of my life

The road! At last, I’ve reached the road that leads directly to the Pastoururi Glacier, the southern terminus of the CBT

Nice views from the road

Vicuñas!

I reach the parking lot for the Pastoururi Glacier. One of the main reasons Cam Honan made this the southern terminus of the CBT is that it’s a popular tourist attraction, and easy to catch a ride back to civilization.

Well, I guess 4 pm is a little too late… maybe my Cordillera Blanca Traverse won’t be over so fast

The Pastoururi Glacier herself in all her glory. I can’t tell the difference between this and any other glacier I’ve seen, but congratulations to whoever did the marketing for this one

The fact that I have no exit from the Pastoururi Glacier is actually not the worst thing in the world….

you see, I have one more trick up my sleeve. I had noticed that on the other side of the Pastoururi Glacier lies the road I want to take south.

Additionally, I still have about 24 hours of food left

I find a campsite below the Pastoururi Glacier at 4920m in a Mordor-looking place and make my highest altitude camp of the run so far.

Sunset. Tomorrow I will either try to catch a ride from the Pastoururi Glacier or attempt ann exploratory extension to the Cordillera Blanca Traverse over one more set of mountains to traverse the true southern extent of the Cordillera Blanca

For now, I will just focus on staying warm through the night

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: I take an auto from Chavin to Laguna Querococha, from which I hike over Maraytaca Pass (4611m) and an unnamed pass at Laguna Acococha (4591m) down into Quebrada Raria.

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I wake up at 5 am in my Chavin hotel and notice a cut on my foot is looking very red. Out of an abundance of caution, I consider taking a rest day. I put on some bacitracin and after 30 minutes, the cut looks much better. I decide to hit the road, albeit later than planned.

I catch a cab with some locals, and this guy falls asleep on me. #ijustwannabetouched

After a conversation with some British birdwatchers on the side of the road (the Cordillera Blanca must be the world’s biggest playground for nature enthusiasts), I start running. The time is 8:11 am and I’m a little stressed by the late start.

Geez it’s hot when the sun comes out. Nice trail though.

A gushing stream surrounded by dry dry fields

Butterfly identified in the genus of “Ladies and Related Admirals”. What a genus

I believe this is a White-rayed Patch butterfly

Andean deer sneaks up on me from behind.

Lagunas Queshque and Quishqiqucha in the distance

Laguna Queshque

Puya Raimondi. Cam Honan, the originator of the CBT, mentioned these in his trip reports, but I didn’t expect to be impressed by a glorified pineapple (largest species in the pineapple family).

Oh how wrong I was. I found these Puna Raimondi to be quite the sight.

Dead darkling beetle

Laguna Mancacocha, near the second high point of the day.

Did I mention my water filter broke? A couple nights prior it froze and stopped working.

Unfortunately I didn’t notice for about 12 hours and drank a bunch of unfiltered water. Fortunately, I still have 5 days left before giardia sets in if I contracted it.

Meanwhile, I assigned Claude with the task of designing a DYI water treatment system I could source from tiny villages in the Andes. The solution: household bleach (unscented) and a syringe to measure the drops in exact portions. The syringe was easy to find in a pharmacy, and I found it unexpectedly fun to use.

A dry Laguna bed

Cam Honan, the originator of the CBT, wrote that this region reminded him of the Scottish highlands. I’ve never been to Scotland but can imagine why. Every time I come over a high point, the terrain simply extends but does not drop. I’ve been steadily climbing from plateau to plateau all day, now at 4600m.

Finally a descent towards Quebrada Raria. I found travel here surprisingly difficult and struggled to find the good game trails marked on my map.

Great color

Chuquiragua spinosa. Used in traditional medicine for anti inflammatory properties

I try to stay near the edges of Quebrada Raria to avoid the cows and boggy marsh

a beautiful unnamed Laguna with crystal clear water announces itself as my campsite for the evening

sunset over Mururaju 18661ft

Sunset over Raria 18294 ft

I sleep at 4474m ready to attack the next day, in which I expect to reach the official southern terminus of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, the Pastoruri Glacier. I’m practically shaking with excitement. This has been a long effort.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: On my ninth moving day of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, I run out to the road at Laguna Querococha and take a bus to Chavin for a resupply.

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I wake up at Laguna Tarahua and am moving by 6:45 am ready for a relatively chill day with no high mountain passes.

Frost blankets the valley

Big mountains in the distance. I believe but have not confirmed this is Huantsan (20981 ft)

Climbing rocks?

It turns out the answer is finally yes! These are indeed rocks that people climb. I shall explain

I believe these are Andean geese

Zoomed out from the geese. They found quite a perch.

I meet friends! They are rock climbers from Argentina and confirm that the cliffs I saw are pretty darned great rock climbing.

Despite the name “Blanca” I’ve been seeing a lot more rock than snow and ice, so I was quite excited to meet some folks who are out here not just to climb rocks but also develop new rock routes. We share a tea before I continue on my way out.

