Loved ones appeal to authorities as days pass without hiker contact
A private mountain rescue crew is searching Peru’s Huayhuash mountain range for Jordan Yap, a 30-year-old Melbourne man who last made contact with friends and family on 14 September ahead of a planned 10-day solo trek along the remote Andean circuit.
Yap was undertaking the 120-kilometre Cordillera Huayhuash circuit, which is regarded as a challenging, high-altitude trek through the remote Andes mountains roughly 400 kilometres north-east of Lima. He was last seen near the beginning of the route before falling silent.
“It’s really uncharacteristic of him to not have communicated at any point in his journey if he had the chance to,” longtime friend Kevin Nguyen said. “It is a very popular trek, where you might have 200 to 300 hikers and guides per week during the busy season, so it is very uncharacteristic that no one’s seen him since day one or day two.”
Yap missed his estimated return date of 23 September and did not check back into the Krusty hostel in Huaraz, where his luggage remains stored. He also failed to board a scheduled flight from Lima to Cusco on Thursday.
The experienced hiker had misplaced a satellite beacon he was carrying days before setting off on the trek, raising further concerns among those who knew his plans. He had recently purchased a GPS watch to allow for offline maps to guide him on the hike.
Yap’s family engaged Socorro Andino Peruano, a local mountain rescue organisation, to help with the search. The same group recently rescued a Canadian trekker from the same trail.
“Time is of the essence … because ultimately, as much as we were saying he’s been missing since the 23rd, he’s had no contact with anyone since the 14th,” Nguyen said.
Rescue crews completed their biggest day of search operations on Saturday — Sunday morning AEST — scouring various trails on the circuit to no avail.
“I know Jordan likes to orienteer and navigate and he’s quite an adventurer himself, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried an alternative route,” Nguyen said.
Yap was last known to be wearing a white jacket, green sunshade sweater and grey pants, and was believed to be carrying a 40-litre hiking bag, a Durston dome tent and hiking poles. He had been planning the trek for more than a year.
“He was telling everyone about how he was ready to go on a big hike like this, [he was] really excited,” Nguyen said.
Family and friends are urging the Australian government to work with Peruvian officials and local authorities to mobilise further resources in and around the rugged region. The Australian embassy in Peru is helping his family. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.