Because reading is still a thing, believe it or not. It’s quite good for the brain and saves us both from the tragic fate of repeating ourselves. Skim the bits you care about and you’ll arrive armed with knowledge instead of the usual “I didn’t read anything but can you tell me everything?” WhatsApp barrage. Preparation is sexy. Fact. (We’re easily impressed.)

Use the direct bookings link like a civilised person: https://bit.ly/3nD7duT.  

We do love a spreadsheet as much as the next former accountant (guilty as charged), but please don’t email us begging for availability when the button is right there. We’re trying to pretend we’ve got a life up here.

WhatsApp Charlie at +51938202221. You can even request a call if you’re feeling particularly brave.  

Important safety note: we do not answer mystery numbers because spam callers in Peru have apparently decided we’re their favourite victim. Message first. We’re not running a hotline for cold callers or your long-lost cousin twice removed. If you’re calling from an international number, Charlie is more inclined to pick up, but a reconnaissance WhatsApp message is considered civil. We didn’t just build CBL for you; we rather like it here too, so endeavour to keep out of the digital world.

It’s six rooms, a frankly indecent view, and the distinct lack of everything you don’t actually need.  

No rigid itineraries, no tour-bus herds, no laminated name badges. Just you, a GPS route, some bloody good food, and mountains that make most postcards look like they’re trying too hard.  

Full board is compulsory—sorry, no “just a salad” option, because we’d rather not explain why there’s no corner shop for 45 minutes in any direction.  

You’ll save about six hours a day compared to the poor sods doing the Huaraz shuffle. Location, location, location. And did we mention the location? (We’re smug about it, and unapologetic.)

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3UxvhsHpU9hSNbcy6  

Google Earth: search Cordillera Blanca Lodge, drop the eye to ground level and look at the views if you want to feel inadequate about your own view.  

We’re at 3,503 m—roughly one-third less oxygen than you’re used to.  

So acclimatise properly, keep a window cracked if you’ve got the fire roaring, borrow our oximeter like it’s a pub game, breathe like you mean it, maybe chat to your GP about Diamox… or just mainline coffee and honey like a local. 

Minimalism isn’t a punishment—it’s a public service (mostly to our solar batteries).  

No TVs, no hairdryers, no menus longer than War and Peace. Solar power, spring water you can drink from the shower (yes, really), zero packaged nonsense, proper waste sorting.  

We’re not trying to be annoying; we’re just trying to remember what life was like before everyone decided they needed constant internet, seventeen chargers and a blow-dry to survive a weekend.  

Grab “The Primal Connection” by Mark Sisson and read it in a hammock. You’ll either love us or hate us. There is no middle ground. (We’re used to being the weird ones.)

The CB’s stable climate has had a bit of a mid-life crisis thanks to what Charlie politely calls “increased proximity to our hotter sun” (read: solar interaction, not your carbon footprint). See last Q&A for a thinking man’s non-conforming view on this.  

Easter–New Year used to be reliably dry and cold, with some rain storms possible September–December from 2pm onwards. Now October–New Year is sneakily becoming the smart season, with less rain; you might get an afternoon thunderstorm that could star in its own disaster movie, but the mornings are usually clear and the crowds are blessedly absent. Jan–Easter: greener, quieter, waterfalls on tap, rarely below zero at night.  

Basically: any time except when everyone else is here. You’re welcome. (Crowd avoidance is our superpower.)

People who’d rather stare at a 6,000+ m peaks than a screen.  

Solo wanderers, couples rediscovering why they liked each other, adventurers who think “group tour” sounds like a hostage situation.  

We’ve had marriage-saving stays and at least one (successful) proposal. No pressure, and no refunds upon failure. (We’re not therapists, but we’ve got views.)

Charlie Good—economist, ex-auditor, Chartered Accountant, now full-time mountain lunatic.  

Left spreadsheets behind in 2004, built the lodge, ran geological expeditions, then considerately retired from going on the CB’s glaciers when his son Jack arrived. “It’s one thing to lose a father when young, it would be something else entirely for Jack to lose his.” (Yes, he’s that sentimental git.)  