Quebrada Rurec behind

Zoomed in on the magnificent Shacsha

Boggy marsh

My first vicuña in Peru. These wild llamas might be my new best friends in the Andes

nice Laguna

My final Laguna of the day: Querococha. I arrive by 3:35pm. I take a quick dip in the refreshing water, much needed.

within 30 seconds of reaching the road, I catch a bus to Chavin. Clockwork.

I’m in Chavin by 5:08pm. A relatively charming town. This passes all my standards for a great resupply town: shopping, restaurants, wifi, clean hotel, but the accommodation is a little expensive (60 soles or $20).

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: In my 8th moving day on the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, I return to the trailhead at Pitec after two rest days in Huaraz for trench foot and cross Shallap Pass (5001m) and Cashan Pass (5157m), finishing the day at Laguna Tarahua (4474m). This was likely the crux day of the traverse as both mountain passes were off trail and above 5k.

Link to Route

I end up taking two days off in Huaraz to dry out my feet. On one of them, I meet up with my French buddies Leo and Dorian who are biking from Quito to the southern tip of Argentina. We first met when they whizzed past me running down Cotopaxi. We trade battle stories from our travels and have an excellent lunch 🐸

6:05am. The taxi drops me off at the most popular trailhead in the Cordillera Blanca. Deserted at this hour.

First light

“Shining sunbeam” hummingbird. South America is the global center of hummingbird diversity with about 340 of the world’s 366 species.

Climbing boulders?

Ascending Quebrada Shallap

Laguna Shallap (4256m)

The ascent up Shallap Pass involves small game trails and then a big scree field. I found the climb to be enjoyable.

view looking back down towards Laguna Shallap

I reach Shallap Pass at 5001m right around 11 am.

Descent towards Laguna Huamash Punta

Laguna Huamash Punta clear to the bottom

The view as I descend

Laguna Rajucolta (4262m). An artificial lake as I will soon find out

I meet some tourists on a day hike, all American, half from Alabama… and half from Washington.

I chat with the four folks from Bellingham for a while comparing the Cascades to the Cordillera Blanca, and it feels like I’m home. The world is big, but it’s also small.

As we were talking, one of the women from Alabama came back over and asked if I wanted any food. She said, “I’m worried about you,” in the most genuine and almost bashful way that made my heart melt. The folks from Bellingham said, “Aww you must be a mom.” Yes, she has two kids: 32 and 26 years old, and I certainly appreciated her motherliness.

Fortunately, I wasn’t worried myself and left blessed by my new guardian angels and their free snacks including a Fillo’s Walking Tamale 🫔

I begin the ascent up to next mountain pass between Cashan Peak and Rurec Peak from Laguna Rajucolta at 12:55pm

angle up towards the base of the cliffs for easiest travel

I get to Cashan Pass (5157m) at 4pm. The south side has two snow chutes divided by a rock pillar.

I consider that I may have to turn around, as I don’t have microspikes or an axe to descend steep snow. I decide to take 30 minutes to scout a way down. If by 4:30pm, I can’t find a way down, I’ll accept defeat and return the way I came.

I try to traverse the left snow couloir. One step, and the snow is firm! Not going to kick steps in this with my sneakers.

I pick up and walk over to the next couloir on the right. There are some patches of dirt extending the entire way down, but it looks steep! No thanks.

Then I realize the rock pillar I’m standing on looks pretty nice. “I didn’t sign up for any rock climbing today,” I think to myself. But this actually looks like a relatively straightforward down climb.

I decide to proceed one step at a time. If I ever feel unsafe, I will climb back up and return to the other side of the pass. I grab hold of the rocks and take one step down. Feels solid.

There is a lot of exposure below me, but I ask myself, “Are you safe?” I notice my hands and feet are all in solid position on the rock, and the answer in my head is a resounding Yes.

I proceed in this way for what I estimate to be about 100 feet, asking myself “Are you safe?” after every single step.

When I reach the bottom of the rock pillar, I feel particularly triumphant having descended the entire way without ever once sacrificing my safety.

Note: To anyone using this trip report as beta on your own adventure, I will mention that Cashan Pass felt to me like a different flavor and more technical than the rest of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse. I was glad to have a personal history of rock climbing in my back pocket here. Cam Honan who founded the CBT, kicked steps into the snow to descend, which I didn’t feel comfortable doing in trail runners. Another party with Austin Lillywhite was forced to turn back on this pass early season (May) when the snow levels were higher. That said, don’t be discouraged! I found the rock quality to be excellent and the climb to be easy in sneakers.

View into the next valley

View looking back up towards Rurec Peak

I enjoy the run down this gravelly, rarely touched by humans, slope.

So many minerals in these rocks

Can you see the Andean deer.

I make it down to Laguna Tarahua for a beautiful campsite before sunset after a satisfying day’s work. Proud of all my decision-making.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: 7th moving day on the Cordillera Blanca Traverse from Quebrada Cojup over Huapi Pass (5070m) to Pitec and then out to Huaraz for a resupply.

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I wake up at 5 am and pack up my tent. I walk over to the trekking group I camped next to ask for hot water.

The guide Cesar hands me a banana, then another, then two more. I thank him as if each additional banana is a new blessing whilst thinking in my head “wtf am I supposed to do climbing up a 5000 meter mountain passes with four bananas?”

