On top of the world

A drive that will be impossible to top...... In fact a drive " on top of the world" was how I will reflect on it. Our day was a transfer day, with no time limits or regularities so we started out on a 650 K drive from Cusco to the city of Nazca near the coast.  We expected some more high altitude passes as we headed west bound headed towards the coast. My mind thinking more down hill.... Wow, were we surprised ! Our first climb was up a mountain road that turned left and then right what seemed like a thousand times. After a half hour, still no summit in sight, while passing through 13,000 feet. It was over an hour before we finally reached the summit at 14,300 ft. about the same as Mt. Rainier.  And then we started down, constantly twisting and turning with heavy braking.  Soon, far off in the distance, a higher pass loomed. Unbelievable ! Due to the extreme and erratic winding roads, it was over two hours before we reached the next summit. That repeated itself four times that day will all four summits over 4,000 meters. In distance, it was the same as driving from Seattle to Butte, Montana, except the average straight stretch before a hard turn was about the length of a football field. On the forth summit, it began raining and then snowing.... The drive was from heaven over a smooth road and, what seemed like a million turns. Twelve hours later, we arrived at our hotel TOTALLY exhausted. My arms now resemble those of Popeye the sailor man. 
Chuck

Winding route (top) and Altitude Profile (bottom)

 Fang Tracker over part of the route-see more here

Photo by Gerard Brown

Fang Tracker Street Views-see more here

Paracas

 photos by David Garrett                            

 Hotel Paracas