Lessons Learned on the Peru Divide

Essential Tips for Bikepacking in Peru

During the first pass of the route, Pastoruri, I had to stop every 5 minutes to catch my breath — my performance was significantly impacted by the altitude.

Health

• Always filter water. Water quality in Peru is poor, and you risk getting sick. Choose a filter that removes bacteria, and ideally, one that filters heavy metals. Check iOverlander for rivers marked unsafe due to contamination or consult locals.

• Avoid raw vegetables and unpeeled fruits. I got sick from a complimentary salad and strawberries. Cook, wash, peel, or skip.

• Carry medicine; few cities along the route stock what you might need.

• Plan ahead for necessary vaccinations; consult your doctor.

• Bring probiotics; if you are not used to the local diet, you’ll likely experience gut issues.

• Bring vitamins; nutrition was one of the hardest aspects of the route.

• Iron supplements enhance altitude acclimatization; consult your doctor.

• Full acclimatization after 20 days significantly boosts performance; the first few days just mitigate symptoms.

• During acclimatization, it’s considered safe to sleep at an additional 500 meters of elevation each night. For example, if you are acclimatized at 3000 meters, you can sleep at 3500 meters. It's fine to spend time at higher altitudes for short periods; where you sleep is what matters.

Fitness & Nutrition

• I lost a lot of body strength. I would incorporate body-weight strength training or a gym session when in a city. Few ideas: push-ups, abs, planks, pull-ups, squats, yoga.

• I would be more mindful about my diet, aiming for a balance of carbs, proteins, and fiber. However, it was challenging. I grew tired of canned fish, noodles, crackers and chocolate.

• Peanut butter and calorie-dense foods are city-only finds. Smaller shops mostly offer cola, chocolate, and crackers.

• In small villages, food options may be limited to a single portion.

Whenever I had the chance to pass through a village, I would pack dinner — it was the best part of my evening. It usually costs around 8 S/.

Bread with avocado, meat, eggs is a typical breakfast — pan con huevo, pan con palta, pan con carne. I would get a few for the road. They cost around 1.5 S/.

Peanut butter is a rare find!

Accommodation & Logistics

• Ask for “hospidaje” (accommodation); even if none is advertised, locals may host and cook for you at a small

  cost. A smile, along with “hospidaje” and “comida” (food), goes a long way even if you don’t speak Spanish.

• In hostels, towels are generally only provided in private rooms, but you can often request one for a small fee.

• Hostels, or locals, may securely store your belongings, even in small villages. Just ask.

• Don’t book online; it’s significantly cheaper to arrange via WhatsApp (they list their numbers on Google Maps) and pay onsite.

• There’s no nationwide postal service, except in big cities. You can use buses to send items to a city, where they can be picked up at the destination terminal.

An elderly woman hosted me in her son's bedroom in the attic; she was very proud of him being a teacher! My “toilet” is also visible (hint: it’s yellow) .

Enjoying dinner — French fries, eggs, and rice — cooked for me by a family in their storage room.

A more typical accommodation offered to travelers. If you're wondering about the bedsheets and blankets, they're reused, so it's advisable to use a liner.

Transport

• Due to the mountainous terrain, map distances can be misleading. A 500 km bus ride, for example, might take 17 hours.

• Some buses take bikes, and others don’t, but it usually works out. Hitchiking is common.

• When loading your bike into a bus or van without a box, take extra care. Drivers often want to be done quickly, and your bike could get damaged during the trip — roads are full of bumps and turns. I’ve heard of broken brake hoses and bent discs.

• Colectivo vans depart when full; they don’t run on a specific schedule.

• Overnight buses are common; it’s worth booking the premium seats for a comfortable sleep.

How not to load your bike into a bus. Luckily, nothing happened except for the front brake calipers closing, but I was worried the entire ride.

Loading my bike into the bus the proper way — in a bike box — shortly after my arrival in Lima.

Loading the bike box on a taxi in Huaraz.

Connectivity

• A Peruvian SIM is cheaper than an eSIM. Register with your passport, and buy a prepaid plan.

• Some areas are covered by only one cell provider; Claro may not have reception in villages served by Bitel, and some areas have no cell service.

• Satellite communication can be handy. I had a Garmin InReach, and it proved invaluable for contacting my doctor when I got sick in the mountains.

Gear

• Be mindful of what you carry; every kilo matters.

