Los Amigos de Huayhuash
Background and philosophy of Los Amigos
'Los Amigos of Huayhuash' is made up of adventure lovers who have all trekked in the Cordillera Huayhuash over the past few years with Abner, Alcides and Adolfo Valdez, and who have become firm friends of theirs.
Abner, Alcides and Adolfo are Peruvian and have always lived in Chiquian, a small town in the Peruvian Andes which is the trekking trailhead for the stunning Cordillera Huayhuash. For many years they have worked for agencies as guides, mule-drivers and cooks, expertly leading numerous groups around the various treks possible in Huayhuash. These agencies charge the tourists far too much money, and far too little of that goes to the likes of Abner and Alcides, who do all the hard work for peanuts.
The aim of this not-for-profit site is therefore to
put potential trekkers directly in touch with Abner, Alcides and Adolfo rather
than using an agency. The benefits are clear: as a trekker you can
rest assured that you are in the extremely capable hands of real
experts, and Abner, Alcides and Adolfo can earn the decent wage that they more
than deserve.
If you browse through the menu you will find details
of the different treks possible in the Cordillera Huayhuash and all the
practical information necessary to organise your trek. We have also
included recommendation letters from various 'amigos', and photos from
their websites to give an idea of how breathtaking the Cordillera
Huayhuash trek is, and how fulfilling an experience trakking with Abner, Alcides and Adolfo can be.
The Valdez Brothers
Ecotourism
We strongly believe in the principal of Ecotourism as defined by the International Ecotourism Society :
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.
We would like to go beyond the
principal of Fairtrade tourism by creating direct links between
tourists and local people providing tourism services all over the
world. This is by no means an easy project, as the profit-making tour
operators and agencies dominate the market and have the power to crush
those who wish to help local communities in developing countries simply
because they care.
Creating this non-profit website for the Valdez brothers is the first step towards the development of a network of local communities who, through an electronic platform run by volunteers, can offer their valuable service directly to travellers. To make this project possible, we will need funding from international organisations and volunteers who are prepared to support the local people in the early stages of development of their businesses.
Leave No Trace camping
Steve and Katrijn, our "amigos" from Belgium, were particulary concerned to witness the environmental impact the increasing numbers of trekking parties are having on the pristine landscape around Huayhuash. Whilst on his trek, Steve explained the principles of "Leave No Trace" camping to Alcides, and encouraged him to dig deep catholes (pit toilets) at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails, and to cover and disguise the catholes when finished.
The principles of "Leave No Trace" were developed in response to concerns that the increasing number of human visitors to previously uninhabited (or lightly inhabited) wilderness areas would destroy the very characteristics that make them attractive, and irreparably harm native species. While each individual visitor might have an insignificant impact, the cumulative effect of thousands and even millions of visitors to a site over the years would be profound.
Rather than removing humanity altogether from these environments, leave-no-trace camping seeks to minimize the changes we make just by visiting. It's also a courtesy to the people who'll be visiting the same place the next day or the next week, giving them a chance to experience it the same way you did. And pragmatically, the authorities who manage the place you want to visit may require that you follow leave-no-trace practices.
As Leave No Trace say, :
Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.