Keeps in shape by putting stupidly long races in the diary most people use as punchlines (Marathon des Sables Peru 250km (41st), Jungle Marathon 230km (5th), www.AndesRace.pe 100km every year for the last 10).  

Turned 50 in 2025 and still thinks he’s running Beta. Terrifying… really. (Mostly to his knees.)

Feeling’s mutual, trust us. If you want to hand the world over to the globalists - we welcome you to pay their “admin” fee.

Direct booking = best price (https://bit.ly/3nD7duT).  

Booking.com adds 14% + another 6% because apparently misery loves company.  

FIRST book your room to secure your stay:  

Rooms: $131–$548/night depending on type and length of stay. Five nights = 20% off → fifth night effectively free. One night costs the same as two because we’re not running a youth hostel.  

THEN  add your food:  

Food: $55 USD/adult/day via card/transfer (breakfast $25, pack lunch $5, dinner $25). Kids under 12 cheaper.  Pay food at least two weeks before arrival. We’re not magicians. (Though we do make decent pancakes.)

& ADD Extra beds $20/night + food. 

OR go “One shot - One Kill” and book Full Board online, done and dusted. 

PayPal Checkout on the booking link. No account needed—just pick “PAY AS GUEST” and put your card details in. Take time to read the narrative on each page on the PayPal checkout, like a clever person without ADHD.  

If PayPal is having one of its moments, WhatsApp Charlie and we’ll sort it like adults. You can make a bank transfer or we can send you a secure card payment link. Of course we prefer precious metals, but it is difficult to transact with in advance.

A proper cooked breakfast (not continental sadness), Pack-lunch with actual sandwiches (no single-use plastic guilt), fixed three-course dinner with unlimited water and free corkage.  

We cater to dietary requirements, celiac, dairy free, vegetarian, and even vegans who seem to wish to remove themselves from the gene pool through natural selection. Charlie tried it for 3 months “it was ideal if you like the feeling of a slow creeping death, and I’m pretty sure if we didn’t eat cows or chicken, they would be reduced to mating pairs in zoos, currently as species they are super successful, like wheat.” (Self-deprecation level: expert.)  

$55/day via card/transfer. Less for <12 years old. We plan shopping two weeks ahead so pay early or we cry quietly in the kitchen.

Breakfast from sunrise-ish (7–7:30 Nov–Apr, 8 May–Sep)–10am, no need to head off on day treks until 9-10am, unless you want to be trekking with all the newbs. Come to break your fast ready in trek gear with backpack and 2 L water or we’ll judge you silently - newb.  

Packed lunch appears magically on the bar post-breakfast—grab, throw into your pre-prepped backpack and vanish into the mountains.  

Dinner sharp at 18:30. Be late and the chef may develop a twitch. Two sittings possible when full.  

Tea/coffee all day. Beers from 15 soles. Civilised drinking is encouraged, but not ideal at altitude, you have been warned.

All payments non-refundable (post-quarantine reality check).  

But if you WhatsApp Charlie by 16:00 two days before arrival, you get perpetual transferable postponement - $50 admin fee for rebooking.  

No postponement to public holidays. Life’s not fair, sorry. (Neither are we, apparently.)

We have added a refundable option, but the terms are NOT in your favour, we are not an insurance company, we recommend you get travel insurance before booking your stay.

Official: 16:00 in, 10:00 out.  

Realistic: early check-in / late check-out usually free if the room’s ready—just ask nicely on WhatsApp and arrival. We like to treat human beings as exactly that - human beings.  

Hang about before or after, use the shower, drink the water, stare at the view. We’re not monsters – usually.

Yes, if well-behaved and pre-approved via WhatsApp.  

$50/stay fee, pre-booked, socialised, no fighting breeds or (randomly) Golden Retrievers.  

