The Peru Divide

If you’re here likely you’ve ridden the Peru Divide or you’re thinking about it. I had it on my to do list for a short while before jumping on a plane bound for Lima. Browsing the photos on the BIKEPACKING.COM route profile in the months prior had me pretty sold. The vertical on this route was both a cause for apprehension and excitement knowing the mountains with that kind of profile were sure to be impressive.

With the 78,000ft of vertical to climb from Huancavelica to Huaraz I embarked on a robust training schedule in the months leading up. While the first four or five days in Peru were a challenge with regard to elevation, once acclimated I found the climbs to be manageable. I should mention when climbing up toward 16,000ft I did find myself pushing from time to time if the trail was loose.

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The following excerpt is taken from my article from The Bikepacking Journal 14

“The gas fills the primer cup, and I spin the bottle’s knob to shut off the supply. I lean in and flick the lighter, moving it closer to the small pool of welling fuel. It lights, and black smoke rises off the flame. Thirty seconds later, the flame goes out. I turn the gas knob back on and hold the lighter flame to the element. The gas element lights, and shortly thereafter, the hose ignites, followed by the bottle, and then the surrounding grass quickly becomes ablaze. 
A small brush fire expands out around me, and I grab hold of my nearby tent, pull it out of the ground, and throw it clear. Looking around, I spot my water bottle, unscrew the lid, and get to work on extinguishing the flames. Stomping around while sprinkling water makes small inroads, and I grab my second water bottle and empty that on the largest flames, stamping on the remaining burning area, moderately melting my riding shoes in the process. 
Once I’m satisfied that all the hot spots are out, I take a seat on the scorched earth and assess the damage. Tent safe, bike safe, gear safe, me safe. My shoes, water supply, and surrounding grass were not so lucky. I take a moment to set the tent back up away from the charred earth. I analyze the gas stove, trying to work out what almost set the Andes on fire, only to discover I hadn’t used the hose clip correctly. The escaping gas had quickly combusted. Sitting back down, I consider what just happened. I’ve come too far to let my tent, sleeping bag, and bikepacking adventure go up in flames because of a small mistake.”