• Choose your cooking system wisely and practice using it for the conditions you’ll face. I had trouble lighting my alcohol stove because I didn’t preheat it; if you choose this system, ensure learning about preheating. It took 40 minutes to boil 500 mL of water at 4000 masl in 0˚C! Eventually, I gave up cooking.

• Regularly inspect and oil your bike, ideally before you start or after you finish.

During my morning inspection, I noticed that the frame had cracked.

Morning oiling routine!

My cooking system was slow. I needed to preheat it to cook properly, which I didn’t know, and I didn’t have the necessary equipment. Research and practice with your cooking system.

Apps & Resources

• iOverlander is an invaluable resource.

• MapOut (iOS) was excellent for day planning.

• The “Cycling South America” WhatsApp group is an incredible source of up-to-date information.

• Highlux Photo blog is quite insightful.

Culture

• From stories I’ve heard, the police are helpful to tourists. Don’t hesitate to reach out; some are marked on iOverlander and may even accommodate you.

• What you experience on the route contrasts greatly with what you’ll see in Cusco.

• Locals are friendly, whether you speak the language or not.

• When riding near mines, let the hordes of trucks pass; I encountered as many as 30 trucks at a time.

• I felt safe along the route. In cities, follow the advice of locals.

Let the trucks pass. The first sign of the horde is usually a truck spraying water on the gravel to prevent dust.

Environment & Climate

• You get 12 hours of daylight. If the weather’s good, it’s ideal for riding; otherwise, you’ll race to finish a typical 50 km (30 miles) day with 1500 meters (5000 feet) of elevation.

• Weather changes quickly on the mountain. I regularly got rained, snowed and hailed at the top of passes.

• Aim to set up camp by 4 p.m at the latest; highly likely it’s raining in the evening. I camped anywhere from 2 p.m to 8 p.m.

• Temperatures ranged from -10˚C in the morning at 4500 meters to 25˚C at 3000 meters.

Setting up camp at almost 10 p.m is far from ideal, but sometimes necessary.

Don’t ride at night unless absolutely necessary. You’ll be fatigued, cold, and have reduced visibility. I had to ride about 20 km, including descending a pass in the mist, to reach a village.

Money Stuff

1 Euro is 4 Soles (S/), which is almost the same for USD.

• Avoid currency exchanges. National Bank’s ATMs dispense up to 400 S/ with no fee; they are indicated on iOverlander. Bring multiple cards in case an ATM decides to withhold your card.

• A meal along the route costs 8-14 S/.

• A long bus ride costs around 80 S/, and the bike can cost between 10-80 S/.

• Coca-Cola (600ml): 3 S/

• 50g of milk chocolate: 3.5 S/

• Peanut butter (400g): 15-20 S/ (only found in cities)

• Small sandwiches with egg or avocado: 1.5-2 S/

• 1L of bottled water: 3 S/

• Accommodation in hostels: 20-30 S/; private rooms: 40+ S/. Campsites: around 5 S/.

• If you are in Peru for less than 60 days, you may be eligible for a tax refund at the airport.

• Flights from Europe to Lima cost around 1.6k euros including the transport of the bike (~200€ per ticket). I recommend using a single airline for the ease of bike transport.

A typical tienda, offering mostly dry food, and rarely eggs and fruits.

Misc

• Ignore dogs; they may be intimidating but typically don’t pose a threat. My Greek experience helped! People have been bitten or had their panniers torn; water or rocks to deter them have allegedly been effective.

• Be cautious with lavanderías (laundries). Fellow bikepackers shared stories of clothes being returned dirty or even missing.

• If you want to visit Machu Picchu you have two options:

  1. Book months in advance — difficult if you are riding.

  2. Spend a day queuing from 5 a.m to get one of the 1000 tickets available onsite at Machu Picchu Pueblo (these tickets are for the following day, so you’ll spend at least two days there).

• I packed all my things in the bike box for both flights (AirEuropa — Germany to Peru). Outbound, the box weighed 39kg. The counter agent hesitated but eventually checked it in after asking if it contained only my bike. I explained that I was traveling by bike and had all the necessary gear. For the inbound, I bound my two Ortlieb Gravel panniers (12.5L each) together as a carry-on, within the allowed dimensions, and my bike box weighed 35kg.

  Bike boxes can be found in cities; reaching out to bike shops on WhatsApp in advance can save you some time.

I packed everything in the bike box — 39 kg. I would advise staying within the weight limit (check with the airlines).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! And if you have more tips, I would love to hear them!

Enjoy your trip ✌🏼