Cesar wishes me luck and I walk towards the clients, three Swiss women, on my way out to say good morning. When they see me, they announce that I’m walking the wrong way. I thank them for the tip and turn around without exchanging any more words. Flirting will have to wait until after the Cordillera Blanca Traverse I guess.

Sunrise in Quebrada Cojup

a wild chinchilla! I thought it was a bunny at first before realizing it’s just a little too cute.

My high school self would be proud (I took care of the chinchillas at the Trevor Zoo).

Choco/Huapi pass. 5070m

Interesting cairn (bottom of photo)

descending to the next valley

I see a bumble bee crawl inside which sparks my curiosity about bumble bees.

It turns out that bumble bees, like honey bees, are also social bees but live in colonies of up to a few hundred instead of several thousand individuals. They make nectar, flowery sugar water, instead of honey to feed their young.

When I land in the valley floor, I see a couple tents, and as I run by, someone gets up and says “Hey what’s up,” in an American accent. Next he says, “Is your name Olly?”

I met Nathan in Bend in March through my friend Linn and vaguely knew he’d be going to the Cordillera Blanca, but I hadn’t even known if I’d go to Peru at that point.

Anyways, he knew of at least one guy who might be running solo through the Cordillera Blanca and took a shot. Suffice it to say, I was absolutely mind blown being that he was the first human I’d seen since starting my hike.

One heck of a coincidence

catzo! My friend Cormac helped me identify this beetle which is a delicacy in Ecuador

I believe this is a black-tailed trainbearer. South America has tons of hummingbird species

climbing rocks?

I reach the road and run 3 more kilometers to the most popular trailhead in the Cordillera Blanca where I will start the next leg.

But for now I catch the last spot in a colectivo headed to Huaraz, the capital of the Cordillera Blanca.

In the colectivo is a mix of Americans, British, Chileno, and other nationalities. Trying to stay a step ahead, I arrange a ride with the taxi driver Edgar to take me back to the trailhead the next morning at 5 am.

Huaraz is a bustling city of 150,000 people situated at the North-South midpoint of the Cordillera Blanca in the valley between the Blanca and the Cordillera Negra.

The entire city was destroyed in 1970 by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, the most destructive natural disaster in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

By now the city has been rebuilt and is surely one of the adventure centers of the world. Other climbers I met in South America told me they had to force themselves to leave because they otherwise would’ve spent their entire travel in South America.

As I get into bed I notice a strange tingling in my feet. I look closely at them and the skin seems kind of mangled. Some quick Internet research indicates that this is maceration from early stages immersion foot.

The treatment is to keep the feet dry. I text Edgar to cancel the morning taxi. I will take a day off to dry out my feet.

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m running the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, invented by Cam Honan in 2014. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

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Trip Report

Summary: 6th moving day on the Cordillera Blanca Traverse from Quebra Akilpo over Urus Pass (5040m) to Refugio Ishinca and over Ishinca Pass (5201m) to Quebrada Cojup.

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I wake at 5 am and am hiking through non-native Eucalyptus grove at about 6 am.

I couldn’t resist a sunrise waterfall dip, but maybe should’ve. oof that was chilly.

Enter a majestic mountain forest valley

Bosque de queñuales. The longest section of forest in the Cordillera Blanca Traverse, all native Polylepis trees.

climbing rocks?

hanging flowers. Of the asteroidae family

End forest

Andean flicker. These are everywhere and extremely talkative, though took a long time to get a photo

ascending Quebrada Akilpo

Laguna Akilpo (4696m)

Highest cows award. Clocked at 4900m.

Urus Pass (5040m)

as I descend the pass, I pass two French guys wearing crampons. This makes me nervous. I ask them if you need crampons to hike up to the pass. They say, “No but it’s better to have them.”

Interesting. I at first cautiously, and then less cautiously, pick my way down a completely snow free cairned route in my sneakers with no issues. I decide that crampons here would be some serious overkill.

That cold smoke you see in the bottom third of the photo is an avalanche from serac fall.

I reach Refugio Ishincha, a bustling fully staffed mountain hut, just in time for lunch

I get antsy waiting over 40 minutes for my eggs and French fries, but find relief chatting with the two French guys next to me who are here to climb Ishinca. They take an interest in my Ecuador volcanoes ski descents and are passionate skiers themselves.

I also pepper their mountain guide with questions about snow conditions on my upcoming passes. I’ve noticed conditions starting to get a bit snowier as I head south, and have some high mountain passes ahead. He assures me that all the passes are snow free and can be done in sneakers. Phew!

By 2:20 pm, I am back out and booking it for my second pass of the day, and the high point of the entire Cordillera Blanca Traverse.

Laguna Toclla

I reach Ishinca Pass (5201m) by 4:40 pm pleased that I’ll have time to descend before dark.

Sheesh these summits aren’t much higher than the pass, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring some crampons

Laguna Cojup

Andean deer!

a view of quebrada Cojup below

I reach the valley floor around 6:15 just as it’s getting dark

An honest day’s work 👍