Introduction
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 Cajamarca back up to the Peruvian Altiplano, and when night falls, hitchhike to Oyón.
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.
That's a mind-boggling range of experience for one day of travel.