SA 57: Junín (1000 Miles in the Andes)

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.

Summary: Run from Junin to Cruce Las Vegas, surpassing my goal of running 1000 miles in the Andes, and then catch a ride to Lima.

Link to Line

My favorite meal for breakfast: soup from a street food cart. This one has a hard-boiled egg and sliced potatoes.

When I go to pay for my meal, the lady tells me my check is already paid. I’d been sitting next to a taxi driver, and he paid for my meal without telling me. How kind.

Time to hit the road. By this point, I’ve figured out I will almost assuredly hit my 1000 mile mark at some point on this run. I’m excited to finish, but the day starts just as hard as if it was my first day at altitude— I feel fatigued and stomach upsets prompt me often to stop to poop.

Here comes the freight train transporting minerals from the Andes to Lima, the same route I will try to follow today.

the monument to the Battle of Junín, a decisive battle on Aug 6, 1824, in which Simon Bolivar’s Patriot army defeated Spain’s Royalist forces and paved the way for Peru’s independence.

The battle was fought entirely between cavalry forces

Watering hole where ducks, gulls, flamingoes, and vicuñas congregate

Instead of fencing in their horses, oftentimes people here will tie the front legs together so that the horses can’t go far. A bit sad to see

1,000 miles in the Andes. I hit 1,000 miles in the Andes in a nondescript spot in the Peruvian altiplano. the moment is slightly anticlimactic, as it follows a particularly unremarkable day marked by dehydration due to lack of water sources, the usual stomach problems, and efforts to power through fatigue.

I cross the train tracks to head to the highway and look for a hitchhike to make my way to Lima from which I’ll fly home to the USA.

When I get to the highway, it becomes apparent that this is a real freeway, not the kind you can hitchhike on. I run 2 more hours to the next little town on the highway.

In the “town” of Cruce Las Vegas, it’s possible to hitch a ride, and a nice family stops after about 10 minutes of sticking out my thumb.

30 minutes later we arrive in the small city of La Oroya, where I’m surprised to find a car to Lima that very night. Shortly after 7 pm, I’m in the fastest car on the road for 60 s/$17.62.

Around 10pm, the car drops me off on the side of a highway at the edge of Lima and from there I catch a city bus playing EDM music with flashing neon lights inside.

I make it to Plaza Norte where my camping gear was shipped a week earlier. This neighborhood feels like Sin City, full of nightclubs, casinos, prostitutes, and “jacuzzi hotels”.

I buy rice and beans street food for dinner and find a quiet(er) hotel by midnight. i am feeling the full force of culture shock but manage to sleep well after a long day.

Thank you for following along on the journey! Tomorrow I will make one final recap post.