We like dogs more than most people, but chaos is not on the menu. We have 3 Rhodesian Ridgeback, look up that breed, you may not want to bring your dog after all, especially if it thinks it is the Alpha.

Free, plentiful, sunny. Bring a reflective windscreen or better - car cover or your dashboard & paint will cook like Sunday roast. Sodimac/Promart in Lima sells them.

24-hour LED lights, two USB-A ports per person in-room.  

220 V (laptops, drones) only at the bar. No hairdryers—ever. We survived centuries without them; so can your fringe.  

Solar + lithium batteries. Be kind to the batteries when it’s cloudy or dark and unplug gear Mother Earth appreciates it, the batteries only have so many discharge cycles in them. 

Starlink in bar/restaurant—fast enough to make most city connections feel embarrassed.  

No room Wi-Fi. This is intentional. Put the phone down and chat with your partner or god forbid it - your kids, or look cultured and pretend to read a book. Revolutionary concepts, we know. Charlie has re-discovered reading - ever since he discovered he needed readers at 50.

Per-room 24-hour on-demand gas boiler. Steady pressure and temperature until someone empties the gas cylinder (then blame the previous guest).  

If it dies: “No hay agua caliente” → we swap the bottle. No drama. Unless you are a solo traveller and have no one to send to the bar with “new gas cylinder message”.

Up to 5 nights → no daily cleaning (more privacy, lower price).  

6+ nights → mid-stay refresh upon request.  

We’re eco-conscious and lazy. It’s a winning combination.

Ground-floor rooms: hot water bottles for your bed after dinner (very Victorian, very effective).  

Other rooms: personal fireplace. Staff lights it post-16:00; you keep it alive.  

Basically, you’re the stoker now. Embrace your inner Victorian. (If you fail and it goes out we provide matches; no guarantees on skill.)

Four separate systems, at great expense, so we don’t poison rivers or the Pacific like the rest of Peru.

Flush only toilet paper (only place in Peru where you can.. and MUST! - we literally don’t want to see that s***) Anything else = midnight plumbing horror show.  

Behave like you’re in civilization. We’re trying.

30 soles/kg (min 2 kg). Cold spring water, solar-powered, ozone sterilised, line-dried in mountain air.  

Your clothes come back as clean as your conscience.

Llanganuco (up to 3), Andean/Deluxe (up to 3), Pachamama (up to 6). Two of each type of room.  

Double-occupancy base rate; extra beds $20 + IGV pp/pn + food.  

Total capacity 24 guests. Intimate. No cattle-class vibes.

Yes. Triple-tested mountain spring. Fill bottles at any tap on our property. Bring reusables—single-use plastic is beneath us.  

If you have brought bottled water, avoid the micro plastics by emptying it and refilling from our spring, seriously -check is there a best-before on that bottled water?… so it could have been in there for decades? Cancer anyone?

Park streams = cow soup. Don’t.

R&R in hammocks with a book, deep work on Starlink, short nature loops, birdwatching (bring binoculars), Queushu ruins 4-min walk, SUP on Queushu ($25/h) or Lake 69 ($100–150 package), trail running routes that would make ultrarunners weep, MTB descents that would make your brakes cry.  

Self-guided day treks with our GPS treasure trove. Multi-day acclimatisation prep base for Santa Cruz / Huayhuash multi day treks.  

Basically: do as much or as little as your soul can handle. (We recommend the hammock option.)

Suggested 7-day acclimatisation itinerary  

Day 1: Arrival and Acclimatization in the Sacred Valley  

* Flight to Cusco (3,400m): Upon arrival, avoid lingering in high altitudes initially.  

* Taxi to Ollantaytambo (2,792m): Nestled in the Sacred Valley, this charming village offers a more forgiving altitude to begin your acclimatization journey.  

* Overnight in Ollantaytambo Lodge: Enjoy a restful stay with the lodge arranging a convenient taxi pickup from the airport.  

Day 2: Exploration of Machu Picchu  

* Train to Aguas Calientes: A scenic train ride leading to the gateway of Machu Picchu.  

