Check out what Kick Ass Blaster Allie has to say about her trip to Peru.While the Unofficial crew was shredding the South Pole, I was also lucky enough to visit the Southern Hemisphere; the beautiful country of Peru to be exact. Having been employed in the restaurant business since moving to Tahoe 5 years ago, I have learned to go with the “seasonal flow” due to tourism.- And when late October arrives, your bank account is looking somewhat respectable after working 7 shifts/ week all summer, and you’ve just about ridden every mountain bike trail backwards, traveling allows for a refreshing distraction.- Pending it doesn’t dump three feet in Tahoe while you’re gone!My boyfriend Nate and I arrived in Huaraz, Peru after an 8 hour bus ride from Lima, and promptly met up with our good friends, and fellow Squaw skiers, Lynn Kennen and Jeremy Benson.- In short order we were sipping Pisco Sour and indulging in Cuy, a local delicacy more commonly known as Guinea Pig. The jury is still out on whether the almighty cuy was the initiating factor in many digestive troubles there to come! all part of the experience, right? We spent a day acclimatizing in Huaraz, and set off on what would be the highlight of my trip, a 3-day backpacking trek through the Cordillera Blanca, a smaller mountain range within the Andes and home to many of the highest mountains in Peru. Day one of the trek tested our patience a bit as we walked five hours in what ranged from a drizzle to a raging downpour.- We bought some life saving heavy duty ponchos for $2 at the Huaraz uniform store before we left. Despite making us look like ninja turtles (which was actually kind of awesome), these things saved the day!

Things were looking up on day 2, as we crossed over Punta Union Pass at 4750m, the highest altitude we would see over the 3 days.- We were dusted with snow at the top and rewarded with views of glaciated peaks, glowing lagoons, and the Santa Cruz Valley ahead. After taking a quick second to catch our breath and utilize the trusty self timer function on the camera, we began to descend through more of the same awesome scenery.- We spent the afternoon looking up at these massive peaks, contemplating the possibilities of skiing different parts of them. “That line on the right looks like it might go! as long as you avoid the 500 feet of glacial rubble below it!”- I guess we’ll leave that for the next trip.

Day 3 was nothing short of magical.- After enduring so much rain, we woke up to clear skies and an early morning sun slowly illuminating the surrounding glaciers. I tried to capture all of this on film with limited success.- Instead, I just took it all in over a delicious Nescafe instant cappuccino and some really interesting Peruvian oatmeal paste. What an awesome end to a sweet backpacking trip- I’ll never forget that morning!- We descended about 2,500 ft over the rest of that morning down to the village of Cashapampa.- The downhill stairs with a pack on seemed endless after a while, but was probably great ski training! I tried to embrace it. We also saw our first tarantula of the trip on the way out! Being in the mountains, regardless of where or what you are doing, is pretty special.- I’m grateful to have had such an experience in a beautiful country like Peru.- And as clich!© sounding as it may be, this trip once again reinforced my appreciation for what we’ve got here every day in Tahoe!- Looking forward to another sick season at Squaw- bring on the snow!