* Visit Machu Picchu (2,430m): Spend your day exploring the awe-inspiring ruins of this iconic Incan site.  

* Overnight in Aguas Calientes (2,040m): Consider staying at the luxurious Inkaterra Hotel for a relaxing end to your day.  

Day 3: Discovering the Sacred Valley  

* Train Back to Ollantaytambo: Begin your day with a return train journey.  

* Visit Ollantaytambo Ruins: Immerse yourself in the rich history and stunning vistas of these ancient ruins.  

* Overnight in Urubamba Valley: Choose between the exquisite Tambo del Inca or Sol y Luna for your stay (2,870m).  

Day 4: Sacred Sites and Cusco  

* Explore Maras y Moray and Pisac: Dive into the cultural and historical depths of these cherished sites.  

* Overnight in Cusco (3,400m): Enjoy the vibrant city atmosphere as you prepare for your next adventure.  

Day 5: Walking Tour of Ancient Ruins  

* Taxi to Tambo Machay: Begin your exploration of the surrounding ancient ruins.  

* Walk Back to Cusco: Trek through historical sites such as Puka Pukara, Templo de la Luna, Qenko, and Sacsayhuaman, descending back into Cusco city with a GPS route for guidance.  

Day 6: Cultural Immersion and Travel to Lima  

* Visit Cusco Cathedral & Museums: Absorb the rich cultural tapestry of Cusco through its museums and historic cathedral.  

* Flight to Lima and Onward to Anta: Travel to Lima for a connecting flight to Anta, offering a gateway to the Cordillera Blanca region, or opt for a night bus to Yungay for an early morning arrival.  

Day 7: Arrival in Yungay and Cordillera Blanca Lodge  

* Arrive in Yungay (2,500m) or Anta Airport (2,800m): Commence your journey into the heart of the Cordillera Blanca.  

Go high slowly. Don’t be that person who stays the 1st night at 3500m & the next day treks straight to 4,600 m and spends three days hugging a bucket…. If they survive.. they usually wish they hadn’t. AMS is no picnic - trust me - HACE or HAPE are nasty ways to go. High Altitude Cerebral/Pulmonary Edema: liquid where it should not be, getting both simultaneously … a marvelous way of killing yourself… nightmarishly. (Been there, nearly done that. Not recommending it.)

Day trek minimum: grippy trainers, proper layers, sun/ rain protection, 2 L water, 30 L pack, head torch.  

Bring your own snacks—we don’t do plastic-wrapped sadness.  

Night: pyjamas, fleece, hat, slippers (it gets cold, stop being surprised).  

Toiletries: we supply shampoo, body wash/handsoap, conditioner - it’s perhaps reasonable to expect one to bring anything more specific.  

Soles cash: taxis, park fees, bar drinks. Cards are lovely but Peru still runs on banknotes - old school.

Plane: LATAM airlines Lima–Anta (“Huaraz” on the website), taxi ~1h20.  

Bus: Movil Tours Premier sleeper Lima–Yungay, arrive 07:00, taxi up dirt road for breakfast 45min.  

Car: 8–10 h from Lima, start before dawn, don’t arrive after dark unless you enjoy getting lost. Last 18 km dirt—use our GPS, not Google Maps.  

Helicopter/charter: yes, if you’re feeling extravagant (www.flyflapper.com / www.losandescorp.com).  

We won’t judge. Much. (Ok, a bit.)

Very. Book “ROOM ONLY” online, then WhatsApp us for food payment link.  

You’ll either leave with new friends or perfect silence. Both acceptable. (We’ve done both; silence is underrated.)

I love my planet as much — and almost certainly more than — the next guy/gal, but looking after the planet doesn’t mean just obsessing over the real global warming that is happening and that is wrongly being used to restrict us into digital boxes. The planet is a 3-legged stool, exactly as the human body is — respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular. For the planet that’s biodiversity, toxicity, and climate. No good keeping one leg healthy if one of the others gets eaten away; the stool falls over just the same. (We’re all balancing on wobbly furniture here.)

So why is the planet getting hotter? Step forward Dr Willie Soon, the Malaysian-born astrophysicist who’s spent thirty-odd years cheerfully pointing at the giant flaming ball in the sky and saying, “Er… chaps, have you met the Sun?” His theory is gloriously simple: the Sun supplies 99.99% of the energy driving Earth’s climate, and its output wobbles about with sunspots, total solar irradiance, ultraviolet rays and cosmic-ray cloud effects. Crunch the right solar datasets (he and his colleagues have lovingly assembled 27 of them) and suddenly most of the warming since 1850 looks jolly natural. The Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age, all slot neatly into solar cycles rather than “oops, more coal.” The IPCC, he argues, has been a tad selective with its solar numbers — rather like only inviting the wines that match the curtains. Mainstream science calls it fringe; Soon’s fans call it “the Sun wot done it.” You can read his full credentials here: [Dr Willie Soon – CERES Science](https://www.ceres-science.com/willie-soon).

In brief: Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (with distinction) from USC (1991), long stint as astrophysicist in the Solar, Stellar and Planetary Sciences Division at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (1997–2022), plus visiting scientist roles (e.g., Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, Sopron, Hungary since 2021), principal at CERES since 2018, editorial boards, over 100 publications on solar physics, stellar activity, and sun-climate links — the man’s spent decades staring at our local star for a living. (Proper boffin credentials, even if we chuckle at the consensus backlash.)

But you’re cleverer than this guy (Solar-Astrophysicist) sounds like a dumbass! Check yourself — the more one learns, the more ignorant one should appreciate that one is. History is full of people who got it right but got sidelined, ridiculed, or worse: Galileo under house arrest for heliocentrism, Semmelweis laughed out of medicine for suggesting doctors wash their hands, even poor old Socrates with his hemlock chaser. Being the lone voice in the consensus choir doesn’t make you wrong; it just makes you unpopular at the funding cocktail parties. (We’ve all been the awkward one at the party; doesn’t mean we’re always wrong.)

Now picture him as a modern-day Socrates — the original Athenian gadfly who spent his life asking awkward questions and making the great and good feel silly. Socrates was tried in 399 BC for “impiety” and “corrupting the youth” (translation: he refused to nod along with the official story). They gave him the hemlock special. It took Western civilisation a leisurely 2,000 years — via Plato, Aristotle, monks, Renaissance, Enlightenment — to finally admit the old boy was right and make his method of relentless questioning the bedrock of science itself. Will it take us another two millennia to admit the Sun might have a point? Or will we be quicker this time — preferably before we’ve taxed ourselves into the Stone Age while the great fiery chap carries on regardless?

Ah, but here’s the Trojan Horse bit. The real heat isn’t coming from the Sun or CO₂ — it’s coming from the people who’ve hijacked the climate panic to push their control agenda. Enter the World Economic Forum and the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 (the official blueprint is here: [Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development](https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda)). The WEF’s own “Great Reset” openly ties into it (see their launch piece: [Now is the time for a ‘Great Reset’ of capitalism](https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/)). Net Zero, 15-minute cities, digital IDs, carbon tracking on your bank card, “you’ll own nothing and be happy,” eat the bugs, fly less, drive less, speak less, think less — all sold to you as “saving the planet” while quietly building the ultimate digital prison.

Chow down on this usurped climate agenda as individuals and here’s what you get: skyrocketing energy bills that make pensioners choose between heating and eating; travel rationed by social-credit-style apps; farmland seized for “rewilding” while food prices soar; small businesses crushed by regulations only multinationals can afford; and your every move monitored under the guise of “sustainability.” Biodiversity and toxicity? Forgotten legs of the stool, quietly rotting while the climate leg gets all the glossy PR. The stool wobbles, then crashes.

You can’t make laws against the Sun, but by God they’re trying. Socrates got the hemlock for less. The question is: are we going to swallow the Trojan Horse whole, or finally start asking the awkward questions before the gates are locked from the inside?